Time management at work

I’m all for having a poo in company time but I think exercise and meditation is taking it a bit far!

😂

Most of those things ought to be done in your own time not work time. Though fine to fit them in to a lunch break or other short break you would take if you are in the office.

I quite often do some exercise in my "lunch break" when WFH. I have also popped to the Post Office which is 5 mins away but my overall work time isn't cut short because of it.

I would consider heating/ eating lunch as an acceptable lunch break and I sometimes read or watch a bit of telly during lunch. I also have 2-3 short breaks to make a cup of tea and give my eyes a rest from the screen. While I'm waiting for the kettle to boil I might unload the dishwasher, tidy the kitchen table or put the bin out but no more housework than that until I've finished my working day.

My husband is in charge of laundry and he tends to put a load on first thing before starting work and then hangs it in his lunch break.

I'm intrigued by meditation! At first I thought no of course you can't spend work time meditating! But then remembered I used to some of those three minute meditations (must start again) which would easily fit into a kettle boil/ short screen break and would physically be a good aid to manging stress and concentration. My answer will be different if you are skipping out to attend an hour long meditation class in work time.

The only things I'd count as ok to do on work time would be planning my day/week and talking to my mentor. But the planning would be work stuff ie I've got a holiday in two weeks and I need to do xyz work by then. Not, when can I fit in a haircut.

I do some chores, but during my breaks. So I might set a load of washing going whilst the kettle boils, hang it out on my lunch break. If I need to deal with personal stuff in work time (call about DC for example) I'd make up the time same as in the office.

If you like to exercise / meditate to help you work, then you need to factor that in to your non working hours

I only get my nails done on company time, as they look nicer painted while I type. Therefore it improves my productivity.

I think it depends on the day’s tasks. If you had back to back meetings with a bit of intense prep beforehand I don’t see the problem in taking a 15/30 min walk around the garden/block or doing some yoga flows to de stress but it would presumably count as your lunch break. Taking two minutes to answer a text from a friend or email is fine as long as you’re not getting distracted into a group chat.

And people wonder why staff are being called back into workplaces!

The only things I'd expect to be able to do are stuff I would in the office, so really just making a cup of tea or using the toilet. I might stretch my legs, empty the dishwasher or put a load of washing on while I wait for the kettle to boil but that's about it. The reading work related stuff would probably be ok on a quiet day. I do make sure I take my full hour for lunch, so would expect whatever making is required to come out of that.

I agree with a PP, I do think that some to the things you have listed would be taking the mick... meditation, reading personal development books, offloading to a friend/journal (so, chatting basically?), brief bouts of exercise.

Should I be reducing my hours to fit them in YES or doing them in work time? NO

Definitely should not be doing laundry, making lunch (don't you get a lunch break?), popping to the post office, longer bouts of exercise etc during work time.

I mean I sometimes put the groceries away or shove a load of washing in the machine but those are 2 min jobs that I do whilst waiting for the kettle to boil or something.

You haven't said what hours you currently work but you have said that you only work part-time so should have time to do these things outside of working hours.

Apart from planning my working day and talking to a mentor I wouldn't consider any of those appropriate during working hours. I don't understand why it would change if you are full time or part time.

It's clearly a joke post people 🤣

Adding to my comment. My closest friend works from home and I know on Fridays it can be quiet for her so she does manage to get some house work and batch cooking done. But she does absolutely not factor this into her working day, or a given, it’s just a bonus.

You definitely shouldn’t be factoring all this into your working week.

I'm actually genuinely shocked that you would count meditation and exercise as work

I don’t WFH but I think it’s a bit insane that you’re considering exercising, meditating, catching up with friends and doing your house work whilst being paid to work. Lunch - surely you get a break for that!

Maybe I’m in the minority but I think you’d be taking the P a bit.

You should just expect to WORK the hours you’re paid for and any quiet days you are able to do other things take as a bonus.

And you can do other things during the day, but you can't count those as working time

Agree with the , would you do this in the office?

So on the list I'd say planning the work week, which isn't your personal life but just work, and that's probably five minutes each morning.

And meeting mentor if that is work sponsored and endorsed, but not if just set up independently

I know the lines for home workers do get blurred - but general rule of thumb which works for me:
Would I be comfortable doing this in the office?

You are entitled to breaks, and you wouldn't think twice about heating up lunch in the office, so I don't see an issue with that.
Many people in the office take some of their break for a walk - again no issue.

As long as you complete your work to a good standard, attend meetings etc then do what you like.

Of all of your lists, I would only consider the below work:

Reading books on my industry
Planning the day/week/month (which involves thinking around my personal time / upcoming hols etc) - that’s only a few mins/week
Calls with a mentor (assuming mentor is in your profession)

Other chores can fit in your lunch break in a way they couldn’t if you were in the office, but shouldn’t be done in working time.

i would make 1-2 cups of tea each half day, and those 5 mins might include some stretches, but that is all.