That ship has sailed

How often is your doorbell ringing? And to be fair the telly does not call me, because I'm working.

I don't get the push for in office working when companies have downsized their infrastructure of offices, investment in real time office working lead by management which is improbable due to the fact they also benefited from the distribution of network talent they did not have previously, e.g recruiting outside of a lower paid salary geography because it didn't matter. Hence noone is in the same location anyway and it just seems to be pockets of people on calls next to each other who literally lose travel time to the office, morale of being in the office with a few other colleagues on calls. None of these people are ones who "try" and look after their children in the working day at home. It's other people who have sailed that ship because when you are at work be it in the home or office you cannot look after young children whilst doing your work. It's very simple and for some of us obvious. You need someone else to care for you child when you are working, regardless of location.

That is annoying, but the problem isn't people working from home, it happens because some people work from home without proper child care arrangements.

The crying baby is a bit annoying when you are trying to discuss intricate details of a mortgage on the phone but can barely hear over the "shoosh now here's your bottle" I must agree.

Good. I don’t want to listen to your screaming kids, barking dog or washing machine when I call you.

I think most are reluctant to return to work because they have given up their after school child care. If your kids are in the house and you’re the only adult there you aren’t working

Sounds a pretty effective way of reducing their workforce without javeinc to pay redundancies.

Totally agree 👍

5 days a week (supposing you do some kind of office/computer based role) is absolutely ridiculous. Wfh is best for balance and mental health. I get work is important but nothing proceeds your actual life. I think the only good thing that came from the pandemic was more work life balance.

as humans, we aren’t meant to be working so much. We need more time back. I’m sorry to those that have to be in 5 days a week and I hope one day we move to a 4 day work week.

We’re attempting to get back into the office for a minimum of 3 days a week. The excuses are pathetic!

People just don’t think ahead. They didn’t WFH pre-Covid so why the hell have they decided to move away during it,
See also
‘ I have a dog now ‘
‘ I sold my car ‘
‘ I go to gym class at lunchtime ‘

I’ve seen both sides of this as an employee and a business owner… what I would say it’s an employers market at the moment, and even amazing people I know are taking 6 months- a year to find work in exec roles. So don’t be too hasty… lots of companies are expecting more office time now.

It's a timeline 🙄 National lockdown started on 26th March 2020, people were taking about three weeks to die; you can easily see the fall in mortality. It saved tens of thousands of lives.

It also started WFH!

Why did things change in covid forever? I wish people would stop using it as an excuse for all kinds of shoddy, poor service now.

I noticed this a while ago when I had to ring up somewhere.
The person on the other end was lovely and helpful, don't get me wrong, but had to apologise for the cat. 😕
I don't want a call handler to be distracted by their furballs, wouldn't happen in an office!

I seem to be in the minority, but if I'm at work I want to be at work, not "at work but at home!"
I want a clear boundary between the two.
Too easy to get distracted by ringing doorbells, the telly calling me etc 😁

@LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway

“it's ludicrous to suggest that everyone should be allowed to work from home all the time.”

Genuinely: why is this ludicrous?

@Bewareofthisonetoo Hear hear!

I'm personally fed up calling a helpline and struggling to hear because of the washing machine/dog barking/todder crying

Going to pick you up on that there - not the fridge/wine raiding, but the effect of lockdown on UK deaths.

Work from home doesn't work for many businesses because people abuse it and crucially it affects interactions between staff etc. if it's not working for them then they have every right to ask everyone to come back in, that ship hasn't sailed.

If you don't like it leave

Shorthand for dissent and unrest?

Well it will cost the employers to recruit and train new staff, plus the disruption.

Yanbu

But really, if they insist you return, you have to

Or find another job

People who need jobs will replace those who leave.
The new people might bring new ideas, & higher productivity
and be less angry.

Organisations have become much less productive - the reason we hsve to wait months foran (unhelpful) reply from the Teachers Pension Scheme/hang on endlessly for utility companies etc is because they are all taking the piss walking the dog.

@TheShellBeach I was wondering the same thing. Sounds like a cross between unrest and distress.

But most studies show you have a workforce and give them a 4 day week for the same pay and they become MORE productive OVERALL.

So the data my firm found overall people were more productive overall having flexible working and literally happier, with less staff turnover.

www.forbes.com/sites/danpontefract/2024/09/11/why-the-4-day-workweek-delivers-more-by-doing-less/#:~:text=Supporting%20Barnes'%20approach%2C%20a%202021,lead%20to%20exceptional%20results%E2%80%8B.