Women’s workload has increased from wfh

Not sure who is 'doing housework when they are being paid to work' tbh ?

On a day I have to go in to my office, I would leave home at 7.15 to arrive around 8.30 - 8.45, spend 5 mins getting through security doors, signing in, going to the loo, taking coat off, setting laptop up to start work at 8.45 (on average). I'd take about 5 mins break for lunch, then leave at 4.30 to sit in traffic on the journey home. Time worked = just over 7.5 hours.

At home, to start work at the same time, having got up at same time, I've got 90mins to do anything I want at home.
If I finish at the same time, I've got another 90mins to do with as I wish.
Usually, (due to my own preference), I'd start a bit earlier, then stop for 15mins at around 10am (once the wash was done) to hang it out in the sun. Sometimes, at lunchtime, I'd prepare the evening meal. But I'd still work far more than the 7.5 hours I would have done in the office.
I just organise the hours in the day, to suit myself (around meetings, obviously).
My contract says I should work 7.3 hours a day. When you have no commute, it is easy to fit that into your day alongside either doing some jobs around the house, or walking the dog, or going for a swim or a run during daylight hours rather than at night.

ssd

Its kind of gutting hearing people are doing housework when they are being paid to work. But maybe im jealous.

to be fair people just said they’re lucky they can stick on a wash- that takes less than two minutes. In all workplaces you get an hour lunch

To be fair that probably has been a little true, particularly in the days when I was WFH 4 days a week and DH was working out of the house 5 days a week. But I would more than happily do domestic labour instead of my commute and loved having very little to do in evenings and weekends so we could do more as a family.

I haven’t noticed any increase. We re working so not creating mess. I have a few coffees but use the same cup then just put it into the dishwasher. I’d be running the dishwasher anyway each day. I tend to have a sandwich for lunch and DH has a cottage cheese and an apple most days. I go out the washing machine on most days before work and hang up washing on break or lunchtime so I spend less time going that at the weekend. Not sure if there is a lot more rubbish but we both take it out and husband always does it on a Friday anyway.

The only housework I do while WFH is the washing as I can load/unload washing machine during the day. Everything else is done as it would be if I was in the office. DH and I don't really make a mess if it's just us working and it's been a godsend for me as I work compressed hours so very long hours if you add on a commute at both sides of the day.

I've given this some thought. Our energy and water usage is higher. We use noticeably more toilet roll, but the workload feels less because I can fit it in here and there because I'm physically there at home to do it.

It takes no time to put a wash on while I'm making a coffee. Probably less time than I spend cleaning the kitchen at the office or listening to office chat.

I don't have my packed lunch containers to wash when I work from home and not much additional washing up because I probably microwaved leftover lasagne for lunch in the dish I originally cooked it in then lobbed in some salad and ate it out of there too 😁 So instead of an assortment of travel containers to wash I've just got a fork

When my husband is WFH too he's doing housework stuff too. He certainly doesn't create mess or fill bins. What with?

YABU.
I've wfh for years.
It doesn't create more work at all.

I'd say it's mainly DP to be honest... he's taken this as an opportunity to have a full on cooked meal from scratch x3 a day and seems to have endless drinks and generate a lot of rubbish.

Well, as you've said - it is a 'dp not clearing up his mess' problem, not a wfh problem.

I rather like the fact that if I am emptying a dishwasher whilst waiting for the kettle to boil, then it means my dishwasher is empty, rather than emptying the one at work then coming home and still needing to empty ours.

But, when I make a brew, I generally would reuse the same mug.
Yes, I'll use a plate at lunchtime, but I don't have to wash the tub I would otherwise be taking my lunch to work, in.
Not really sure how you are filling bins so much, if you are both working.

I don’t think it makes much difference here. DH works from home most of the time and I work completely from home.

I do most school runs (my hours are set to reflect this) but we’d have to get her to breakfast club/ collect her from after school club anyway so it’s no different.

One of us empties the dishwasher in the morning whilst DD has breakfast - we both put our dishes etc in then as we go. DH never really has breakfast and I rarely do but if I do it’s probably a banana or a bit of yogurt so sticking the peel in the bin/ bowl in the dishwasher is no real hardship. We usually have leftovers from the night before for lunch, or something quick and easy and we’ll both clean up after ourselves and put pots in the dishwasher - I’d have to do that if I made my lunch in advance to take in with me anyway.

DH mostly stays at his desk and I tend to sit at a small table in the living room, we’re not wandering around the house making mess. If things are quiet I’ll make use of the odd 5 minutes to stick a wash on, change a bed, fold some laundry etc. DH gets more of a set lunch break than I do and will do jobs during it like emptying bins or making a start on prepping dinner.

He finished a bit early today (due to having to start exceptionally early as a one off) so collected Dd from school and they’re still out the front playing in the snow and I’ve finished up some bits of work and now I’m having a rest and a cuppa. Dinner is an easy one and all set to go. In previous jobs we’d both still be battling the commute right now, before eventually collecting DD from childcare and having to start dinner etc.

No, I've not noticed anything. DH and I do everything 50/50 though. We both WFH and both clean up after ourselves if we make a cup of tea or lunch. There's no "chipping in"; he's a grown man who can clean up after himself just as well as I can. He often preps dinner on his lunchbreak. We have flexible schedules and we'll go shopping and have it put away so there's no faff, etc.

I love it. My work is very flexible though so I do get a chance to do housework every day. Plus I take an hour or so on a Friday and do the 'big clean' ahead of the weekend.

Your OH “chips in”? What the hell does that mean. No, don’t tell me. It means he does the bare minimum while you take up all the slack right?

To coin a MN cliche, you don’t have a WFH problem. You have an unequal partnership problem. He makes more than 50% of the mess and does less than a third of the clearing up.

There's a glaringly simple common denominator running through this thread...

Equal partners = no increased workload whatsoever, in fact life is streamlined

Unequal partners = female is knackered

But your title is that it increases women’s workload. If it increases workload, it should be an equal increase, so I guess it does raise women’s as part of that but your implication in both the title and OP is that it’s just women’s workload that increases.
Though, having WFH during covid I don’t really see how it does.

I have WFH for about 12 years now.
I discussed the balance with my employer at the time e.g. putting on washing etc. Their view was that it was far less time than all the people sitting having long coffee breaks together, or gassing over the desks. I stopped feeling guilty at that point. So I did about 95% of the daily grind and got increasingly angry about it, and husband's lack of appreciation.

COVID came along and my husband who had claimed his job was not compatible with WFH had no choice. He finally started doing his share of the household for the first time in years. Fuck me, did he resent it when I wouldn't pick it all up again when he started going back to the office and tried to say he could no longer WFH.

One marriage crisis later, he lived on his own for a bit, never had the kids (their choice) but he discovered just how hard it is to work and do all the housework. We reconciled our differences (there were others!). Now he WFH 2-3, sometimes 5 days a week, fully flexibly and does his share.

I am currently on medical leave, and cannot do anything as I am non weight bearing. For the next few weeks, he has at least 95% of the housework, including school runs. I plan to milk it. 🤣

It hasn't increased for me because we both mostly wfh.
I have found I do more during the day and mine and DH lunchbreak is replaced with housework but that means less is left for the weekend/evenings.
I tend to multitask a lot so when making a cup of coffee also turn the washing machine on or after lunch then clean down etc.

Dishes, ok - but surely just a mug and a plate from a sandwich/salad? Why are you spending more time hoovering and cleaning the bathroom? Just do what you used to. There might be a bit more to clean (shouldn’t be in a bathroom) but it won’t take longer to hoover up lots of fluff than a bit of fluff.

Totally get it.

Some things are admittedly easier. I can sling a load of laundry on while I make a cup of tea.
But I also have a husband who likes to cook from scratch and leave everything in the "zone of the dishwasher" to quote Michael McIntyre. This is also teaching the kids it is perfectly acceptable to dump dirty stuff there rather than actually stack the dishwasher in a manner that doesn't indicated a frenzied baboon did it.

He gets away with it because as thermonuclear as it makes me feel, he does do all the cooking and the mental load that goes with it.

It was lovely though to come home to a clean kitchen and living room when we were both out all day and the kids at school/childminder. No toys, no detritus, no crumbs on the floor and still some biscuits in the cupboard. But I think I have mostly gained rather than lost and the kids certainly have as we both used to do very long hours with a 3 hour daily commute each.

People shouldn't be skiving whether they're at home, the office or driving between appointments.
Flexible working works really well when you WFH because it's usually the 'home' things that people need flexibility with (doing some sport, school events, getting the boiler serviced, parcels arriving).

I actually totally agree OP. I normally work a hybrid 50/50 WFH/office, 2 kids and DP, who normally works 4/5 days in the office. My point has been proven the last few months when DP has been WFH full time, and it’s been hell, even though he actually does a bit around the house (cooks most meals, some school/hobby runs, will clean if specifically directed) - but the absolute mound of shite he leaves around the place is unbelievable. Then this last week he’s been in bed with flu, and the place has been immaculate 🙄 - so it’s definitely a ‘him’ problem not all of us.

I wfh ft. Dh works ft outside the home. We have two dc. Sometimes he will come home to a sink full of last nights dishes as I've had a manic day, ate half a packet of crackers for lunch at my desk and not been for a pee. I'll say "sorry didn't get a chance to do the dishes today"

His reply is "its OK, I didn't either" and he rolls up his sleeves and does them.

If I had someone in my team at a local office I would probably go in more than I have to. We save money on a dog walker and my husband can walk to work (he prefers to go into the office). Just easier to do things or get tea on or use less wrap around care

For me it's running the washing machine and dishwasher while working or sewing a button on a school shirt whilst listening to someone make a presentation. I hoover, clean, hang loads of washing out etc on lunch or during what would've been my commute.

I'm working, it's just that being at home makes it possible to multitask whilst doing my job.

If it makes you feel better I do my in-tray and set the day's priorities hours before my working day starts and I'm often thinking about a work problem whilst cooking or washing up. I trynot to do it in the bath.

I can't say I've noticed a difference. Couple of mugs and couple of plates - the dishwasher is still running once a day. Filling the coffee machine with beans more often - not a big chore. We are definitely spending less time doing housework at the weekend however, with no time spent on commuting and being able to do a load of laundry during the day.

I've wfh for over 10 years and find that although I do more housework, washing during the day, I do less on the weekend. Thursday is my wash day so every time I get up to make a cuppa I put a wash on.

My DH is out of the house all day, but still does his fair share of housework etc, so I think it does boil down to what type of partner you have and their general attitude towards women and chores.

The house does get dirtier quicker tho with me in the house more, as a pp said bins need emptying more often, bathroom needs cleaning more and of course my tea and loo roll usage is higher than it would be.

But for me the advantages of wfh still outweigh the negatives.

For me it’s so much better. I work from home 3-4 days a week. I can get stuff done before I start work, I finish at 5 so can get dinner started so I’m not rushing it after work or just chucking anything on, I can get a wash done on my lunch break.

My DP works in the office so it is just me at home which is maybe why it’s easier but it’s so much less stressful than trying to do stuff around a commute.