Anyone else fed up with WFH/Hybrid

I was so over WFH after Covid so I go in every day (only a 12 min train ride). I do prefer the days when we have loads of people in, but even when there’s just a few it’s much better than sitting in my flat all day. I know all jobs are different, but in my line of work, people do really benefit from being in the office, around their colleagues. Especially our new starters, who are not benefiting from the same kind of on the job learning I got. Yes we can train over teams, but sitting amongst colleagues, overhearing those questions / conversations is a bit part of learning. Also networking, I have a lot of links with other teams that sit on my floor which is a big help. Some of the older colleagues don’t seem to realise their presence is beneficial to those younger colleagues. So for me, yes WFH is so 2020!

I absolutely love it but we have a busy house and I like having some peace and quiet. A busy working environment doesn't suit me. For those living alone I can see that it might be completely isolating and lonely though.

Of course they are. What skills do you learn sitting on your own all day. Social skills regarding work begin to atrophy. People lose any motivation unless they are maybe very well established or don’t care anyway. My year working from home made me so utterly miserable it was frightening.

Yes look at all the comments me me me. It’s boring and lonely and isolating and it will impact things more than people know in the future.

I know some younger people who become very fed up with it.

I do think that you can make a nice team atmosphere even remotely so totally appreciate hybrid - I really get the most out of both wfh and in office so find it perfect.

I like hybrid and wouldn't want FT in the office. I have health conditions and I catch far less viruses/colds now. Im not completely exhausted either. I don't think I could do 5 days in the office now. I'd end up off sick. I'd have hated it when I was younger though.

I wish I felt like going in more, but as it is, DH and I have both been working in hybrid roles for years now and love our set up. I feel I’m more productive as I don’t get interrupted for chats or questions. I hit/exceed any KPIs. But I was recently told - with no notice nor any regard for my work-life balance - that I have to be in the office full time effective immediately. Everyone else was told the same. I actually never agreed to that when I upped my hours a few years ago. It’s micro managing gone mad and I have a feeling bigger, worse things are afoot. Long story short: I’ve got three interviews lined up for fully remote and hybrid roles.

Certainly, if I was wanting to go in, because I didn’t feel fulfilled working from home or a sense of achievement, then I’d find a way to go in more/FT.

My employer is luckily clever enough to understand that flexibility goes both ways.
I only come in about 2 days per week and , do some chores during the day, but i also do 7:30 am meetings, or 6pm.
If they ask me to come in, its 9-5, no exceptions.
9-5 only would kill the business in a year maximum, so flexible working it is.
Suits me, suits the business. Everybody happy.

We still get together throughout the year for team lunches. We have summer and Christmas parties that are in person.

WFH doesn't mean you never ever leave your house or see your team.

Fully wfh perhaps, not hybrid.

I don't see no Christmas parties as a bad thing necessarily given all the issues and traumas that seem to happen.

Your approach I applaud and I wish your HR team had been more supportive.

There will always be those who try to do the minimum, and there should be consequences.

Can you book group space and get your team in once a week on the same day? I do this for my team and we have Thursdays in the office where we are all together.

@Jumpingthruhoops 'i feel like I could be working for anyone's

This absolutely. There's no shared sense of purpose or focus, there's no heart to the team or the work we do. I literally could be churning out anything. Result = motivation gone out of the window!!

No I don't miss the office. A 2hour round trip commute in rush hour, hot desking and the amount of stress/late finishes when I was in the office (regularly worked at least 60hrs per week). My commute is down the stairs or a coffee shop. I normally only put petrol in my car once per week and there is no drama. I'm more productive as I manage my own time/workload etc. The downside is bigger gas/electric bills but my mental health is much better wfh.

God no, I've been home based for 15 years, no commute but community visits county wide, expenses paid.

Manage my own diary and don't have to suffer office politics and fuckwits.

Nothing better than sitting in my garden working in the sunshine knowing I don't have to sit in rush hour to get home.

Maybe be not assume everyone is as workshy as you and most people actually work hard from home.

I changed jobs during maternity leave and ended up going to a job which required me in the office for my 4 working days (PT) and the team boss doesn’t like people working from home although the job can be done hybrid. I was pregnant and meant I wfh somewhat frequently as suffered with sitting in my office chair for long periods. At home I have various different desks/tables I can sit at.
whilst I am gregarious and like talking I hate the interruption of the office and the mundane small talk when I could be working. I have to time record in 6 minute units so my output is very measurable. I don’t like that I cannot manage my own work when it is only myself doing it and I have my own targets to hit. So for me, flexibility is what I want. I wouldn’t want full time office based work any more. I have a few friends from working with people over the years but frankly I have enough friends so rapport is nice but I don’t bank on having colleagues to make up my social circle.

I think there needs to be an element of choice. Definitely some people work better in the office and some better from home/ hybrid.

Either in terms of some jobs being office only and some wfh, or people having a choice within their jobs.

I think it’s unfair for those who like the office to be able to force others back in though. Preference is likely to be fairly split, so I don’t think it’s necessary to say “everyone else needs to be in so I can have the team spirit I personally thrive on”. And if most people don’t go in unless forced, it maybe suggests that it doesn’t work for the majority.

Edit - I do think that extroverts can be a bit like morning larks, and feel that they are inherently right and should have everything their own way. Whereas there should be choice. And introverts/ night owls never seem to want it all their own way, only some degree of parity.

I wfh every day and i love it. I'm much more productive as i save 3 hours of commute time, i can work from anywhere, plus it's nice on my pockets...what's not to love?

It’s going to have massive social problems later on. No office lunches, no Christmas parties. In my opinion it’s the worst thing that happened during Covid. My ex has worked from home for many years, he’s built extensions etc, getting paid for it too.

One day wfh is enough for me. I’m full-time so am in the office 4 days a week. One days wfh is useful but it’s a bit boring with no one to talk to. I also don’t have a comfy swivel chair and have to sit on a hard dining chair.

Having suffered serious burnout this year in my workplace , I would love to find a WFH or even hybrid job as the flexibility would just be a dream!

I recognise everything you posted lighteningthequeen

It really is more nuanced than “ just go in more”. I think a big part of the problem is that hybrid in the way it seems to be done doesn’t work.
If I go in, and the office is all open plan, most people there are on Teams meetings with people are are not, and teams are rarely together, it feels like a waste of time to a lot of people.
I would love to see more actual divided offices- at my place there is always space now so they could actually divide the open space into office for 6 for example. That would enable teams to actually work together, and make noise rather than everyone trying to be as quiet as possible. I really miss collaborative working and it’s so stilted and awkward on Teams. Only 1 person can speak at a time, and there’s a tiny lag which means you always feel like you are interrupting. I do have 1-1 chats on Teams but they can feel quite intense and very different to the walking to meeting chats I would have had before.
My boss is so toothless about enforcing in person Team days and there’s always someone who has an excuse. I feel like people have become so insular and lazy ( me included) and I hate it.
I do wonder about young and single people too, and how many people used to meet their partner at work. I guess that’s happening less and less.

I'm a software engineer. I do NOT miss working in the office. I absolutely do NOT miss all the impromptu chit chats and questions. I love that when someone has a question for me, they message me, rather than finding me at my desk and interupting my train of thought. I love working in comfortable clothes, drinking good coffee and tea, eating a fresh lunch, and not having to commute. I love being able to flex around school runs and dentist appointments. Although, my company is very good with flexi time and I would be allowed to do that anyway, just the distance would be prohibitive.

Our morning stand up meetings always start with 15 mins of social chatter. And we have virtual social events every week, and in person ones less frequently. We have Slack channels about all sorts of things that aren't work related, so that everyone can socialise around shared interests. I feel like I still get the best parts of office life, without it interferring with my work.

From various threads on here, I wonder if a lot of companies have shifted to wfh/hybrid, without actually investing in it, or setting it up properly. They save the money on not having an office space, but don't invest it back into the teams. Which is a bit rubbish.