To think people who work from home don’t understand this?! And they’re paid more usually

WFH is still working. Your friend looks to have flexible hours, which is different. My work has hybrid working. I have my hair cut at the weekend when I'm not working. I wouldn't take a day off because weekends are for this kind of thing. We're allowed time off for medical and dental appointments for treatment. I frequently work more than my contractual hours so my employer doesn't mind me going for dental check ups in work hours.

I work part of my jobs flexibly WFH. I definitely work more hours than I'm contracted for. So I might take the dog for a walk in the day but end up doing more hours overall for sure.

My sister is the same. She WFH and always seems to be at the hairdresser or at her kids' plays and assemblies. She is in a high powered role so I can only assume she catches up later.

I WFH in what would be a 9 to 5 in the office. However as I'm at home, I start at 7am, take lunch 12-1, and finish at 5.30. I never go anywhere or do anything I wouldn't do in an office during my working hours. I treat it very seriously.

Meh. I am the same as OP's 'friend'. I WFH, earn a six figure salary and I flex my job round my life. I am winding down towards early retirement and have reached the point where I give no fucks anymore. The company has had blood, sweat, tears, my mental health and nearly my marriage off me, with some of demands and expectations they have placed on me and hours I have worked. I now gallivant as much as I can.

I'm not sure why you think it's 'unfair' that two people who do completely different types of job have different types of working days.

A surgeon's day is different from an accountant's day. A bartender has a different work schedule to a nursery worker. So what?

If you both work full-time hours, you both have the same amount of free time, it's just that your schedules are different. It's got nothing to do with who is senior and who earns more and who works from home and who doesn't.

There will be people way, way more 'senior' than your friend who aren't able to work from home. There will be people way more junior than your friend who can.

I found in these types of jobs, that conversely, people couldn’t understand why I couldn’t do something at the weekend or in the evenings, because I was working on an urgent project, often 60 hours a week, even if from home looked good from the outside.

I don’t think WFH is what you’re aiming for, it’s owning your diary and working flexibly. Even before I was WFH I was able to slip off for appointments, school events etc. But WFH can build on that further, but only if you’re in a position to own your diary, it’s not guaranteed, I assume call centre workers would have less flexibility even if WFH.

I’m 45 and bottom rung of the ladder in retail and a lot of my friends have high paying jobs wfh. Op anytime I get bitter about my lot I thank goodness I’m not working overnight in a hospital or a care home. You’ve honestly got to get over this and be grateful for what you do have (let’s start with it sounds like you’re Monday to Friday? That’s good!) (sorry to be that person if it helps I don’t want to be!!)

I hate to break it to you but life isn’t fair! Never has been, never will be.

I wfh with a pretty hands off line manager but I still book my appointments for my holiday or weekends because I’m not a piss taker.

The more senior you are the more likely it is you will have to deal with crisis and problems outside of hours, our seniors can get dragged into a meeting at 7/8/9pm on a week day or have to give up their Sunday to ensure something gets solved or done! They don’t get this time back and they are still expected to get everything else done, so yeah a 2 hr lunch or the flex to go to appointment is reasonable!

The majority of people who work from home would've worked out of the home so I'm sure they understand the difference.
I work from home sometimes, I do more work than I do in the office and I'm never off gallivanting.

I’m going to sound like my mum here, but I don’t think life is fair, is it? It’s not as if every single job is lined up next to each other and ‘fairness’ measured out.

What would the definition of fairness be, anyway? I mean, we’re getting a little bit close to communism there 😊

FWIW working from home can be difficult too, constant interruptions from people that don’t understand that working from home is working. And it does sound a little bit like you might have that misconception too here.

Also, working late at night isn’t the fun scenario you might think it to be. A lot of people with the jobs that you think of as flexible are actually having to take their laptop on holidays with them and work weekends as well. They probably do have to squeeze things in like dentist appointments where they can get them.

I has been one of the biggest changes (after the internet/ email in the 90s - the biggest change) in my working life and is a post-pandemic change. Today3 of my adult children (lawyers) are working here at my home in 3 esparate roomes and I in another. Very unusually I set up on my own account as a solicitor in 1994 when the internet took off and the difference between being in the physical office in London every day and at least 2 hours commuting in and then suddenly in 1994 going downstairs to work was massive.

However even before that in terms of jobs I could usually get time off work for a school carol service of the children whereas their teacher father could never ever attend anything like that as he was at his school so I suppose it has always been the case that some jobs are more flexible than others. My milliennial children worked before and during and after the pandemic. My two Gen Zed children have only ever known working life post pandemic and work abohut 2 days a week from home (one more like 3 days a week from home).

Mind you I have had some very very busy years over all this time when despite working from home I worked plenty of 6 or 7 full time weeks and sometimes to midnight and later so it is not always a walk in the park in these supposedly lovely office type jobs.

YABVVVU

Generally people get paid accordingly to the required level of skill, education and responsibility of the role. She is paid more because her role demands it. Yours doesn’t so why should you earn the same?

Do you also whinge about care assistants not being paid the same as doctors?

Your argument - based on a sample of one - is bonkers OP.

I can’t just go to appointments during my lunch break. I can’t ever do this. So I have to book leave if I want to get my haircut or dental appointments. Or I go on a weekend so I’m basically having less free time.

A close friend is a high earner and she is always galavanting round during the day then catches up on her work in the evening at her convenience.

Unless your friend is your hairdresser or your dentist, how is this affecting you?

I work mostly from home. I can go to the dentist at lunchtime... and I could also go to the dentist at lunchtime when I worked in an office, because my lunch break and working hours were exactly the same.

Of course you shouldn't get more annual leave just because you don't work from home. You're being ridiculous. You have as much 'free' time as your friends - the only difference is that you have your free time at different times.

You might be free in the evening when your friend who went to the hairdresser during the day is catching up on her work. You're still both working full-time hours. You're just on a different schedule.

If it feels unfair then she obviously has something you want. Right now you can't wfh so change that instead of sliding into victimhood.

I see so many people who are in situations they dislike become absolutely determined that things can't change.

Start now. Don't unpack and live there.

I spent 20yrs in a hands on job that is always client facing- think physio, nurse, gardener, chef.

I never imagined I could WFH but I do. Maybe look for other jobs OP.

I also need to book hair at weekends and can't make up time at night- we have core hours. Your friend's role isn't common for most WFH jobs.

My sister gets paid £90K a year, I get half that. Thats not fair.

Except it is. She has worked very hard to get into that career, changing jobs and training, whereas I had a bit of a mispent youth. I went with a nice caring job. She went with I job that makes money.

C'est La Vie.

Oh jeez another Homeworker bashing thread!

So your friend is able to work more flexibly than you - and out earns you as well?? So what??

Personally I've WFH mostly since about 2013 way before the pandemic. Now I do a "Hybrid" role which is a bit of both.

When I worked in an office - Yes I known to pop out for the hairdresser or dentist during lunch. Did I ever leave early for some appointment - also yes. Did I also make up those hours - you bet.

While WFH - Have I worked over and above my scheduled hours to get work done - or get more work done due to some deadline or other? Also Yes.

Someones work flexibility does not always relate to where they actually do their work.

If you don't like your current role or if it doesn't offer you the flexibility you need - you have the option of looking for different work.

Believe me non of the WFH people I know are off gallivanting during their work times. They put the hours in and more.

I've worked in jobs where I had a good amount of flexibility. I put the hours in and had flexibility to take time off when needed. These were office based jobs so not working from home. Not just me but colleagues, managers too. It works well as long as there fairness and people don't take advantage.

Every job is different. There will be pros and cons. Try not to be so bitter with how it is for other people

Life isn't fair. It's what you make it. You sound jealous. Not a good look.

I don't think you said what you do but I work mostly in the office but because I have some flexibility in my role, i can pop out for a personal appointment or take a Friday afternoon off to go for drinks with the girls if I fancy it.

There are lots of different jobs. When I was a teacher I couldn't make a hair appointment during the week in term time but could do any day over the summer.

I think it's odd people don't understand that.