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

Covid made people realise that other ways of working are often just as feasible as office work. I’m far more productive at home. Laptop on and off I go. No travel disruption, no office politics to navigate, or office ‘banter’, having to listen to other people nattering when I’m trying to focus. Office working is often just about ‘presentism’ and justification of premises costs by having bums on seats in the office. Just because someone is sat at a desk in an office, doesn’t mean they are getting anymore done compared to if they were sat at a desk in their own home.

Some people are just stuck in the past, and not capable of moving with the times. Either that, or they’re just jealous.

Try working in a school- I'm not even allowed to take time off unpaid for funerals unless it's an immediate family member or take a day's holiday for a wedding or other event that is not in the normal school holidays- so no opportunity to ever go to Ascot, The Yorkshire Show or anything else which falls on a school day!

Yep, many a time I’ve worked past 11pm at night and on a Saturday morning in order to meet deadlines - and I’ve seen other colleagues online doing the same. And outside core hours so I can’t claim them back. But the anti-WFH brigade conveniently fail to acknowledge that.

I used to be in a WFH role where you were logged into a system 9-5. You had to log out for toilet breaks, so management could constantly monitor how long you were logged out and make you work time back. I couldnt even go to answer the door during my shift. Not all WFH roles are the same.

You sound jealous and it comes across in a very immature whinging way. Often people in senior roles have more flex to work from home and in the hours they work but what you don’t seem to appreciate is how they’ve earned this position and the flexibility goes both ways so whilst they may nip out for a haircut, there will be many evenings and weekends they are having to work that you aren’t .

I'm pretty sure most people who WFH will have had 'in person' jobs before, so know exactly how inflexible it can be. Not everyone working from home can take time for appointments in the day and there are plenty of negatives (work creep, worse work/life balance, lack of social side, being the default parent, missing out on opportunities as they're not 'visible' in the workplace). It's not about it being 'unfair' - every job and workplace is just different?

Since Covid. There seems to be some god given. unwritten right that people should be able to work from home.

Well get this . There isnt.

H

I work from home, I keep my own diary and time and I work solely on commission! Do I got for nails appointments at 11am on Wednesday yes! I stop working around 2.30 get my kids from school take them to the various activities. But also I had to call a client at 8.30 on Thursday night. I have done loads of admin today, I am probably going to have to do some work tomorrow!! Just because we are flexible with the hours we work doesn’t mean we aren’t working as hard/as many hours

You choose to do the job you do. You have a choice to do something else. That’s not the problem of people who get to wfh. No idea why you think you should get extra annual leave. What a bizarre self pitying attitude. And no I don’t wfh, I can occasionally and do sometimes.

What a lot of tosh!! I work from home in a stressful role and certainly am not galavanting! I actually reminisce about the days working in office as I’d do less hours than working at home ! You don’t get to switch off and close the computer same way as in the office ! And haircuts are strictly weekend only ! Grass is not always greener OP!!

I work in a job where I can’t work from home. I get that’s my choice ...

There's your answer right there.
It is okay to own your envy, @Ugriap.
Until a year ago I worked full-time in the office. I was much less productive than I am now working from home. I arrived stressed after spending over a hour driving in awful traffic then trying to find a free parking space. Then - while nice to talk to colleagues - it was difficult to concentrate in a busy social space. I always left the office on the absolute dot of finishing time to minimise driving/traffic. On the surface I worked my 40 hours but not effectively.
In late 2024 our office closed and we were all forced home to work. I was not happy as I didn't want my home to become my workplace. However, it didn't take long for me to appreciate the saving in petrol, time, lunches/coffees out and stress. I now often work more than my contracted hours. I log on at 6.30am and work for a few hours then shower and dress, make breakfast etc before Teams meetings start. If I am not busy I might take additional time out during the day - at 69 I have health issues - but I then work later in the day and into the evening. We had a public (you call it 'bank') holiday on Friday and I worked a lot of it (through choice) to get stuck into a project. I was happy to do that because my employer operates a high trust model where "swings and roundabouts" work. If I want to attend a medical appointment (not nails or hair!) during the working day I blank out 'personal appt' in my Teams calendar and make the time up later that day or during the week. This is not gadding about.
Don't cast aspersions on everyone who works from home because your friend appears to take advantage.

Newsflash life isn't fair, either get over it or get a different job

I wfh as a freelancer. So yes I can gallivant if I want. But I won't charge for that time. I get paid peanuts for this privilege. I also get no sick pay or holiday pay.

Well i guess working from home ppl save time on the commuting so they get more break time for running errands etc and its really bad for mental health to not interact with other humans throughout the day and just stay in, alone day in day out so being able to get out for breaks to do things, chat to a sales clerk etc is probably essential for mental health.

I see more galavanting from those who aren't remote in the company I work for. Don't be surprised if this catches up with your friend.

Comparison is the thief of joy. It’s not that your friend gets more time for things than you, she makes the time up later in the day when you’re sat at home in the evening watching tv. Everyone makes different sacrifices but ultimately it’s very unusual for people WFH to log off for hours at a time. I would potentially arrange an early dentist appointment (once a year!) and make the time up but certainly not heading to the gym or getting my hair done. I barely have time for lunch and I’m working after the kids are bed too. When I’m in the office I spend more time away from my desk at lunch as I’m in town and it feels like freedom. Precovid I would use a lunch hour in the office to have my nails done etc. now I feel like that’s taking advantage but arguably you still have that option to you!

Change companies so you can get upto what 2% of WFH employees get up to with a flexible employer. The 'it isn't fair' comments are beyond childish

I had a conversation with a friend recently who was boasting she’d not had a day off ill from work since 2020. She failed to realise that wfh when you have a heavy cold or a stomach upset etc is a darn sight easier than having to go into an office or public facing role.

I do think it’s definitely harder to be up and out of the door every day by 7.30am in all weathers no matter how shit you feel.

However, I wouldn’t moan about it as, like others have said, there are pros and cons and it’s predominantly your choice in terms of what job you do. But I do get irritated with people pretending they work just as hard at home as they do in the office- the majority of my friends and family wfh and not one of them fails to take advantage of a bit of free/flexible time during the day. It is without doubt, far easier and relaxing to wfh than go into a workplace

DP wfh and he absolutely can take time out to go to the gym, school events, the dentist, school run etc, it is allowed by his employer as long as there no online meetings that DP is required to attend. DP has to put everything on his calendar so his whereabouts are known and the time has to be made up the same day so if DP takes two hours in the afternoon to go to the gym he has to work until 7pm to make it up. Of course life is not like this for everyone, I could never get a job wfh and it’s not fair but that’s life, DP chose the career that he did and I chose mine.

Sorry - I am similar to your friend. High earner, senior member of staff and work from home most of the time. I nip for my nail appointment on my lunch sometimes or to meet somebody for coffee. However I also start at 5am most days and can be working until midnight and bring in more money than most people in the office because I put more hours in….

The concept of fairness you have is strange.

I can't work from home. It's never occurred to me to be jealous of those who can 🤷🏻‍♀️

OP, you sound insufferable. What absolute nonsense you spouting.

Having spent the majority of my working life in customer facing office roles with zero flexibility, that was always how it was.
I had to get my hair done at weekends, although employers are required to let you have time off for doctors and dentist appointments.
In the past few years I have had hybrid roles which allowed me to work from home om some days, but I was expected to be present and correct (and wearing uniform) during working hours because a Teams call could come in from the boss any minute, so there was no galavanting!
The only time I have experienced the level of freedom you mention is when I have been self employed and booking my own clients.
That is certainly not the norm for us mere mortals!

You’re confusing WFH with flexible employers.

I’ve been 100% office based with my job, and now am 20% office based. Same employer for a decade. They have always been absolutely fine with appointments in office hours / taking an extra 15 at lunch for haircuts etc. You just make up the time- and tbh, in my industry it’s rare to find anyone working 9-5. We tend to be on call/ working unsociable hours, for no extra pay. It’s just the nature of the beast.

I work FAR more hours now I WFH - because I can’t leave my work at the office, and it’s the kind of job that’s never “done”- and actually feel like i have LESS flexibility because i never ever want people to think im skiving.

But you said she works in the evening to make up time, so she's working while you have the evening off. So she still probably works her 37 hours (or whatever the contract is!)

What you are craving is a more flexible job.