To be so glad WFH became a thing (and to absolutely hate anyone who tries to curtail its availability)

I think hybrid is brilliant. My role requires a lot of in person meetings and relationship building so I probably he to work from home one day a week if I am lucky, but I still appreciate the flexibility.

I do see some downsides - going back to 100% in the office is not the answer, but I have listened to countless of the number of times I have been told people don’t know who is who, who to ask for something. Things that were resolved with a quick chat at a desk now seem to take ages.

we need to use the technology better so people actually connect with each other and know what is going on.

but still a huge fan of hybrid working

This. It is a huge bridge divider, I would never have been able to afford to move to London or a bigger city. But I was able to eventually get the career I wanted due to WFH

Absolutely. As a non-Londoner, I now have access to much more in the way of training opportunities. People starting out in my sector now who are outside the south east can now benefit so much more from expertise being available online.

And it goes deeper than that too. People who are just looking for any office type job but who live remotely, or in towns where there's nothing much, also benefit.

Earlier this month, we were unable to work in office due to issues with lighting.

Those who were unable to WFH - either because it’s their OHs WFH day, having work on the home - too noisy. Another civil service department, in the same town, offered desk space. I think about ten colleagues worked from the different office.

👍👍💕

Were you aware that some young staff now have access to many more jobs because of remote working? Young people doesn't just mean the ones who live within commuting distance of the office. You don't feel much of a team if you can't get a job in the first place because of your disability, caring responsibilities or social isolation. Young or otherwise.

I think the whole point of the thread is that those who don't WFH keep banging on about how everyone else should go in to the office. They're the ones making assumptions and trying to tell people what is what, and telling them they don't care about anything. People who WFH are doing none of that, only talking about why it benefits them and what suits them. Please don't lecture me as someone who grew up in abject poverty and slept in my mum's living room as an adult due to being unable to afford to live anywhere, and is now in a working situation that I worked damn hard to get in the first place and continue to work hard to maintain. I've made no assumptions about anyone, but god knows plenty seems to have been made about me.

Very wide assumption....my WFH space is a small desk in my bedroom which is the smaller bedroom of the 2 we have. I have to sleep separately from DH due to his medical issues but still be near enough to be on call in the night. He can no longer work due to severe medical issues. Not exactly a privileged household here.

We give new starters a comprehensive induction, part in the office and part remote. We also have team chats to ask questions and get support. It works, despite 'what I watched on Netflix' not forming part of the training program.

Let us know how much more you're willing to pay for fully in person staff in both the public sector and the private sector services you use. Unless perhaps you're recommending a full command economy. Might be a bit of a faff to sort out though.

As a mum of two kids and having a long term health condition, I agree with you 100%. The articles that appear in the press sometimes (these lazy people who work from home and do nothing apart from life admin etc) make my blood boil. I work my butt off, and I’m so much more productive and work longer hours than if I had to commute to an office. I’ll never work somewhere again if I cannot WFH.

How insular and depressing. I always thought humans were generally social beings. I can see some fell from a different tree.

The world has changed but it does make you realise that some people really are so stuck in their ways that they cannot imagine anything different. It's the same with the 8 hour day - such an arbitrary number but people are adamant that 8 hours is the exact time everyone needs to do their work 😅

I became disabled after having a child. I’m disabled in a way that without wfh, I likely would not be able to work. I was wfh before Covid. Because of wfh I am gainfully employed instead of trying to raise a family on a pittance provided by the government aka other taxpayers. It is nothing short of a miracle.

I am in a job that cannot be done at home and I fully support the right to work from home wherever that is possible. I think it offers so much more flexibility. One of my DC can only attend school online rather than in person so I like to think that there will still be jobs available that she can do from home when she is older. There are plenty of jobs still out there for those who don't want to work from home.

Come back to us when you get diagnosed with long term illness , get a disability, have caring responsibilities etc - many reasons laid out in this page all ready
no one knows what's around the corner in their own lives - it's wonderful the majority of companies have moved with the times and allowed what was a previous unemployable catchment of people, to have employment
technology has moved on, there is a good bit of employment out there using this to allow people work anywhere across the world

I can't work from home but my husband does and has some flexibility. Life saver with two kids.

Self management? Oh you won’t be needed as a manager then 🙄