To think perhaps WFH might need encouraged again for a while

I’ve seen multiple MN threads over the years about people doing (or planning to do) just that.

eg, “I’m returning from mat leave and have a fully remote role. It doesn’t make financial sense to put DC in nursery so I’m going to keep them at home with me, can people share their experiences of doing this”?

Or people complaining their colleagues are doing this without the boss being aware.

I’m in professional services and work with a small team of consultants. Their admin woman often mutes herself on our team calls so she can say something to her toddler.

Once I tried to call her to discuss an email she’d just sent me and she didn’t pick up. She emailed two minutes later to say “Sorry I couldn’t answer, I’m in a playground and it’s very noisy!” This was during her working day/working hours. I did complain to her boss, but the point is not only do some people do this, they don’t even think there’s anything wrong with it.

Even school age children under about 8/9 won’t leave you alone for hours if you’re working, even if you stick them in front of the digital babysitter, which I’m sure many do.

Not read the whole thread but am wondering whether WFH will become enforced as a government strategy (so that industries cannot duck out and enforce their workers to go in), freeing up fuel for key workers? I teach in a city school where most pupils walk to school. My round trip is about 15 miles daily but I could cycle if need be. Some of my colleagues drive 2.5 hours round trip though.

I suppose teachers could be re-deployed to their nearest schools <thinking aloud>.

I WFH but use my car a lot to go to my exercise classes, drive my son to his music lessons, shopping etc.... and I'm not prepared to stop doing any of it unless I have too.
Exercise classes alone give me a social group which you miss out on when working from home.

Our local schools rely on heating oil, I wonder what will happen if they run out? I'm pretty sure they aren't allowed to open without heated water for hygiene reasons etc. Also, it's still freezing, those old buildings would be terribly cold. Hopefully it just won't come to that.

@Asuitablecatwtf is ovulation transport?

Is it the right kind of oil and can it be extracted in the immediate future to solve the current problem.

@HJBeans thanks for explaining, missed your post on first reading of the thread.

Working from home means increased heating bills ie heating oil which is extortionate at the moment. You save on one hand and lose on the other.

I don't know. How was it done the last time?

Which was the main complaint on the Facebook page oddly. It reminded me of mumsnet.

Hopefully it's just bollocks. Not that it affects me now since my car wouldn't start this morning.

• the head of octopus is an interesting character and a maverick. He's all for net zero etc but also understands people are still using fuel and needs it.

He thinks the 22 billions set aside for carbon capture needs to be canxelled immediately and more help for people on fuel etc .

I agree op , people who understand this stuff like the boss of Asda who do sell fuel are sounding alarm bells and the ex head or something of BP said expect four days weeks.
Why isn't the government helping to sort this out now before we hit actual shortages ?
It feels like we will be facing Armageddon and not a whisper is coming out of the gov except on top of the 6% rise for benefit claimants and MPs wages rising we have been told we won't get help.

If they are sure about our petrol supplies Id like to know why .

When the blockage happened in the early 2000s massive measures were put in place to protect the NHS ,ambulances and other essential services. ,

I agree and think it should be encouraged generally. The government keeps plugging the nett zero but at the same time encouraged back to working on offices. I work from home mainly, but travel quite a distance to the office once a week. When everything was becoming normal again after covid and everyone was back in work the roads were not jam packed as many who could, were still working from home. Around a year on from that point the 1 hour 15 min travel time become 2 hours plus as most back in offices. Why are we pretending to be so environmentally concerned when these people who were not needed to be physically in offices before are being forced there now. The people who can not do their jobs from home have a problem with WFH roles of course. But do they not see their mornings & home times will also be better with more WFH roles.

Although I can see the 'not able to work from home staff's' point when it comes to them having the work commute time & expense when others don't. So that makes it tougher

Appreciate this is not useful in short term but honestly if the majority of your commutes are this level of mileage get an ev

I think wfh will just naturally happen with people not being able to afford the prices. I wfh anyway but after this week I won’t do any visits to the office and I have already told the teen that the 7 min drive to her bus stop she will have to walk. Fuel will be reserved for her dance class. Any other time it will be walking, bus or train.

How about not believing everything g beebies tells you and learning some economics

It was quite sobering driving down the M3 last week to see a 'no diesel' sign warning for first services then a 'no fuel' sign for the next services some miles on.

Doing stupidly long drives with DD in college. Will probably have to hang out in the local village rather than drive home. Probably cheaper than the petrol now anyway. Just need to find a loo!

There should be a “key worker” situation for people who are essential drivers like yourself.

But Trump says it is! 😂

I'm a home carer for the elderly, and I'm getting a bit worried about the fuel situation.
Working rurally, I get through loads of petrol and, being low paid, 150.9p is a struggle.

If I can't get fuel, I can't work. And if I can't work, I don't get paid.
And what of the elderly people who rely on carers?

Shortages often happen because people are worried and fill up more often all of a sudden because people start to talk about possible shortages. Asda (local one) has been running out of petrol/out of order at the most popular pumps regularly over the last two years, but if it happened now it would be noticed, talked about and promote worry and change of behaviour and a rush to the pumps. A self fulfilling prophecy.

Most people didn't panic buy around covid but picked up an extra pack of pasta because the were making lunch at home and it was easy. Lots of one extra bag of pasta caused shortages in our just in time system and then other people worried and picked up another extra pasta just in case it's not there next time... And we all think we are being bloody reasonable/sensible.

However, yes, we should all be thinking about which bit of life we can change. It'll be different for each of us. What's reasonable for some is impossible for others.

Local food: Hawthorn is just coming into leaf. It's the hungry gap otherwise, where not much ready to be harvested. (Ask the foragers, they'd know more)

I'm thinking of planting potatoes. They grow well, are easy, and with decrease in yields due to fertiliser shortages every little will help.

There's been quite a few posts on local FB groups over the last few days about petrol stations running out. I'm potentially screwed as I work hybrid, both out in the community & can work from home to do admin etc. Got 70 miles left so need to fill up tomorrow & will have to eke it out best I can for the foreseeable.

Most children are at school (after the Easter holidays) and the rest are with their normal childcare providers. No sane person would try to work AND look after dcs.

I seem to have timed things right for once. I've moved to a job with a 4 mile commute, and even better, there is a traffic-less cycle route across the common and farm tracks to get there.

Ds is on study leave and finishes school in June so I can cycle to work for ever more, if I wish. 😊