Am I sad that vaccine news makes me sad???

[Esbm2015]

I’m happy of course that we’re getting a vaccine which will hopefully prevent deaths and illness and stop us having to have restrictions on our lives. It’s just ... I’ve found I’ve actually enjoyed working from home, seeing my husband more and actually cold fear flooded through me at the thought of having to slog back into the office instead. I’ve felt so much more productive this year at home, so much more relaxed and my mental health and health in general have never been better. I find lots of people can’t wait to be back to the office and find it more productive. I find ours like a strait jacket and not inspiring or productive at all. I loathe having to pay a ton of money out for a train ticket to just go and sit in a room when this year has proved with technology my job can be done if anything much better anywhere. Sadly a lot of my team live in the city so will no doubt want to go back to the office and then I’ll feel like I have to! Office just seems so old fashioned and reigimented now. I really hope we can agree to a few days split office and home and it doesn’t creep up in days having to go in for meetings by people ignoring the fact you’re working from home. Sorry rant over!

The response your colleagues had to the person working from home OP was unacceptable. If you can manage to do your job well working from home, then going into the office should be a minority of the time post Covid. Anyone pressurising you to come into the office full time is a form of harassment in a way.

Set boundaries, agree them and stick to them. How many meetings are really important- perhaps the pandemic has shown those that really are, not just because we have always had them. Technology also enables remote joining.

I expect one day a week would be enough to have the face to face contact and the benefits it brings. Just means the disorganised and poor time managers have to up their game.

If people were never allowed to say they have found some good in scenarios that others have only had bad, then no one would say anything about anything.

It is possible to be happy for the world and sad about a specific aspect of an upcoming change and how it affects you, personally. There isn't much more the OP could have done to express that sensitively and accurately.

FWIW OP, I think history will view this as a significant cause of a change in how we all work and live - for many reasons. One of which, I think, will be greater adoption of the idea that WFH is a realistic option in some industries.

When you look at the money spent by businesses on providing work environments, there is no way some/many will sustain that long-term, now that they've seen the business can function without it. The pressure on the bottom line will lead them to review this spend (as it does for any expense).

The downside is going to be how that then compares with just hiring someone is a totally different country, with lower wages, to do the same role.

I suspect some kind of balance will be struck - at least for a while. e.g. offices with hot desks that can cope with 1/2 the staff, and WFH used for X days a week to balance that out.

I’m an immigrant to the UK. I’ve not been able to see a single relative since before March. So I’m struggling to see a downside to this, aside from trivial “I like it this way” stuff. It’s been horrific, and we have a solution. It’s been a horrible, lonely year.

The vaccine has to be good news, not sad.

You can take the lessons you've learned about yourself and try to use that in future, either in your current job or look for a new one with more flexibility. That's feasible pandemic or no pandemic.

Being able to see family and friends and travel again without the pandemic is invaluable.

I hear you. I have been working from home the majority of the time but have been going in one day a week since October. Whilst I enjoy going in and seeing everyone I'm not looking forward to going back in full time. I don't know how I ever coped!

I am delighted by news of a vaccine. Providing care and support for my very elderly and frail in-laws has been really hard and it's getting a bit cold for conversations via the patio doors even though we've equipped them with electric over blankets. Also, because of keeping them safe our DS (20) hasn't been home for almost 6 months.

Being able to see people, to hug them, to not feel a general low-level anxiety and as though I'm constantly on the edge of tears will be really nice.

The gardening and banana bread have been lovely but not enough to make up for this.

@Esbm2015

I know my firm was and will still be happy for flexible working but previously when a colleague had two days set working at home, people still put meetings in that then required him to come in for a third day, a fourth day... and so on. I also don't want to have to pay out for a season ticket but then end up paying more in travel because my two days becomes three days etc... Also it's the old concern isn't it that you're less 'seen' working from home. I just worry despite this year, it'll soon be forgotten and we'll fall into old habits and old fashioned expectations... especially from those as i say that don't have long commutes who can't wait to get back into the office and feel we all need to be face to face to get stuff done! I think *@Cavagirl and @AuntieStella* have both hit on something, especially the weight of expectation and the different view on life and what's important. I'm also over the moon at normal life - being able to travel again and freely, museums, go to the pub without need for a substantial meal or pork pie or whatever. I think this is more about work life and work/life balance that this year has highlighed for me.

But surely now your firm will be used to people attending meeting in a virtual setting?

Also, don't assume that colleagues will want to go back in to the office full-time. There are a few of my colleagues who I thought this would apply to but after speaking with them they are also looking for a work/home split post-covid. The main factor for them was they value the time they've saved on commuting and don't want to return to this. Our company has essentially said so longs as your line manager approves it, you can pick how often you're in the office/at home.

I have generally pretty anti lockdown, however I completely get it when you put it like that.

Back in April and May in particularly, we realised how much modern life was impoverishing us in some ways. The lack of traffic and reconnection with nature was a revelation for many people.

It's excellent news about the vaccine. However I really don't what this to mean that life gets back to exactly as it was before. There's no reason for people to all have to pour into city centre offices every day at the same time.

@Lounging

To be honest OP that opinion really doesn't come across well and I would only advise you not to express it like that in public. It makes it sound like you're really selfish, only concerned with your first world problems and have been happier than ever at the expense of many many other people. I'm sure you're not really like that.

Sorry but that's bollocks. Lockdown has inadvertently had some upsides for some people, it's ok for people to be upset that they may have to lose those.

As a disabled woman I am concerned that once the vaccine comes in, all these wonderful accessible gigs and shows will stop. Being able to sit at home and watch a zoom gig has been amazing.

Same goes for companies who've discovered they can be accommodating, now it doesn't just affect disabled people. No more, "oh you have to travel to us to sign paperwork etc".

So yeah, the vaccine is great but it's totally reasonable to be worried and upset that the gains made in lockdown might be lost.

It's more of a reflection of my own life, but I'm somewhat dreading the social pressure once things normalise. I don't have the best or widest social circle at all so I know I will feel inadequate once the vaccine is rolled out and social media gives the impression of everyone having parties, meet-ups and non-stop fun and games.

Time for a new job or career change op? I don’t know what industry you’re in, but this year has shown a lot of companies that they don’t need to pay extortionate rates for huge offices in city centres. I know of several people whose companies/organisations are talking about moving to remote working for their staff on a permanent basis, or drastically downsizing the office and reducing face to face meetings to the bare essentials.

It would be worth researching if you can find a role in such a company. Or if it’s just not done in your industry, perhaps consider your options and think about how you could apply your skills in a different role entirely.

Dh used to travel to NY every month or two, because ‘nothing beats face to face contact’. Nice for him, but a drag for me and the dc. It’s been lovely having him at home permanently. He’s gagging to get back to NY but I’ll be interested to see if things do go back to how they were - it’s actually been the company’s most profitable year on record, so it will be hard to argue that those face to face meetings are essential now.

I know of several people whose companies/organisations are talking about moving to remote working for their staff on a permanent basis

This kind of thing makes me quite afraid for the people who live places where working from home has been absolutely awful. For a person in their early 20s at the start of their career who has maybe moved to a new place for their first job and whose workplace is where their social life starts, I can't imagine anything worse.

I really hope a happy balance can be struck for most employees.

I feel the same way you do, and I don't think it's sad to feel that way. For me, I have finally accepted how much of an introvert I really am and see the battle I've fought every day going into the working environment and talking to people, which is normal and even enjoyable for so many people but a huge strain for me, one that I have learned to live with but nonetheless runs counter to who I am. I've been less stressed in lockdown, in spite of everything else that has happened, because of that. I've resolved to stop feeling so ashamed about being an introvert/less sociable and just happily accept that's who I am and work with it. One of the many useful lessons I've taken from this whole experience.

if we are actually bothered about climate change (and all the whinging about not being able to travel makes me think not) then unnecessary commuting into air-conditioned office blocks should be one of the first things to go. Obviously not all jobs can be done from home, nor will everyone want or be able to work that way, but the option is long overdue.

so much more relaxed and my mental health and health in general have never been better.

Lucky you! Many people feel the opposite.

The company my mum works for have found that their team have been more productive at home, so they've said that they can do so forever so long as it continues to work, it's up to them. The office will be available for anyone who wants to be there, and the only post-covid requirement will be one lunch a month to keep the team in touch socially occasionally.

@HesterShaw1 you have basically described my life to a tee!

I do get that feeling a little. Whilst I am not enjoying living under Covid-restrictions, I have appreciated the 'pause' as life was so busy. I've enjoyed having a break from the planning of everything, even including holidays. I love holidays but feel it's a bind trying to please teenagers and DH and me within a budget.

What I did do at the beginning of the first lockdown, was wrote lots of notes reflecting on what I was missing, what I was glad to have a break from (kids extra curricular activities every weekend!) , what I felt I needed more of in my life (for me) which I never had. I will refer to those notes and try to take little steps towards a more ideal way of living, having had the chance to experience something different.

It's possible some of the things won't go back to being the same. My place of work have written new remote working policies and are clearly encouraging staff to consider a flexible approach to working both from home and an office space. They can make savings and tick a lot of wellbeing boxes by taking such an approach. even if your workplace doesn't allow for working at home, you might be able to change jobs and find a company that is going to stick with flexible working arrangements.

I really like working from home too :)

Hopefully organisations will see that people have been productive and actually are a lot better off with their mental health, and it's also good for the environment too!

I am hopeful that there will be more flexible home working when this is over.

@MedusasBadHairDay you make a very good point about accessibility - i really hope this year has made changes that will continue!

This situation made my depression come back really quickly and I hate it.

I miss my friends, I miss going out and dancing and meeting people. I miss going to gigs.

I miss my workmates. We've had loads of change, people leaving, no chance to say goodbye in real life.

So no I'm not sad.

It's not been better for everybody's mental health, for sure.

Many of my colleagues especially the younger ones have had phases where they've been really low

Totally with you OP!

Most people I know who spend 100’s of £’s a month to stand in a packed train, to wait on platforms in the cold for delayed and cancelled trains and to then work in an office doing a job that it was previously said couldn’t be done at home and has now shown it can, really don’t want to go back!

For all the restrictions and isolation these lockdowns have caused, they've also shown a lot of people their jobs can mainly be done remotely.

I’ve had. 1.5 hour commute each way for years, like many people, and the chance to ‘get back’ those 3 hours a day has been wonderful!

The vaccine is excellent news. Getting life back to normal is essential and that includes people going back to the office to bring some vibrancy back to our town/city centres. I personally can't wait for that.

I wonder though whether it’s not so much sadness as the hope that some things won’t go back to the way they were.

Nobody is disputing that the isolation has been difficult for many. But for many the isolation has meant that they haven’t felt obliged to go out with e.g. family etc they generally wouldn’t want to but feel pushed into because it’s expected. perhaps this period will give some the courage to no longer feel obliged and find it easier to say no.

Some people have found home working incredibly difficult. But for many home working has given them so much more, and so the hope could be that their employer will continue to embrace home-working from now on. Of course there will be some people who don’t like it, but there are people who don’t like going into the office, so it’s swings and roundabouts.

There are little things, such as the fact people will no longer feel pressured into shaking the hand of some unknown in a meeting, it’s a small thing but is one which many people don’t like doing.

And from an environmental perspective things have improved. I wake up in the morning and can hear the birds rather than the Gatwick flight path. I will never be sorry about that.

Working from home may mean that families can afford to have only one car now rather than two, so cutting their monthly outgoings and benefiting the environment at the same time.

I think that while we do all want to return to a life where we no longer have to avoid people and places, I also think it’s unreasonable to expect things to go back to exactly how they were before. The pre-covid time was not a 100% positive time, and I suspect that once this all wears off many people will wonder why certain things had to change back, or might be encouraging them not to.