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Original poster

Working from home.

176 replies

Sunriseinwonderland · 10/02/2023 13:07

Its not a criticism but why are so many people still working from home. I genuinely don't know.
Im not in a job that can be done from home so I've had to go in throughout.

OP posts:
EddieHowesBlackandWhiteArmy · 10/02/2023 13:08

Because I can and my employer lets me.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 10/02/2023 13:08

Because people do jobs that can be done from home and it has improved a lot of people's lives being able to do it?

BlueChampagne · 10/02/2023 13:09

Because I can get home jobs done at the same time?
Because I don't have to commute?
Because for the first time I can be home when the kids get home?

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teaandtoastwithmarmite · 10/02/2023 13:10

Because it adds to a better work life balance. Before Covid we could wfh one day a month. Now it's every Thursday and Friday. Other depts do mon and fri at home. The office is nicer as well as not everyone is in it all of the time. It means my dd is not in after school
Club all the time as DH also does 3 days at home. I can do my job as well from home as in the office

Beezknees · 10/02/2023 13:10

Because their employers are happy for them to?

I work from home 2 days a week. To be honest I don't like it and find it boring, but it means I can be around sometimes when teen DS gets home from school and in the holidays so I do it.

SaltnPeppaPig · 10/02/2023 13:10

Because our jobs are different from yours?

kitsuneghost · 10/02/2023 13:10

People are using it as free childcare

Findyourneutralspace · 10/02/2023 13:11

It works well for a lot of people. Less (no) travel time, flexibility around school runs etc. and the tech is there to keep up with each other on Teams/Zoom.

Our company shut the office and found it worked better with everyone at home. We have a morning meeting and active group chats, but everyone works from home now.

Laurdo · 10/02/2023 13:11

If a job can be done from home then why not? It saves companies money and it gives people a better work life balance. It's better for the environment too as there's no commute.

EBearhug · 10/02/2023 13:11

We always could - worked 1 day a week from home before covid, and sometimes more. Always had video calls because of colleagues in other locations. We're now expected to go in once a week, but it's quite flexible.

As a former HR director used to say, work is an activity, not a location.

sadsituation23 · 10/02/2023 13:12

Because (certainly in my company) the productivity has gone up, staff are happier as no commute and work life balance is improved. Also, going forward the office space will be reduced so much less rent for the business.

WoeBeCome · 10/02/2023 13:13

My company doesn’t have an office. It saves them money.

BarbaraofSeville · 10/02/2023 13:13

It's beneficial to more than just those who work at home as it reduces traffic and pollution levels for people who have to use the roads and also lowers demand on petrol/diesel, which increased in price due to demand outstripping supply.

kitsuneghost · 10/02/2023 13:13

My OH is officeless
Guess it saves the company money to not have to rent buildings and pay lighting, heating, security, cleaners etc...

RoseslnTheHospital · 10/02/2023 13:14

Because of no commute, my DP was doing 1.5 hrs each way every day. He sees the children so much more. He can go to school events as he is nearby and doesn't need to take a whole day off.

Also, both our workplaces took the opportunity to downsize their offices, which means they don't want everyone in every day because there isn't enough room for them.

And personally for me, I prefer it, I can listen to music and sing along. I can set the dishwasher/washing machine/tumble drier off and so on. I am fairly misanthropic, so enjoy not having to make small talk with colleagues I don't particularly like.

Reluctantadult · 10/02/2023 13:14

I've been able to increase my hours due to not having to commute in after the school drop.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 10/02/2023 13:14

Because their job can be done from home so why go in?

Echobelly · 10/02/2023 13:14

I WFH two days a week - newish role I've been in a few months. Have a content role that could be done entirely from home but I do like having a few days contact at the office, which is quite lively. One reason I left my last job was that even last spring the office was still totally empty, I came in once a week for a change of scene, but there were barely double figures of people coming in and I did want some contact. I can imagine some people are fully WFH as their offices are just the Mary Celeste and there's no pont!

WFH most days allows me to keep on top of home admin, do more exercise, take my kids to more extra curricular stuff easily etc.

Clambering · 10/02/2023 13:15

Because our small organisation has still not recovered from the impact of covid and can't afford the cost of office rental.

Brefugee · 10/02/2023 13:16

Because getting up at 7:30, having breakfast etc and being ready to work at 8 definitely beats getting up before 6, travelling for 70 minutes on a train that may be late and a connection i may not reach and then doing the journey in reverse and getting home late when I can finish at 5 and do things i want to do.

Having said that my company were already moving to a hybrid model well before Covid hit, and many people have purely WFH contracts anyway.

TallulahBetty · 10/02/2023 13:16

I now work hybridly and it suits me and my job. I go in 1-2 days a week depending on what I have on. I'd be fine if I had to go in every day, but I don't have to, so I choose to save the fuel.

dun1urkin · 10/02/2023 13:16

Because I can. Because I’m more productive. Because I’ve got a better work life balance. Because I like it. Because my employer is happy for me to do so.

pawz · 10/02/2023 13:16
  • great work life balance
  • saves the company money
  • removed commuting time so more productive
  • enables better team working across sites for us
  • staff productivity up, sickness and absence down

Loads of other reasons! I WFH 3 days, on site 2 days.

People worked from home and remotely in so many jobs and companies pre pandemic - the pandemic just removed the barrier for lots of other companies who claimed negative side effects of WFH and proved a lot of them wrong, I think hybrid working is the future.

Purplecatshopaholic · 10/02/2023 13:16

EddieHowesBlackandWhiteArmy · 10/02/2023 13:08

Because I can and my employer lets me.

Why do you think? This, basically.

TallulahBetty · 10/02/2023 13:17

And I did work in an office throughout the pandemic, we were not allowed to WFH, so I have seen it from both sides, before you start.