Are the days of WFH over?

[MerryMarigold]

Dh been working from home since Covid. Been 1 FtF meeting a week/ fortnight for past year.

Work have said everyone needs to be in work in central London for 3 days per week after Easter.

Not too bad for us, we live in the same place we lived before. Still a 1.5hr commute each way (plus associated costs). Not so good for others who live in the middle of nowhere.

Is this a trend or just his global company?

I think it's been a bit of a game of chicken and once a few companies start asking people back into the office others feel its ok to do too.

I think lots of employers previously worried that if they insisted they would lose staff.

My public sector employer seems to have no intention of asking people formally back to the office but people are starting to come back a few days a week / fortnight of their own volition and there definitely seems to be a culture of face to face group meetings starting up again.

Imo wfh has caused a lot of people to be crap at their job. Poor service and uncaring attitude, with no accountability to anyone. Wonder how these people will cope being back in the office and actually having to work 9 to 5 without doing the school run, house work, shopping etc…

Most of my friends with office based jobs have been back a minimum 3 days a week for ages. I’m not sure I know anyone who is still at home full time. I’m in healthcare so I’m no expert and have never been at home, but I’d say it’s a general trend, not just his employer.

I disagree with poor attitude working from home. I’m more productive: less distraction, I don’t get people coming up to me asking questions, I can put myself in do not disturb mode and crack on. My job can be done from home with no need to be in the office. There’s literally no benefit for me wasting 3 hours per day travelling plus paying bus fair, additional childcare etc when I can do the job better from home.

There’s been a deluge of reports saying companies are moving back towards 3 and 4 days a week in the office being the norm again. Jobs being advertised as remote have fallen; and hybrid jobs have a higher amount of specified office time. It wont be all employers, of course.

Realistically this was always likely to happen, though; and hopefully most people who moved thought beyond their current job even if they didn’t think that specific one would go back to being in person. There will inevitably be some people who bought into the narrative about a whole new world of remote working; though, and I feel sorry for anyone who will put in a really difficult position because of this.

Most places I know have moved to hybrid 2/3 days in

I was at home full time since covid but I’ve been on mat leave, since I’ve returned I’ve seen they are asking us to come in once a month.

I think so, and sincerely hope so. Trying to recruit people who are willing to get dressed and leave the house has been an absolute trial.

This. The effects of people slacking off are very evident.

Which is extremely annoying. I run a team with two staff who are diligent and hard-working and could do it from a beach in the Bahamas. One one who... couldn't. Which means realistically no one can. Because only 2/3 of the work would get done.

I can't work from home because I would be shit at it, but I acknowledge that and WFW to make sure I don't slack off.

nah both my current job and my old one (keep in touch with a lot of people from there) are 'work from wherever you want.' In fact my current office has recently downsized quite significantly so it would be impossible for us all to go back even if we wanted to/there was an appetite for it.

Exactly this.

I get so much more done without office blether!

I WFH permanently, other than the odd day (3-4 a year) where I go to a meeting relatively locally, or into the office. My firm has plenty of people on the same type of contract.

I'm very unlikely to change firms, as many seem to get people into the office more than I'd be willing to accommodate.

I have just accepted a job that is 100% wfh, my new colleagues are dotted around the UK. We will meet up every 2 or 3 months

My husband works in Canary Wharf and his company actually sold estate after covid as they realised so few people were in every day that they were wasting massive amounts of money keeping desks for people who weren't coming in.
He is now expected to be in 2 days a week (although it's fairly flexible) and can go in more if he wants.

I work in a job where I need to be in the office and I can't imagine doing a job from home - I did do one day a few weeks ago as I was ill and it was painful - Internet slower, some software not even working, lack of concentration only slightly harder but not helped by my wfh DH and kids wandering in and out, plus little jobs keep occurring to me, dishwasher, laundry etc

No thanks, in to the office for me.

I work for a global company. All offices in the UK - mine was in London - have been permanently closed since Covid, and leases on buildings not renewed. We will never go back. There no offices to go back to.

Not for us. They sold our office to cut costs. The business is now making job cuts but I’m pleased they cut premises before staff.

I continue to work from home and absolutely hate companies who insist on staff being in the office. Total waste of time and money and definitely not more productive

Haha take that. Now you can be miserable like the rest of us!

Not in my current role, I'm based in the north and my nearest office is in London - I go once a fortnight max. Works for me, and works for the company so everyone's happy.

I'm another who gets so much more done at home, without the coffees/gossip/chat of being in an office (although part of me does miss that too obvs)

I have an old colleague who is still WFH in a job that really should be mostly done from an office, however, her boss likes WFH as he does all the school runs, so that’s what they are doing. If her boss changed though I’m sure she would be forced in 5 days.
Im sure there are lots of micro managers who are desperate to get people back under their control.

Going by the thread yesterday, lots of people are doing plenty around the house when WFH.
Dh now WFH and he has the tv on as background noise all day. It drives me potty. I loved my days off in the week with no noise. I think hybrid will be popular as less people apply for jobs, it needs to appeal to the biggest audience of candidates. I wondered if the cost of living, particularly power would drive people back to the office but travel possibly offsets it.

I work from home 100 % of the time. I only go into the office about 2 to 3 times a year for parties/events.

Most are doing hybrid 2 days a week. I can't see any less being ok, most companies the service had been beyond shit.

Nope, Im a remote worker and was before the pandemic. In fact there were a whole load of us working remotely before the pandemic quietly making it work but that seems to be ignored by all the people bleating wfh doesnt work because they don't like it. Its literally been working for years in some industries.

Not only are we not going back to the office unless we want to we are currently actively recruiting more remote workers.

Anecdotally yes numbers are creeping back up. DH's office numbers are steadily increasing. I'm always in office anyway. I'm glad - I've had an increasing feeling that people who wfh are more likely to miss out on 'life'. Just bits of the world around them which with the best will in the world isnt always replaced by hobbies etc. I know some people prefer a quieter life and I'm making a generalisation here but my DH is much more animated again just being more back out in the world. Also one other friend I've really noticed.