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?

Yes search up on Amazon. Mine was about £10. So much easier than remembering to wiggle the mouse every few mins myself whilst I watch TV or play Animal Crossing lol.

I don’t generally risk leaving it on when I’m out the house though so let myself go away when I’m out at the gym or a lunchtime walk

I work in a global company and depending on our level, we did WFH part time prior to Covid anyway.
We now all have to do 2 days in the office and the other 3 from home regardless of level.
I hate it personally and am thinking of requesting to WFH 4 days per week and just go in one day a week.

During Covid our company announced restructuring and redundancies, closed the Southern hub office and moved up north, I'm still wfh which I prefer now I've been doing it for 2 years

Every other month I get all expenses paid for a week in the office, which reminds me how peaceful it is to wfh and I get more done as well

I don’t have children so I’m not sure why you’re accusing me of wanting to WFH to save money on childcare?

@Coffeepot72 sorry lagged wrong person!

Some companies are being cheeky and lying that it’s hybrid, when they want 5 days office.

I have left a job after 1 month because of this. The look on my employers face was priceless.

My current role is 1 day office but can be remote. They’re not going to change this, as majority people don’t want this and they’ll lose employees. I can easily find a new job that is hybrid, so it’s them who will struggle. Took them almost 6 months to find me!

Why do you have to appear to be online at all times? If your boss/colleagues genuinely expect everyone to be constantly available then there's an issue with your workplace culture that won't get fixed by you pretending to stick to it.

Why are you bragging about lying about the hours you've worked, instead of saying - oh look I've done a great job today regardless of how long it took? Makes no sense.

I have contracted hours so I can’t behave like I’ve done my stuff for the day and then not bother being online for any calls, messages or emails that come in.

I don’t formally have to be available but if one of the senior managers sees I’m away for the last 2 hours that looks bad surely? So mouse jiggler it is.

I don’t formally have to be available but if one of the senior managers sees I’m away for the last 2 hours that looks bad surely? So mouse jiggler it is.

In terms of "how things look" and how a manager might react:

• Not doing your job / getting your tasks done = doesn't look good, as a manager I'd maybe put you on a PIP.
• Finding out you've not been working your hours & that's why your work has suffered = bad, disciplinary and close supervision until I have regained confidence in you.
• Finding out you've not been working your hours, and deliberately making it look like you're working when you haven't been = gross misconduct and disciplinary with potential to dismiss.

If you're doing your work, then it shouldn't matter if or when you're sitting at your desk. If you work somewhere where they literally count your contribution by your hours, then find another job somewhere where they have some sense. But don't think you're being clever by deliberately misleading senior managers and thinking it'll never come back to bite you...

Some companies are being cheeky and lying that it’s hybrid, when they want 5 days office.

I have left a job after 1 month because of this. The look on my employers face was priceless.

That's just stupidity. There's no point them lying to prospective employees, it wastes the employer's own time and resources in recruitment. If they want people in, the way to do that is to work out how much extra they're going to have to pay to ensure it and think critically about whether it's worth it, and if they need people in there's a cost to that now.

My DD has just left a PT job for the same reason. She’s at Uni and they promised super flexibility, predominantly wfh and one day a month in the office. The office is quite a distance away so she calculated costs and time when debating taking the job.

Came out a few weeks back that during the Uni holidays they expected her to be in covering reception (not her actual job) full time every day.

Also the “occasional weekend cover” turned out to be 4 hours every other Sunday.

complete waste of her time and theirs!

I complete all work assigned to me and often have to state in team meetings that I have availability to take on extra things - sometimes I get given an extra project to help with, other times not.

My annual review was glowing.

I just keep available on teams with the jiggler as that looks better than it going to ‘away’ mode for 2 hours if I’m doing other things

*My annual review was glowing.

I just keep available on teams with the jiggler as that looks better than it going to ‘away’ mode for 2 hours if I’m doing other things*

That is literally my point. I don't know how else to explain it.

You're doing your work, to a high standard, in a timely manner. There's no downside, it's all good.

But you (a) feel you have to lie for the sake of appearances, which for many people would be uncomfortable at least; and (b) risk making yourself look bad for being deceitful, if/when someone twigs.

You are perpetuating the harmful & destructive idea that presenteeism is a good thing. Senior managers will be thinking, "oh well if CherryCokeFanatic can work all those hours then it's reasonable of us to make everyone else do it, too".

Clearly you don't want to hear that pandering to presentee culture is a bad thing, so sure crack on, just hope you don't get caught lying.

What is this usb mouse juggler? I need one to protect me from a thick micromanager…

Ever since I got a background I speak to my manager from bed… still working hard. I just function better later in the day!

I literally do have to be seen to be online at all times. What started off as a communication device has become a surveillance tool. It’s a toxic culture unfortunately.

I've had both of my DC since 2020 and cannot imagine now having to fit 2-3 hours a day commuting into our daily routines alongside nursery drop offs/pick ups etc if my employer suddenly decided to mandate full time office working again.

I appreciate that this was the norm pre-covid but I don't know how everyone managed it & maintained any sense of work/life balance. The reality is that covid did happen and has had a profound effect on how people manage their lives in lots of ways.

My current place has us in office 2-3 days per week. There would be mutiny if we had to go in full time. The way I see it, with wfh I can eg, put the laundry in in the morning without having to waste an evening on it. No packed lunch prep. I can open the door for a delivery whereas if it were sent back it's an hour round trip to the depot. No make up or fighting with hair, no office clothes that need ironed. No commute. More sleep. Helpful on days with period cramps etc. None of the above is detrimental to actually producing the work asked and I'm personally happier. Full time at home would be a bit lonely but hybrid works.
A former work place pre Covid had a colleague who spent the first half hour of every day talking at me about her children, and another who stank the place out every lunch microwaving who knows what. I don't know how some managers can't see how exhausting and distracting those standard office annoyances are. Then you commute home in the rain and have to do more jobs to prepare for the next day. No thank you! So what if someone's working in pyjamas with a face treatment on if they still do the work.

I've never had a job where you can wfh, so have loads of questions.

If you are at home all the time, do you feel a connection to your colleagues? Do you feel part of a team? Loyalty to the company?

Do you feel isolated? What if you need help with something?

Isny part of working creating a network, a bit of work chat, a bit of social chat, as well as doing the job?

How do you keep up with training, learning new things, if you are not next to a colleague who can show you things, or tell you about something interesting they read that is happening in the industry?

Just the whole concept feels so lonely to me, and I just can't imagine a job that you can do well in total isolation.

None of there things are criticisms, just genuine questions that come to mind.
I will never wfh in my industry so all just interesting rather than important to me.

My take on your questions

If you are at home all the time, do you feel a connection to your colleagues? Do you feel part of a team? Loyalty to the company?
I go into the office one day a week. Connection, team and loyalty come from years of being there, and in an office five days a week until 2020.
Do you feel isolated? What if you need help with something? I know usually where to get help, and am able to work alone, did in some jobs years ago. No feeling of isolation.
Isny part of working creating a network, a bit of work chat, a bit of social chat, as well as doing the job? That's how I use the one day in the office, try to schedule work calls on other days.
How do you keep up with training, learning new things, if you are not next to a colleague who can show you things, or tell you about something interesting they read that is happening in the industry? The one day helps, reasonably good internal comms team, and membership of a professional body.

Working from home where possible works for me, though I recognise it is not for everyone.

My current place has us in office 2-3 days per week. There would be mutiny if we had to go in full time. The way I see it, with wfh I can eg, put the laundry in in the morning without having to waste an evening on it. No packed lunch prep. I can open the door for a delivery whereas if it were sent back it's an hour round trip to the depot. No make up or fighting with hair, no office clothes that need ironed. No commute. More sleep. Helpful on days with period cramps etc. None of the above is detrimental to actually producing the work asked and I'm personally happier. Full time at home would be a bit lonely but hybrid works.

Exactly!

LlynTegid, thanks for answering.

I wonder what it would be like starting a new job wfh, when you don't have the knowledge or connections?

Do you feel isolated? What if you need help with something?I know usually where to get help, and am able to work alone, did in some jobs years ago. No feeling of isolation.
And that's fine - for you, and me, and those of us who spent the last 5 / 10 / 20 years building relationships & networks.

An 18 / 21 year old joining your team is unlikely to feel the same way that you do, about knowing where to get help if they need it, or feeling able to ask for it.

The problem is that we older workers think "oh great, WFH!". Younger / less established team members then might struggle - but as per this thread, there's not many older workers who think it's part of our job, or role as human beings, to help support those less well-established workers. It's a real shame that so many people don't even notice they're pulling up the ladder behind themselves...

@Stopthatknocking the new starters go into the office more to begin with, so get to spend time with each of the team. Some of us go in a specific day of the week, some have chosen to vary it, which not by design so has worked well.

On a more lighthearted note, Christmas parties must be awkward. Standing around trying to socialise with a bunch of people you've hardly ever actually met!