Best and worst things about WFH for you?

[TakeAByte]

Probably been done before!
I WFH 4 days a week. Soon dropping the fifth day too.

Best for me is, being able to have a bath on my lunch break-that could never happen in the office!

Having everything I could possibly need-food and drink wise.
Working in comfy clothes ad being able to have the temperature I want!

Worst? I honestly don't really have one. I guess seeing colleagues is nice sometimes, but I cannot say I miss it.

The best thing is that I am not tied to a very specific time to be awake, up and ready to leave the house. In reality I am awake at almost the same time, though psychological it does not feel the same.

I'm struggling to think of downsides for me, though recognising it is not available to many and not suitable for some other people.

Not wearing a bra! Best thing ever!

Best - no commute.

Worst - being stuck in the same 4 walls all week, and that everybody assumes that when im WFT I can just "nip out" to get them things from the shop or etc.

So many more that have already been mentioned, but a specific one for me is that I suspect I might be autistic and I have never slept better in my life than I do now I wfh, the sensory input has gone RIGHT down and I also now find it easier to deal with when I do go out to busy places - I used to get very overwhelmed and panicky, but its like I have a lot of 'calm' stored up!

that's really interesting @Foxblue. I don’t think I’m autistic (am I?) but I too feel a changed person since WFH 3-4 days a week. I used to be stressed all the time, anxious and jumpy. Now I sleep really well and am pretty calm. I too get stressed at busy places and environments but think it’s just me being an introvert not ND

I left my job before Covid but was office based.

I’m thinking about returning soon but don’t want to wfh. I miss people interaction and going to work.

Do you ever really switch off? How do you cope with being at home all week?

Good:

• No commute,
• no endless coffee breaks,
• save loads of money and time

Bad:

• sometimes don't leave the house for several days at a time
• no exercise

@Piscesmumma1978 I managed by a daily walk each afternoon, so there was a set time when work ended. Now have the interaction because of going into the office twice a week.

Yes I switch off immediately I've finished. I either walk/feed the dog or have a nap!
I just love being at home. Never an issue for me. I used to work 6 on four off at my old job and I hated the fact that I was paying for a home I was so seldom inside of!

Best- agree with pp - everything.

Worst - no negatives at all from me.

I go into the office about once a month or so to have a catch up and lunch with the team.

I was planning to retire this year pre-Covid - but I’m now choosing to take advantage of flexible retirement and claim my pension and work 3 days a week at home. The flexibility of hybrid working suits all of us in the team.

I consider myself most fortunate.

I enjoy the mix, I usually do 2 days office, 3 days home. I can do things on my WFH days like laundry, food shop at lunchtime, wizz hoover round, and it frees up the weekends. Downside is that DH is fully WFH and sometimes we get on each other's nerves...

I love most things about working from home but it does get lonely. I wouldn't ever want to work in the office again though.

I only worked from home a bit during the pandemic but l didn't like it at all - was so happy to be back in the office. Don't particularly socialise with my colleagues but we all get on really well and have lots to say during the day and at breaktimes.
But l get there are lots of pros to wfh.

I wfh one or 2 days a week. It's flexible and I could probably wfh more.

I like wfh because I can have a slower start, do some gardening at lunchtime, eat something home made and healthy, spend some time with the dog. Get some uninterrupted work done. Able to put something on for dinner during a break.

Dislikes - in laws interrupting me, DH working loudly from home same day as me, snacking.

I go in, even though it's a quiet office, to get some interaction, I like the walk in and out of work, to keep in touch with what is going on. Though it's a good office for keeping people up to speed, those little chats can make a difference to a project.

The best:

Getting out of bed 5 minutes before work
No commute

The worst

The weight gain. Everyone I know has piled on the pounds
Boredom
Shift in focus to ‘getting the jobs done and ticking off the boxes’ rather than being engaged and absorbed, bouncing ideas off other people, getting quick and informal feedback and suggestions.

My work has always been flexible but I have found myself drifting and feeling ‘detached’ from my work and organisation. I made the decision to go in at least 3 days a week as a New Year’s resolution and it has been transformative- so energising.

Good
Flexibility
Get up half an hour before work
Comfy clothes
Food and drink on tap
Easier to concentrate
Spend all day with my dogs
At home when my dd gets home

Bad
I wear out slippers quicker than I used to

My work has always been flexible but I have found myself drifting and feeling ‘detached’ from my work and organisation

That's so interesting to read @PrinceLouisWeirdFinger because working from home has had exactly the same affect on me (detachment from work) but I've found it to be a really positive thing.

pros - no alarm clock, can be there for my children, flexible, far less stress, no office drama.

cons - no office drama, social isolation, less friends, cabin fever.

My cons are minor, I wouldn't change it.

Best thing: I don’t have to do any laundry at weekends.

Worst thing: My heating bill, as I live in an old, cold house.

Best is overwhelmingly the time saved and the best use of time.

So not only the time saved in not having to travel, but it is the usefulness of time that you can take out of your morning for 15mins and just work 15mins longer at the end or start of the day.
So, for example, being able to hang washing out at 10am on a sunny day, rather than coming home to a wet load in the machine at 6pm. That 15mins is still worked, just by starting or finishing earlier or later.

Same with things like arranging to have your boiler serviced or piano tuned or carpet fitted or whatever, so you can let the chap in, make him a cuppa and crack on with your work without having to take a day off to wait in for them.

Or at lunch, instead of sitting in staffroom for a lunchbreak, chatting, you can be prepping your evening meal.
When you empty the dishwasher when waiting for the kettle to boil, it is your dishwasher that is then empty, and not the one in the staff kitchen.

It is also nice to be able to pull on some joggers and put feet in slippers when you get up and not needing to dress up a bit more on the days at home.
Nice to be able to listen to music of own choice, or sit in silence, as you prefer.
Nice to be able to focus and not be interrupted by people around you.

Just flexibility of time generally - I'm happy, when on a roll, to "stay late" in my own spare bedroom to finish something off, knowing that banks me time for when I might want to take a short break or start late or finish early another day without it all being too formal.

Downside is paying for a certain amount of heating / electricity, but then I save in not using petrol and wear and tear on the car.

As an employee:-
Upsides - less interruption, more ability to concentrate, no commute, less weight from beer after work.
Downsides - less 'water cooler conversations', lack of interaction with people, less disconnection on the commute, more expense of beer after work, commute time, no reading / audio books on commute.

As an employer:-
Pre covid - out put from team was higher when they could work flexibly.
Post covid - output from team massively lower when team predominantly works from home.

I've a disability so it's transformed my life to feel comfortable at home. My office chair (adapted) is extremely uncomfortable, at home I can lie down when I need to.

The 1.5hr commute (walking and public transport) really takes it out of me so I'm exhausted even before I start work! There are constant interruptions in the shared office so WFH is a dream for me.

I do work the majority of the week in the office due to my role though but would love to work fully at home.

wfh one day a week, in the office one day.

Likes:
flexibility of hours means I can exercise when I want, or if it’s suddenly sunny I can get out for a walk etc
can take time to prepare fresh lunches
can see ds before he goes to school (walks himself but I make him a breakfast and have time to have a chat in the morning)
home when he gets home from school and he’s not spending hours alone
home for deliveries
saving money on commuting
can really focus and crack on when needed
listen to podcasts in the background all day
can wear joggers if I want!
have a lovely office with a nice window and view (actually I have this in the office too!)
my office is in central London and it’s great for leaving the office and meeting up with Friday drinks after work

dislikes:
not great unless I’m very diligent and ensure I exercise as I’m sat at my desk all day
don’t get to meet new colleagues and teamwork can be effected
i find myself making less of an effort with myself
yes people are on the end of a teams call but no one to just ‘chat’ to
i miss the time between work and home
The commute - a blessing and a curse but essentially I like being able to sit on a train and tube and just switch off!

WFH allowed me to take a job much further away but with better pay (even allowing for commuting costs once a week) in a role I really enjoy.

Downside is feeling like I’m hunched over a desk 8 hours a day but I have recently invested in a treadmill for under my desk and that’s been brilliant, easily getting my steps in and can work at the same time.

And I do feel for new staff, I think it’s harder to pick up the ropes of a new role remotely. Fortunately we have pretty good systems in place to main daily contact as a team but can imagine without that it can be daunting and quite isolated.

Being there to get the kids from school is top for me.

What others have said really. I have wfh twice a week and I would happily take it up to three, possibly four days if I could.
Pros-
No commute.
More sleep.
Can wear what I like, including pjs.
Can have a hair/ skin treatment on.
Can have laundry etc in the background so it doesn't waste an evening.
Fewer work shirts and packed lunches to sort.
No office smells or noises.
No screeching insufferable trauma-dumping colleague.
Much better for mental health (probably autistic so noisy offices overwhelm me easily). My space is zen.
No sharing toilets.
Great for days with period pain/atrocious weather etc.
Can prep dinner/shower etc in my lunch break.

Cons-
None really. The company is fun sometimes, in small doses. I also like getting a bit dressed up and if I were wfh full time I would resemble Worzel Gummidge. Also my work place is city centre so very handy for shopping. I never have to 'go out' for something, I just can grab it when I'm there.