Why are (some) people so against WFH?

[thistimenextyearwellbemillionaires]

I see so many threads on here about why people shouldn't be able to WFH and I don't really understand why people would be against it

For most people it seems make sense with their home life & financially as saving on commuting costs. When my children were young I was 5 days in the office and had to rush back from town to collect them and it was so stressful, it must be great for people not to have to do that now.

I know some people might take the piss a bit, but this happened when people were in the office full time too, there would always be someone always in late, leaving early etc.

I am lucky that my company is hybrid and no plans to change that. I've been offered another role recently which was a big pay rise but 5 days in the office and have decided to stay where I am. Where I work, whether you're in the office or at home you're expected to produce the same work and results and if you don't you'd be out so they're no slouch in terms of expectations of their employees.

Interested to know people's honest opinions.

Its very isolating, so not great long term or for the new starters, and face to face interaction is important from a learning perspective and for building effective working relationships.

Too many people seem to think they can avoid child care by WFH. You can't work and look after you're kids at the same time.

Some flexibility is good, but not all. I've a friend who's son works in IT out of their basement. He goes into the office one day a month, the rest of the time he's home. It really isn't good to be that isolated. It's not just that Covid changed working patterns, it made us more isolated socially which we are all paying for.

its poor work ethic that I encounter with so many wfh employees. I should not be aware someone is at home when i call a company but so often I am. with work many have been called back into the office because so many slack when working form home so that isn't fair on those who remain just as professional

I think a lot of those that love WFH are completely indignant about this reason, because obviously it reflects badly on them. But it happens. A lot. And those people that are like that are ruining it for those that aren't.

I do a job which is not possible to be done from home. I am fine with this as I work condensed hours and only work 3 days a week. I would hate to work from home and would find it isolating. I like the fact that I can get out of the house and mix with other people for a few days a week, so no jealousy here.

But I think some of the backlash from others is due to those who do WFH, who have boasted on forums about taking naps, going to the gym, cooking, and doing housework when they are getting paid to work. Lucky them if they have a job where they can get away with it, but use a bit of common sense and don't gloat about it on a public forum.

Nail on the head with all your points there. My experiences exactly, particularly with HMRC!

Of course there are issues wih working in an office, as you stated. But these problems are well known and there are tried and tested ways of dealing with them. WFH for large numbers of people is a new concept and I feel there while there are benefits, there are also problems which are still yet to be recognised and dealt with. Lack of face to face interaction being the biggest, People saying stuff on social media which they would never say to a person face to face, this is just wrong. You see it hear on MN all the time, people with issues and concerns which could be addressed if they just went to see that person or picked up the phone. Driving people to working and interacting via a computer in a room alone everyday for hours just can't be good for them.

You didn't specify that you were talking about young people, but even if you want to narrow the framing now it's still a poor point. Not only do you not have to assume that, but it's a bad idea. Because you have no idea if it's going to be true.

Ultimately, we shouldn't be telling workers of any age that the relationships they have with people who happen to have the same employer as them have intrinsic value purely because of that. There's no reason for anyone of any age to do that.

Yes, I've noticed there's a lot of people who talk about how isolated their children became during Covid lockdowns, and how that's led to anxiety etc. but this doesn't seem to want to be acknowledged when it comes to working adults. Even though they might agree and say how isolating the Covid lockdowns were for them, they don't seem to make the connection that they're now advocating for what's basically a voluntary isolation.

I personally can't stand it when I ring a company and the person on the other end is obviously at home. Whether there's kids or household background noise. It does my head in.

I haven't fedback to the companies but I'll probably start doing that. It's been nearly 5 years since it was forced on us. It's time.

I agree Lazy

Some of my team colleagues work just as well from home and it has been spoilt for them by those who do not

I manage a team, I do not want to treat adults like children and micromanage them but some people will always need more management in a team than others, some are more proactive etc we are not in a position as managers to say no you can not work at home because we know you would slack off

I really don't understand your point. It reads like you are saying that a person should start off with a negative viewpoint of working relationships rather than a positive one. Why would you do that? Why is what I say a bad idea?

I mean, the value in some relationships might only be that you widen your professional circle, but starting off with the mindset that there might be workplace bullying etc. so I'd rather WFH rather establishes your baseline as inherently negative.

Personally hybrid worked for me best - I was 5 days mon-fri in an office pre Covid then WFH for a while then did 3 days wfh/2 days office.

Way before Covid and before wfh became a big thing, I used to say that if I ruled the world, companies would be forced to have a certain amount of employees WFH (pay their additional gas/electric costs, proper work stations etc) - this would massively impact on traffic on the roads (less pot holes, lower fuel being used, free the roads up for those who can’t wfh (eg nurses, police etc) and generally have a less stressed out population.

But I do think that overall, a mixed approach is probably the best approach for the most people.

I think some of it is organised campaigning by those who have a vested interest in getting people back to the office. Those with investment in office buildings for example.

Because some people (not all) take the mick.

Yeah I called someone and she had to stop talking to me to tell her kid to wait. Not impressed.

I also think this.

I like hybrid. Teams calls are a pain in most office spaces, especially if you are just in earshot of another person on the same call, and most of my calls are a mix of remote suppliers and in house stakeholders. We either have to (try to) book another space to have the meeting on 1 device or scatter across the site. There are almost no single person pods either so online meetings are much easier at home. Teams calls especially suck in open plan workspaces but these are good for collaboration.

WFH full time would not suit me, too lonely, but WFH part time cuts our commute time meaning I can work around a school with no after school care available (catchment).

And, even bad encounters and colleagues you don’t always agree with is vital to young working adults. It’s absolutely vital to spend time with people who don’t think or feel like you and have different experiences than you.

If this continues in the UK I am sure you will have massive problems in society in ten years or so.

Jealousy is one reason. I don’t think I could work from home permanently, the idea of doing everything by teams is a nightmare. I think that WFH is a great idea but I also cannot stand the entitlement of people who think that an employer shouldn’t be allowed to dare suggest working in the office. It’s their business and they should be able
to determine how that business is run. Covid gave people this an alternative to keep things running but it doesn’t necessarily mean WFH should be compulsory. The outrage people seem to have because their employer has decided they want them back in the office is difficult to understand. Get a new job that does offer it.

Some people genuinely see it as a bad thing. They may have experienced increased inefficiency in a service they have used, public sector for example and attribute that to WFH (often without knowledge of other factors effecting service like higher demand and tighter budgets).
Some have livelihoods that depend on a flow of people into city centre offices.
Some dislike WFH themselves, feel isolated, unsupported by managers they believe to be putting their washing on rather than doing their jobs and are projecting.
Some feel team cohesion suffers, that junior staff are missing out on the on the job informal learning.
Some are poor managers who believe individual performance issues are best addressed by blanket rules that tie people to a desk in an office.
Some are SAHMs who don't like their partner in their space.
Others still are simply resentful of the easy lives they believe other people to be living.

I work from home because i can plus i dont like working in an office with people.
I try to avoid people.

Well I work from home, so not jealous of those who do
I have no investments in offices or office space.
I just know from personal experience and observations over the years, that full time working from home is bad for people and society. Social isolation is not good for anyone.

And these are the people with money, power and the ear of the government.

I personally can't stand it when I ring a company and the person on the other end is obviously at home. Whether there's kids or household background noise. It does my head in.

I've not come across this since during lockdowns when people - mostly women - were stuck with the impossible position of having to simultaneously work and look after their kids inc supervising their education.
Generally during that period though, despite the message warning of long waits they were often no longer or even shorter than normal.

What sorts of company/services are still letting people wfh without adequate childcare?

I understand that but I think the lack of physical social interaction during Covid has had a huge impact on young people’s developing brains and I witness that everyday. People need human contact but more and more young people are really struggling with it.

Tbh I think people are jealous that some people get to work from home