Lone working

[MyFastZebra]

Does anyone do lone working?

I took a job last year. It wasn't really clear in the job description that I would be lone working most of the time.

In my company I do a job, and one other person does the same job as me. However we are never here at the same time. So I never see him to discuss parts of the job

During my morning shifts I share an office with two women. They are on the same team in their department. They work together. So in the mornings they often talk to each other about things they need to talk about their work and they don't involve me

On my evening shifts, I work alone except for one other male staff member in the builiding. He does a different job to me and he wouldn't be the chattiest person

I see my boss once every two weeks for a one to one. My boss is not someone that really listens to what I say in a 1-1. She just goes through a 1-1 checklist.

It just feels quite lonely. Does anyone else do a job like this?

Probably wasn't clear in the job description because what you describe isn't 'lone working', which is working in a building or other environment, eg field work, where you are totally alone so your employer needs to take steps to keep you safe in case you have an accident.

Lots of people work how you describe, but seeing as they are there to do a job, not socialise they probably don't think anything of it.

You could talk to your line manager about changes that could be made so you feel less isolated, eg schedule a monthly catch up with the colleague who does the same job to you, or as and when on Teams, message each other if you want to discuss things.

Also see if there are any networks within your employer that you could join or in person training/team building events?

If you find your boss unhelpful, you could try 360 degree feedback or talking to her other reports or line manager.

Or look to socialise outside work, so at work you can concentrate on getting the job done and not having it derailed by chatting.

Well my manager has described my job as "lone working" after I started it.

I don't think there being two people in a building means it's not lone working. We are not together. He is in one office on one side of a very large building. I am in an office on the other side. Only two of us in the large building and we don't work together at all.

I have done jobs like this before but it doesn't particularly bother me im happy doing my own thing but I can see how it wouldnt suit everyone. Unfortunately if that is the nature of the job though the only thing really you can do is look to leave for something else.

Thanks. I do feel lonely because there I one large team in my workplace and I pass them in the mornings and they are always joking and laughing with each other. I just miss having someone to talk to, even about work. I just do a handover email at the moment.

I probably should start looking at other jobs. It's so hard to know what a job is really like until you're actually in it

I'm almost misanthropic so lone working sounds like bliss to me, but If you're naturally gregarious then I could see that this would be an issue.

Job advertisements should be clearer about what the working arrangements are.

I am the only person in my role where I work. I spend 50% of my time in an office on my own and the other 50% wfh. I sometimes feel a bit isolated but I know how much of a chatterbox I am so probably wouldn’t get my work done if it was any other way. When I am up to date I do tend to roam the building distracting everyone else though 😁

Are there other people in your office building when you are there though that you can say hello to?

I do a lot of evening shifts. On my evening shift it's just me and a security guard in the whole large building. He sits in his little security hut and doesn't talk.