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What do you do on a quiet wfh day?

107 replies

BakersKitchen · 21/08/2026 14:32

My whole team including my boss seem to be on annual leave today and summer is a quiet time for us anyway. Altogether - not much to do!

Work-wise I have monitored my emails in case anything comes in (it hasn’t), so I have:

  • done some life admin and made a few phone calls
  • walked into town to get a few bits
  • made my husband some lunch
  • started on some baking I wanted to do at the weekend
  • watched some of the series I’m watching

Anyone else had a quiet wfh day? What do you do with it? I always feel like you can’t actually take it “off” because you are meant to be working but I also don’t see the point in being chained to my desk when there’s not a lot going on.

OP posts:
PrettyLittleRose · 22/08/2026 09:12

Toodledootwo · 22/08/2026 04:56

If works quiet, surely it’s quiet in the office or at home. Why would it matter where you are?

When it's 'a bit quiet.' do you really think people - in the actual OFFICE - are watching Christmas films, baking cakes, writing a book, putting out washing, walking the dog, learning a new language, going out buying a new handbag, getting their nails done, etc etc etc?

Behave yourself. As a pp said, pre covid and this mass work from home movement, people had to get permission to leave 10 minutes early for an appointment, and would be told off for being back from lunch 5 minutes late.

Whilst I agree that in some ways, it's nice to have a flexible work life, and slightly more flexible hours, and to not have one to two hours a day travel time on top of your work day, and to be able to have half an hour off now and again for something (not medical related) this thread is living proof that many people who work from home take the piss. Royally.

The 'what am I meant to do when my work day is quiet day' brigade make me laugh. Not your bloody laundry, walking the dog, watching a Christmas film, 'taking a nap.' or making a felt bunny rabbit that's for sure! All you're doing is proving that you've not got enough to do!

The very idea of doing any of this in work time in the office just makes me PMSL. What boss is actually going to allow that?! I am willing to bet that your bosses don't know the half of it! If they cottoned on to what people are doing, your work from home opportunity would go out of the window!

This thread is doing work from home people no favours at all!

Keep it up though. Many of you are spectacularly proving the work from home naysayers right! 😎

.

WigglyFlingo · 22/08/2026 09:12

I did the ironing with the laptop on the island so I could monitor the emails.

I also took some calls while I was ironing. So I was still working. 👀

I’m the boss.. if a member of my team wasn’t running the hoover around the house on a WFH day I’d wonder if there was something wrong with their head.

My second in command was due to come down to my house for a meeting, and he text to say he was running ten minutes late because of his washing machine. I put the kettle on and had a wee cuppa before he arrived.

My staff adore me, and I adore them. We do well, the work gets done and done well and we are all happy.

Oh.. and we are active public delivery.

CharlotteStreetW1 · 22/08/2026 09:14

I only worked from home during lockdown (hated it) and my workload depended on what me boss dictated (secretary).

During that time, I remember my boss messaging me early one Friday afternoon "I'm logging off now. Look busy." 😄

Coinkidinki · 22/08/2026 09:24

PrettyLittleRose · 22/08/2026 09:12

When it's 'a bit quiet.' do you really think people - in the actual OFFICE - are watching Christmas films, baking cakes, writing a book, putting out washing, walking the dog, learning a new language, going out buying a new handbag, getting their nails done, etc etc etc?

Behave yourself. As a pp said, pre covid and this mass work from home movement, people had to get permission to leave 10 minutes early for an appointment, and would be told off for being back from lunch 5 minutes late.

Whilst I agree that in some ways, it's nice to have a flexible work life, and slightly more flexible hours, and to not have one to two hours a day travel time on top of your work day, and to be able to have half an hour off now and again for something (not medical related) this thread is living proof that many people who work from home take the piss. Royally.

The 'what am I meant to do when my work day is quiet day' brigade make me laugh. Not your bloody laundry, walking the dog, watching a Christmas film, 'taking a nap.' or making a felt bunny rabbit that's for sure! All you're doing is proving that you've not got enough to do!

The very idea of doing any of this in work time in the office just makes me PMSL. What boss is actually going to allow that?! I am willing to bet that your bosses don't know the half of it! If they cottoned on to what people are doing, your work from home opportunity would go out of the window!

This thread is doing work from home people no favours at all!

Keep it up though. Many of you are spectacularly proving the work from home naysayers right! 😎

.

Edited

It surprises me that people have the time to do all this stuff during their working week. What jobs are they doing that their days are so empty?

Foxyloxy89 · 22/08/2026 09:55

WigglyFlingo · 22/08/2026 09:12

I did the ironing with the laptop on the island so I could monitor the emails.

I also took some calls while I was ironing. So I was still working. 👀

I’m the boss.. if a member of my team wasn’t running the hoover around the house on a WFH day I’d wonder if there was something wrong with their head.

My second in command was due to come down to my house for a meeting, and he text to say he was running ten minutes late because of his washing machine. I put the kettle on and had a wee cuppa before he arrived.

My staff adore me, and I adore them. We do well, the work gets done and done well and we are all happy.

Oh.. and we are active public delivery.

I bet you work in a local authority role. The ones that never answer the phone or pass to around various departments.

IckyIck · 22/08/2026 11:31

canuckup · 22/08/2026 02:20

Do you have non work conversations in the office? Ever had a haircut during a lunch break? Ever taken five minutes extra on your break??

The sanctimonious reactions on here are a bit much tbh

Yes, WFH is great land there are perks, but as my boss says, are the deadlines being met??? Yes, boss, they are. They always are.

Do you have non work conversations in the office?
Yes, but it's still work-related-ish.
*Ever had a haircut during a lunch break?8
No
Ever taken five minutes extra on your break??
Plenty of times but always make up the time.

I actually enjoy my work and other than when it's mad and it's flat-out all day and beyond, I prefer to be busy.

I've worked with the WFHers who seem to do little and they're a PITA.

RampantIvy · 22/08/2026 12:06

canuckup · 22/08/2026 02:20

Do you have non work conversations in the office? Ever had a haircut during a lunch break? Ever taken five minutes extra on your break??

The sanctimonious reactions on here are a bit much tbh

Yes, WFH is great land there are perks, but as my boss says, are the deadlines being met??? Yes, boss, they are. They always are.

That's quite the over reaction.

Ever had a haircut during a lunch break? No, I only got half an hour
Ever taken five minutes extra on your break?? Not usually, and if I did I made the time up. I had a busy job.

Because I had a positive work attitude and didn't take the piss, I was allowed lots of extra time off work when DH was in hospital for several weeks. There was give and take and flexibility.

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