Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Yes I am lucky to be able to work from home

70 replies

MoaneyMcmoanmoan · 22/04/2013 05:40

No I cannot look after your DD while you go to work Angry Angry Angry.

No I cannot go out with you for the day. If I take a day off, I have to apply for it, just like you do.

No father-in-law, I am not happy you popped in for a coffee. I AM WORKING ffs.

And no I do not like all of you getting huffy when I repeatedly explain this to you.

OP posts:
BIWI · 22/04/2013 11:05

Make sure you have Caller ID on your phone, and if it's your mum/friend/dad etc, simply don't answer it.

StuntGirl · 22/04/2013 11:42

I'm quite lucky in that all my friends work Mon-Fri 9-5's, so there's no on around to bother when I'm working Grin

I don't mind re-jigging my own day around to fit something in if I need to (if I can!) but I won't rearrange it just for others benefit.

WorraLiberty · 22/04/2013 11:46

I blame 'Mummy businesses' Grin

You know when someone sticks a few glittery beads and shit on a photo frame, and claims to be running a business from home?

Far too much of that around here instead of just admitting to being a SAHM

yaimee · 22/04/2013 11:49

yanbu!
what kind of jobs do you all do?

ThinkAboutItOnBoxingDay · 22/04/2013 11:55

My MIL is the worst. They stayed with us for a few weeks and DP got so behind on his work because she just expected him to be able to chat to her all the time.

It's the fact people act like you're being rude when you try to get on with work though. I just don't get it.

Original poster
MoaneyMcmoanmoan · 22/04/2013 12:01

Yes yes people DO act as though I am being rude.

Yaimee I work in PR/marketing. Not a glittery bead or scrapbook in sight Grin.

OP posts:
BIWI · 22/04/2013 12:02

I'm a market researcher so - very thankfully - no glittery shit here either!

ThePendant · 22/04/2013 12:03

I think people do believe that I genuinely have work to do, but think that I can be endlessly flexible and so can fit in chats, coffeee, odd jobs etc.

I find the best thing to say is "Sorry I can't I'm working to a deadline". They seem to understand that.

yaimee · 22/04/2013 12:07

People can't possibly make any money from glittery shit can they?

Trillz · 22/04/2013 12:11

If you make back the cost of your glitter then you have "a hobby that pays for itself". Not a business.

Kiriwawa · 22/04/2013 12:15

I am a single parent and self-employed so I don't get a lot of grief, presumably because people realise I must actually be working to be able to afford to go on holiday!

I also don't know anyone who would 'pop in' for a coffee or dream of asking me to look after their kids - I'm terminally unsociable though :o

Pendeen · 22/04/2013 12:19

"what kind of jobs do you all do? "

I'm an architect.

Although not at home all day (due to site visits, surveys and meeting clients) I'm at here often enough to be fed up with casual callers who assume because I'm at home I couldn't possibly be working.

It's even worse in some respects because as I work for myself, the assumption seems to be I don't have anyone 'above' managing and pressuring me and therefore the time is all my own! :(

PrincessOfChina · 22/04/2013 12:21

I work at home a couple of days a week. I only live a mile away from the office but my manager is in the states and my role is global so I'm usually on the phone, not in face to face meetings.

I get son much more work done at home it's not true and fortunately everyone in my life respect my hours when at home. I do get the snide comments from people in the office sometimes, particularly those who believe that being in the office is the only way you can possibly work as though they're not really wandering around drinking coffee and chatting every day.

Original poster
MoaneyMcmoanmoan · 22/04/2013 12:24

That's what I don't get Kiriwara. I am KNOWN for being unsociable Grin.

The looking after children thing out of desperation I think. I know how hard it is to find childcare during the school holidays. Doesn't make it any less annoying though...

OP posts:
Original poster
MoaneyMcmoanmoan · 22/04/2013 12:24

is out of desperation.

OP posts:
Doubtitsomehow · 22/04/2013 12:26

I finds that 'I am just about to go into a conference call' deters most impromptu callers / visitors.

Or, 'I was on a call' to explain why I didn't answer the door / phone etc.

Worst comment so far from MIL: 'so handy you work from home dear, you'll be able to do all the housework and laundry and take some of the pressure off DH'.

Wtf. Think my reaction could be the reason it hasn't been mentioned since.

Kiriwawa · 22/04/2013 12:30

You want to move to a new town where you don't know anyone Moaney - that's what I did Wink

Actually this thread has reminded me of a recent incident. I did have something happen recently where a friend asked if I could meet up with her for the day (on a day where she doesn't work) and checked several times in the week running up to the day that I could actually make it. So I rearranged my entire workload around the day and 48 hours beforehand, she texted me to blithely tell me that she'd forgotten she'd booked her car in for a service that day so couldn't make it Angry

So I lost a day's work/pay for no reason. I'm still a bit cross about it (and haven't rearranged)

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 22/04/2013 12:32

I have a confession... I have an office job that is flexible enough for me to "work from home" a couple of times a month... but on those days not a lot gets done Blush. Perhaps I'm the exception that makes the rule.

Oh and MammaTJ I could not agree more. When it's your own kids it's not babysitting FFS it's parenting!!!!

Dotty342kids · 22/04/2013 12:33

Oh, I get this too. I'm a website manager for a national charity so work part time from home. I think it's the combination of "part time" (though that is pretty much all the school hours) and "from home" that gets people. I can rearrange things to fit around school plays / requests to go in for things but that doesn't mean I can rearrange things to go for a long dog walk wtih a friend, or go shopping for a couple of hours! But yes, often get friends who assume I can do these things and that I'm being anti social if I don't.
And don't get me started on the irritations of my office desk being by the window in the room right next to the front door so there is NO chance of avoiding the Jehovahs / cold callers / postman etc etc.

Trillz · 22/04/2013 12:35

That's not called "the exception that makes the rule", that is called "making it harder for people who want to work from home and actually work to get permission to do so".

motherinferior · 22/04/2013 12:37

Hmmm....nobody ever assumes I'm available for stuff during the day because I am ferocious about the fact I'm not. I've worked from home for far too long, and have always been totally unavailable during work hours (with the odd exception of school events) so it's just not up for discussion. Ever.

I am a journalist, btw.

Trillz · 22/04/2013 12:39

DP works for a company where some people "work from home" a day or two a month in the way that has those quote marks around it.

If someone else asked to work from home it would be assumed that what they were asking for was actually paid time off. So they would not be allowed unless their boss thought they deserved special treatment. What should really happen is that if the boss thinks that the work can be done from home, they should agree. Instead "working from home" is a privilege for the select few, rather than a perfectly valid way of getting work done.

Callisto · 22/04/2013 12:44

I have worked from home for years and I have never had this problem. Maybe I am just really anti-social anyway and this is why I never get visitors. Though I don't know anyone who doesn't work either.

Kiriwawa · 22/04/2013 12:46

Yes I did Trills. I think it's undoubtedly true that some people take the piss. I work in a very deadline-related role though so if I'm not actually working when I'm at home, people would be v pissed off!