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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

"so you didn't go to work today then?"

36 replies

abitwrong123 · 30/01/2015 15:20

Is what I have heard from two people so far today and is what I hear regularly from people every time I work in my office in my home....

It's making me feel cross now. I run a business, I'm either at the workshop, on site or working in my office. I often work until late at night, if not through the night.
WHY is it assumed that I am not working if I'm in my office which just happens to be in my home??

Grr. So, AIBU to start coming up with suitably daft replies?

OP posts:

DMCWelshCakes · 30/01/2015 15:26

"No. I find planning the overthrow of civilisation is easier when I'm in my underground lair."

Aherdofmims · 30/01/2015 15:28

I get this at the nursery. If I am working from home I drop ds off and am always wearing civies. If I am working elsewhere I leave v early and either dh or au pair drops.

I work v hard when working from home to do a day's work in 4.5 hours but they always say "not working today?" when they see scruffy clothes!

OutragedFromLeeds · 30/01/2015 15:29

But you didn't go to work. You worked from home.

They didn't say 'so you haven't done any work today then?'.

Just reply 'no, I worked in my home office'. It's really very straightforward.

YABU.

Original poster

abitwrong123 · 30/01/2015 15:33

ha ha good response DMCWelsh! Will add that to the repertoire!

Yes EXACTLY Aherdofmims! I get so much more done on my own but it's still seen as a day off if you do work from home.

Am also fed up with the requests to babysit "because you're only lazing about at home" and the passive aggressive texts from friends because I keep turning down daytime coffee requests. Because I'm working..... If I rented an office space I doubt anyone would expect any of this.

OP posts:

Original poster

abitwrong123 · 30/01/2015 15:34

Fair comment Outraged, I get annoyed because the implication is always that I haven't worked at all, just slobbed around in my PJ's or something.

OP posts:

DMCWelshCakes · 30/01/2015 15:38

Can you tell I also WFH?

Another personal favourite is "No. The pixies that live under my sofa needed feeding."

redskybynight · 30/01/2015 15:51

Surely it is just shorthand for "you didn't go to your workplace?" I say this all the time to DH, who sometimes work at home, sometimes at office.

weeblueberry · 30/01/2015 15:56

This pisses me off when folk say it to me too. I normally say 'I didn't go into the office but today the dining table became work and I did go there so....'

TheresaMayNot · 30/01/2015 16:08

Well, it's because many people work in places where 'WFH' is actually a euphemism for management doing what the hell they please, looking after the kids and unwilling to pay for childcare like the rest of the workforce despite earning double their salary, waiting in for the gas man, being too ill to work but not wanting to blight their sickness record, not wanting to spend money on petrol to their workplace or sit in traffic jams, and just generally taking the p*ss. Oh and being uncontactable on any of their phone numbers.

Present company excepted, of course

KateSpade · 30/01/2015 16:56

I just wanted to post, if I'm not working on a weekday, I take DD to nursery in my gym clothes aswell.

I work hard, if I have a day off I am not going to get 'dressed up' to walk round the corner, I want to go to nursery, come home and go back to bed.

Although, their has been times when I have answered the question with 'no, I had a fit last night so I'm not in work today' which stops them laughing!

MMcanny · 30/01/2015 17:01

I worked from home for three years and never once did anyone think I wasn't working when I was in the house. I must present a very business like aura to the world.

CMOTDibbler · 30/01/2015 17:02

I am home based, and people find it hard to understand that I need to be at my desk, working from 9-5 (at least), just like if I worked in an office. My dad just can't work out what I do all day, and that most afternoons I have meetings even if I don't go anywhere.

It does annoy me when people 'shirk from home' as it gives us all a bad name.

Marynary · 30/01/2015 17:02

I work at home most of the time. Some people do think that working at home = skiving which I think it reflects badly on them really (i.e. they would skive so they think everyone else is dishonest too). I would mind if work colleagues thought I was lazing around when working at home but I don't really care what anyone else thinks.

BikeRunSki · 30/01/2015 17:18

I say " I didn't go to the office no, because in the age of laptops and remote logins my line manager is quite happy for me to Wfh when my schedule allows, rather than spend an hour and a half stuck in traffic on the M1. I find that this is a far more effective use of tax payers' money."

morningtoncrescent62 · 30/01/2015 17:23

I went to the dentist last week, first thing in the morning, dressed smartly for work and carrying a briefcase for my public transport journey to work straight afterwards. I was greeted with, 'Not working today, then?'

Thumbcat · 30/01/2015 17:27

I've worked from home for five years now and still my family and friends are genuinely surprised that I'm not available for lunches and shopping trips.

bigbluestars · 30/01/2015 17:30

Annoys me too. MIL always asking me to meet for lunch midweek or a girls shopping day "while the boys are at work".

DecaffCoffeeAndRollupsPlease · 30/01/2015 17:34

I can see how this would be annoying.

OutragedFromLeeds · 30/01/2015 17:37

morning Judi Dench told a great story about going to the emergency dentist during the filming of Cranford in full period costume and the dentist saying so, 'are you working at the moment?'

BoffinMum · 30/01/2015 17:39

"No, because I only wear clothes on certain days of the week and it was a bit nippy this morning".

morningtoncrescent62 · 30/01/2015 17:41

Outraged, I'll know what to wear and say next time!

BoffinMum · 30/01/2015 17:41

I worked by a log fire at home today.
I let the washing machine bloke in.
I accepted a parcel.
I had my feet up on the coffee table.
And I wrote 3500 words of a report.
Lazy, me.

Original poster

abitwrong123 · 30/01/2015 18:43

Boffinmum you are indeed a huge slacker. Hang your head in shame woman!

And the thing is... I DID go to my place of work. It's an office. That happens to be in my house! Just because I have a really short commute it does not mean I am not at work.....

OP posts:

Dutch1e · 30/01/2015 18:48

I work for myself and used to hear this a bit. Until I dropped in a few "no, can't do X, I'm in the office." Also making it clear that certain hours are off-limits as Work Time (even if you're flubbing a deadline to watch tv while knowing you'll be up til 3 to get the job done).

NK5BM3 · 30/01/2015 18:49

I guess it's the idea that work from home means you do get to let the washing machine man in, defrost the chicken, hang out the clothes... Which make people think you aren't working really.

I'm totally with you though. My dh has his registered company at our address, and he works from here. He does drop off at school and pick up at after school club (5.30pm). I could work from home but at the moment as I drive to drop the younger child at nursery, I then head straight to my workplace. I look forward to September when if there are no meetings that day I won't have to go to work, but work from home!!

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