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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think working from home is becoming a skivers charter

233 replies

Viviennemary · 06/12/2017 18:44

Of course I know there are a lot of people who work from home very conscientiously. But it seems more and more people when they have childcare problems, house needs cleaning, traffic bad, staying in for delivery or they just need an easy day. Work from home. Anyone come across this. I know it's a bit of a risk putting this in AIBU but I just wondered.

OP posts:
Powergower · 06/12/2017 21:52

I think a lot of people do use it to skive. I have friends who wfh and spend most of the day in bed or watching TV. However, I wfh sometimes and as a lawyer it is impossible to skive. We have to time record every 6 minutes of our day so there's just no way you could skive. In any case, on a moral level I couldn't. For me its about personal and professional integrity.

JaceLancs · 06/12/2017 21:58

I work from home when I need to do something without distractions
I can get so much done without constant interruptions from colleagues, phone ringing etc
All my staff can work from home whenever they want - none are skivers
I do however have to remind people that they need to take turns providing office cover so it doesn’t always fall to the same few

SingingSeuss · 06/12/2017 22:01

Yabu. Workplaces need to start being a lot more flexible. No reason people can't stay in for a parcel and be productive at the same time. Also no reason to be any less productive than in the office. The only people I know with a suspicion of those working from home are those who can't do it. With the right technology there's no reason to be in the office most of the time these days. Obviously it won't suit everyone. Some people need the face to face interactions, but for a lot of people it's saves time and travel costs and makes working around caring responsibilities a lot easier. Clearly you don't have kids at home when you work but easier to work right up until pick up than have to log off and then travel for an hour to get to the school.

Jigglytuff · 06/12/2017 22:05

@Powergower - perhaps you need some new friends seeing as yours lack professional integrity?

BeALert · 06/12/2017 22:07

I'm self-employed and work from home.

My jobs are either charged by the hour or by the project.

If it's a 'by the project' job then I do it as efficiently as possibly. Obviously.

If it's a 'by the hours' job I charge in 10 minute increments and list the work done in each increment, and include that information in the invoice.

Sometimes I'd love to go back to working 40 hours a week in an office and getting a nice regular paycheck whether I worked my arse off or chitchatted in 'meetings' all day...

juddyrockingcloggs · 06/12/2017 22:09

Me and WFH didn't get on one bit. I just couldn't sit and put my all into my role when over my shoulder there were jobs in my home that needed to be done. It was driving me mad! I lasted 2 months before going back to the office!

StealthPolarBear · 06/12/2017 22:22

I get loads done. Usually an hour before I drop the dc off at breakfast club and then a few more hours in the evening (at the moment as I am combining work and study).
If I have a parcel coming (or on Friday a boiler service), I'm still more effective than the endless door answering to people coming to empty the confidential waste or check the taps for legionnaires. Hmm
Depending on task I sometimes do prefer to be in the office, if I need to print or use both screens. Often I am on my own and it is bliss.

BillyAndTheSillies · 06/12/2017 22:23

Personally I find WFH means I am loads more productive so when I come back in to the office I can prove I wasn't skiving.

Our workplace put a ban on WFH on a Monday and Friday because people were using it as a hangover day. If you needed to WFH, our CEO had to sign it off (massive company and didn't actually make any sense because a lot of the time he wasn't clear on the actual role).

If one of my team asked to work from home because they were ill I'd say no, because that should be a sick day. Also not allowed to authorise WFH for childcare issues, sick children etc.

Some people do take the piss, but if they take the piss when they WFH, they're likely to also take the piss while in the office.

crazycatlady5 · 06/12/2017 22:34

I just think it’s he time we live in, it’s quite easy to get work done at home now.

VioletHaze · 06/12/2017 22:38

If one of my team asked to work from home because they were ill I'd say no, because that should be a sick day.

My office has this rule and I occasionally think it's a bit daft. I have reoccurring labyrinthitis which means my balance goes really badly, but I'm fine sitting on the sofa. I'm just not safe on the bus and can't drive.

I end up having to take it as time off sick which is deeply frustrating as my brain is fine. I can manage my laptop. I just tend to keel over if trying to move. I also have a colleague who has wanted to wfh due to a urinary tract infection which meant she couldn't be more than a rather short distance from a toilet (our loos are on another floor and through two keypad doors). I feel like there are conditions which could benefit from some reasonable adjustment re wfh.

BillyAndTheSillies · 06/12/2017 22:51

Agreed @VioletHaze
If someone was calling in with a cold or a migraine for example, that would need to be a sick day because they need to rest to recover.
Something like a UTI I'd be inclined to use my discretion and say that would be fine.
If someone breaks their leg, they generally get sign off to WFH because they can work, they just might not be able to get in to the office.
A lot is dependent on whether someone needs to recover or if it's manageable to work but not make it to the office

DorisDangleberry · 06/12/2017 22:54

Just putting this here

NeverTwerkNaked · 06/12/2017 23:03

Yabu. I generally get through a lot more work at home than in the office, because there are fewer interruptions.

If the traffic is gridlocked it makes more sense for me to work for 2 hours than sit in a traffic jam for 2 hours.

If my son is ill he can watch tv and I can meet a critical deadline.

If I have a lot of paperwork to read I can read it uninterrupted. About once a week I work from home for the day and I am happy that it is a very effective way of working.

Dilligaf81 · 06/12/2017 23:05

YABU
If you're going to take the piss you can do it in the office or workplace as much as home.

NeverTwerkNaked · 06/12/2017 23:06

Agree with this “for me it’s about personal and professional integrity”

Exactly. If my employer trusts me to do multi-million pound deals then it would be nonsensical for them to decide they need to watch over me every minute of the day.

Thetreesareallgone · 06/12/2017 23:07

I often work from home with the tail end of a migraine or cold, in fact, I had a nasty cold last week but still managed a good few hours work from home with my laptop. I think it's ridiculous to suggest you are always completely out of action if you need to stay at home, with migraines it's often unsafe to drive, but once the initial awfulness has passed, I can work in a small way, answer emails, keep on top of things, but can't drive and start being social in an office/work situations.

DianaPrincessOfThemyscira · 06/12/2017 23:13

I definitely skive off when WFH. But, I'm very good and very quick and just get things done. So something that is allocated two hours I will get done in 40 minutes. And most of my job is chasing other people and seeing what's going on with them.

And I skive when in the office too. To add, I don't always - sometimes I am very busy and then will work very late or start very early. It's swings and roundabouts so I take my downtime when I can.

Original poster
Viviennemary · 06/12/2017 23:25

I didn't expect so many replies! Why I asked was because somebody I know was talking about people working from home when they're really needed in the workplace. That's why I don't think it's acceptable to work from home because you're expecting a delivery, or need to catch up with housework. Or just be lazy. I think it was brave of a few folk to admit they do take it easy when working from home.

OP posts:
gluteustothemaximus · 07/12/2017 00:11

My boss used to call in every Friday to say she would be ‘working from home’.

My brother used to take the odd day here or there to work from home, but that meant sister in law leaving him with the kids and a list of other things to do. He was supposed to be working though.

I’ve been self employed for 15 years. Work creeps into evenings and weekends, and there’s no sick or holiday pay, so I work twice as hard as when I worked for someone else.

Blessyourheart · 07/12/2017 00:28

You have a work ethic or you don't; you are motivated or not. Wfh doesn't suit everyone, I love it. I'm productive, work long hours and it's beneficial for me and the business.

I was self employed when I first started and have carried the same diligence now I'm employed.

Going into the office gives me an opportunity to connect with people face to face. I'm surprised at how little work some people do.The nattering, tea drinking and farting about drives me up the wall. I can also see people shopping or surfing the web, I'd never do that at work - in the office or working from home.

Itchytights · 07/12/2017 00:39

In my job and I WFH, we get monitored on everything we have done on a monthly basis.

I work incredibly hard and am very conscientious.

YABU

dingdongdigeridoo · 07/12/2017 00:50

I work from home as I freelance. I get paid per project so obviously need to be as efficient as possible. I think I probably overcompensate by being too efficient, as I need to prove my worth to clients!

When I worked in an office I’d take the piss way more. Turn my computer on and go get breakfast, take a full hour for lunch, go to pointless meetings just to get time from my desk... I think I got roughly half the work done that I do now.

Ilovetolurk · 07/12/2017 04:40

I had a nasty cold last week but still managed a good few hours work from home with my laptop

Without wanting to start a bunfight this is a typical example. Good for you for diligently working on but if you are not capable of working more than a few hours it should be sick leave and monitored accordingly

EmpressOfTheSpartacusOceans · 07/12/2017 04:54

I had a vomiting bug a couple of weeks ago. I took the first couple of days off sick but after that I was capable of working - I just wasn't eating properly yet & also didn't want to risk infecting anyone else. So the rest of the week working from home & then back to the office on Monday. It worked fine.

coconuttella · 07/12/2017 06:56

Without wanting to start a bunfight this is a typical example. Good for you for diligently working on but if you are not capable of working more than a few hours it should be sick leave and monitored accordingly

I’m not sure why we need to be so rigid about sickness.... Surely it’s better for work if someone can do a few hours from home than forcing them to do nothing just because they can’t do a full day.

For instance, if I had sickness and diarrhoea, I may not be up for a long commute and a 10 hour day, but more than capable of a few hours decent work in brighter lucid periods. Work gets more from me. I’m dumping less on colleagues. I’m happier and less stressed because I don’t feel work is piling up. And clients are more satisfied as I’m prioritising those who need dealing with urgently. Why make it so binary? Most people put in extra hours so why not less then have an easier day when they’re ill.