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Original poster

What does working from home mean to you

95 replies

Ilovepizzatoomuch · 27/04/2019 13:09

Firstly will start by saying I know that I am lucky to even have the option to work from home, as I know many people don't have that option.

Dh works in a manual job where he can't work from home.

So to me working from home means just that - do the same work but from home. I stop to do a quick lunch I don't normally have a lunch break at work either as I prefer to leave early to pick DC up if I can.

Dh seems to think that if I am at home I should be doing everything round the house...cleaning the kitchen, bathroom, doing the washing, ironing etc.

I do put an odd load of washing on and empty the dishwasher but that's about it.

I worked from home this week and dh came home complaining that u hadn't done enough around the house, when I had been working for 8 hours straight and got loads of work done.

He doesn't seem to grasp that I actually have to work and not just answer the odd email.

OP posts:
wigglesniggles · 27/04/2019 13:48

Worked from home three years.

At my desk for duration of working hours, sometimes start earlier
Get loads done, more than if I was in the office
Brief lunch break - salad, fresh air
Back to my desk
No chit chat / distractions with colleagues
Breaks are for cups of tea, loo. I do put and take out washing on these breaks because I figure most people would take a bit longer to have a chat in the kitchen, and it's also kind of relaxing to do it, but it's only five minutes. A pain of working from home is that you generate more washing up, so that also takes time and has to be done.

It's well known that people who work from home often put in more hours, starting early, finishing late, picking up bits in the evening.

Some people might see it as an opportunity to be flexible, an errand here or there, but I am very honest and also people have to be able to reach me, so anything would only be done on prior agreement with a manager.

We also have flex hours but I've never used these - might work out a plan and start as 4pm finish be nice sometimes.

I have noticed family don't respect my working hours, phoning me in the day, as if working from home is a green light, whereas if they knew I was in the office they wouldn't, I have to be more firm about that.

Stompythedinosaur · 27/04/2019 13:49

The benefit of working from home is that you save the time of commuting and can maybe stick a wash on during your lunch break. I would soon loose the privilege of working from home if I pissed about!

DragonforaMIL · 27/04/2019 13:55

He's a cheeky sod! Working from home is work. I do compressed hours over 4 days, and need to be available to take calls, emails and attend meetings so can't/wouldn't do the housework. I rarely take a lunch break, but do put the dinner on so it's ready when everyone else gets home.

DragonforaMIL · 27/04/2019 13:58

What does piss me off is the neighbours having parcels delivered when they know they are going to be at work themselves as they've cottoned on that I'm at homeAngry

PlainSpeakingStraightTalking · 27/04/2019 14:01

When DH works from home he does everything - laundry, dishwasher, ironing, sorts out the cat, toddles off to the bakery and corner shop to replenish anything we're out of, hoovers, phones into the office has a conference call break for Popmaster - oh and my evening meal is also ready.

Lets face it, none of the above really takes longer than a couple of minutes a chore, spread out over the day, its your 5 min rest break/stretch from the PC. That's the benefit of working from home

SoyDora · 27/04/2019 14:03

How does cooking an evening meal and doing the ironing only take a couple of minutes?!

Alienspaceship · 27/04/2019 14:03

Is he a bit dim? It’s a fairly simple concept and the title ‘working from home’ is self-explanatory.

Deadringer · 27/04/2019 14:04

He is an arsehole.

BusterTheBulldog · 27/04/2019 14:05

I do quite a lot round the house due to working from home, saving on a commute makes such a difference! Washing, mow lawn, Hoover house, general tidy, pick up bits from town are all much easier for me to do. I also have to work out of offices sometimes and that makes me appreciate my wfh time more!

PlainSpeakingStraightTalking · 27/04/2019 14:14

How does cooking an evening meal and doing the ironing only take a couple of minutes?! Err washing and ironing everyday, hardly a monumental chose when you're turning round one days clothes.

How long does it take you to peel spuds? Hmm I didnt say he's Egon Ronay stuffing truffles

SihtricsHorseWitnere · 27/04/2019 14:14

I'd be fucked off if I were his employer, Plain. He's not being paid to be a skivvy.

havingtochangeusernameagain · 27/04/2019 14:15

You can't do all the household chores when you are working from home because you are working. If you are not busy and not a slave to the phone you might be able to pop out in your lunchbreak to do things. In my last job I was a slave to the phone, so if I needed to go out I used to send an email to the office to say I was taking my lunchbreak and left a voicemail for people to call the office. But I had to be contactable otherwise.

Obviously you can pop away from your desk and load the washing machine if you have a natural break in work. And yes I've hoovered before I start work for the day or something - I was saving 3 hours commuting time a day so I could fit things in. But as others have said, if you are being paid to work, that's what you do.

SihtricsHorseWitnere · 27/04/2019 14:16

Err washing and ironing everyday, hardly a monumental chose when you're turning round one days clothes.

That's more than 'a couple of minutes'. Take it out, shake and peg it out, pull it down, and iron. The fuck it takes 'a couple of minutes'.

checkingforballoons · 27/04/2019 14:24

I mostly work from home and only put down the hours I’ve actually worked, so I have some flexibility. But like everyone else is saying, if I’m working I’m actually working. Sticking the tumble drier on, wiping the kitchen over whilst the kettle boils, that sort of stuff is a perk of being at home. I wouldn’t abandon a work call to scrub the bathroom!

Babyroobs · 27/04/2019 14:39

I've just started some home working and finding it really difficult to buckle down to work. I walk the dogs in my lunch break.

thefairyfellersmasterstroke · 27/04/2019 14:43

I find that when you tell people you work from home, they only hear the 'home' part and therefore assume you are free to do housework/shopping/meet for lunch/provide taxi service/sunbathe/pop round for coffee/anything you fancy.

If you say nope, you're working, they usually say but you're self-employed, you can do what you like. Then you end up repeating for the umpteenth time that you have set business hours, client deadlines etc., even though you know it will go in one ear and out the other like it did every other time you told them.

Because as far as they are concerned, you are "home", and that means you're not working. Drives me insane.

ImADadButThatsOKIsntIt · 27/04/2019 14:49

Same issue with DW, has started scheduling PT on a day I sometimes work from home as I can look after DD - got a huff on i’m in London next week instead. Literally doesn’t get it I should be working....

Iamnotagoddess · 27/04/2019 14:50

Fucking hell Shock

People iron EVERY DAY?!

I do it about once a year Blush

M0reGinPlease · 27/04/2019 14:52

What used to annoy me more was my office-based colleagues constantly making jokes about those of us who worked remotely being in our pyjamas all day or 'oh you're on a video conference have you brushed your hair and put a proper top on'. Totally possible to work from a home office and be professional, punctual and put in the hours. I worked far harder and was far more productive than in my office days.

theWarOnPeace · 27/04/2019 14:54

He’s being very unreasonable, of course.

When I WFH or study, there is no time for a whole other job - which is what cleaning is. That type of work should be divided between you both. Even putting on the kettle, I’m trailing the laptop with me or on the phone. It’s really not some big excuse to doss, does your DH really think you’re laying about all day?

thecatsthecats · 27/04/2019 14:55

I don't agree with your husband, but our CEO was incredibly firm with me about taking screen breaks, and is perfectly happy that my five minute desk breaks an hour at home are used for household tasks. At work I'd either forget to take them or stand about like a lemon. I am about 20% more productive at home than in the office, and he is highly supportive of a work life balance.

My husband is overworked whether he's in the office or our house. It does rankle me when he treats the house like a pigsty on the grounds of "not shirking" from his desk. But in his actual office it would be considered hideously antisocial and unprofessional to leave dirty mugs, plates, food rubbish around. So he wouldn't be using up any real work time to put them next to the sink/in the bin for later.

thecatsthecats · 27/04/2019 14:58

GinPlease

See, I am upfront withy colleagues that I do sit around in my pyjamas etc. They're not bothered to be honest, since I'm also telling them about deals I've arranged with clients, planning for long term success of the company etc.

Penguinpandarabbit · 27/04/2019 14:59

When I work from home I am just working from home not doing housework and personal calls. I am, however, guilty of just working from bed, with cat and laptop.

MsAwesomeDragon · 27/04/2019 15:01

DH works from home on a Friday. He does jobs like the dishwasher, washes and hangs a load of laundry, and he does the school run morning and afternoon. He does those jobs in the time he would normally be traveling to work though (apart from the school run). He gets more work work done at home because he's in the house by himself and doesn't have colleagues asking questions that take time to sort out.

I wouldn't dream of expecting him to do all the housework on WFH days. On actual days off I would expect him to do some extra housework, but WFH means actual work work not house work.

SoyDora · 27/04/2019 15:15

How long does it take you to peel spuds? hmm I didnt say he's Egon Ronay stuffing truffles

Not long, but I don’t just eat spuds for dinner.

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