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Original poster

Working from home disasters

84 replies

Overmydeadbody456 · 14/06/2019 12:14

Working from home today. Childcare issues in that both grandparents (who usually share childcare on Fridays) are both poorly so have had to keep DS (3) at home with me today. Told manager who was fine with it

I had to make an important call to a client . Bribed DS to stay quiet for 2 mins. He put his finger over his mouth as if to do the shush sign, which made me think he understood. Dialled. As soon as the client answered, DS, sat right next to me, let out the loudest &longest high pitched scream.
I couldn’t apologise enough to the client, they didn’t sound impressed!

Anybody else had anything embarrassing or mortifying happen while working from home?

OP posts:
Pursefirst · 14/06/2019 14:21

One of my cats loves to parade around during video conferences. I could shut her out of my office, but her tactic then is to loudly protest by singing the song of her people at full volume. It's just easier to have her in the same room.

FreudianSlipSlide · 14/06/2019 15:00

My DH had to dial into a conference call at my grandparents’ house once. Despite everyone being thoroughly briefed, my 90 year old grandfather picked up the kitchen extension hoping to phone his friend for a natter. Over the top of the subsequent confusion, DH said the only thing anyone could hear for about ten minutes was my grandmother asking ‘does anybody want any ham? Anybody?’

BlueSkiesLies · 14/06/2019 15:07

I have had my daughter invited to wave hello to everyone in a management meeting, clients understand when I had occasion to yell 'flush! wash hands' and the dog generally barking if anyone calls when the post arrives

Yeah. That looks shit.

Get childcare! People like this perpetuates the idea that working from home = not working.

HerculesMulligan · 14/06/2019 15:22

Oh god, I’d die. Really unprofessional. My 3 yr old is a bit unpredictable but for a client call no way would I have her in the room. She’d be on the couch, watching TV with snack bribes.

I did this with my then 3yo. I'm in the study on the phone to my boss and various other people, he's in the sitting room with an icepop (rare treat) and a previously-unseen episode of Thomas the Tank Engine. Five minutes in and he lets out a blood-curdling scream. My boss (not a panicker) says "Hercules, check him quickly!". I dash in to find him wailing because the bloody wooden icepop stick has broken in two.

JangledBat · 14/06/2019 15:39

If my parrots are in a giddy mood, they sometimes start squawking and screeching, with the odd hello thrown in. Luckily I have a headset and can just run into another room

It's very annoying though

LauraMipsum · 14/06/2019 15:56

I'm really not persuaded by the "so unprofessional" that a child is a momentary distraction.

Male colleagues will often pause on a phone call to answer their mobile with "just a minute, I'll call you back, I'm on the other line" and that's just considered to be reasonable because they're so very busy (I always put my mobile on silent if I'm on Skype / landline)

How is that different to saying to a child "just a minute, I'm on a phone call"?

I really don't think it is, it's just that one is male-approved and the other is considered wimmin's stuff.

Yes, children are a distraction when WFH, but so are colleagues when working in an office. At least my daughter can be persuaded to let me work by putting Frozen on and offering snacks, and doesn't come in every three minutes to ask if I want a cup of tea/ whose turn it is to buy the biscuits / have you heard Enid's leaving / I sent you an email 90 seconds ago and passive-aggressively just thought I'd put my head in to ask if you've got it / would you donate to Brian's leaving present / ooh your lunch smells nice what have you got i'm on a diet you know

...... my sense of FUCK OFF is rising just typing that, there's a reason I went self employed!

My ideal is WFH with nobody around at all, but if I have to have interruptions the child is less of a distraction!

CloudPop · 14/06/2019 16:06

There seems to be a dog barking on just about every conference call I go on - especially on Fridays

Original poster
Overmydeadbody456 · 14/06/2019 16:08

Loving some of these stories! Especially the close calls for the breast displays

I almost forgot about the time I took a call after work hours around 6.30, I locked myself in the kitchen for some peace and quiet. Cue same DS banging the kitchen door down from the other side shouting “mummy let me in” at the top of his voice! The racket was unbelievable, the client thought it was hilarious and told me to let the poor boy in

Get childcare! People like this perpetuates the idea that working from home = not working

But in my situation, I have childcare. I work full time Monday to Friday. For the first time ever, they were both too ill - one grandparent was fine yesterday but woke up in the night to be sick. I couldn’t ring up the nursery for an extra day this morning as they need a month’s notice at ours regardless of the urgency.

Days like this have to happen sometimes and good employers will understand that. I find that the ones less sympathetic are those that are childless, and/or men.

OP posts:
justmyview · 14/06/2019 16:14

As soon as the client answered, DS, sat right next to me, let out the loudest &longest high pitched scream

Why was DS sat right next to you? I think he should have been in a different room

justmyview · 14/06/2019 16:16

I have had my daughter invited to wave hello to everyone in a management meeting, clients understand when I had occasion to yell 'flush! wash hands' and the dog generally barking if anyone calls when the post arrives

And I think that this (from a PP) is unprofessional. I think it's a bit like tattoos - some people genuinely don't mind. Plenty others don't like it, but are too polite to say so

onlyjustme · 14/06/2019 16:16

@Pollywollydolly
I like this one...

OutInTheCountry · 14/06/2019 16:16

That video clip is one of my favourite things ever. It still makes me laugh out loud every time I see it. The middle-class guilt from everyone who though she was the nanny made it even funnier.

Settlersofcatan · 14/06/2019 16:19

One of my former colleagues had his toddler in the background of a conference call say "daddy, daddy, I need a wee" (pause) "NOW!"

We all laughed.

IToldYouIWasFreaky · 14/06/2019 16:27

If your child is ill and you have no other childcare then you take a day's leave. It sucks, but that's just the way it is when you're a working parent.
You can't effectively work and look after a child (especially a small, sick one) at the same time.

IToldYouIWasFreaky · 14/06/2019 16:31

Just realised that I misread the OP and it's the grandparents that are ill, not the child but the same thing applies...if your childcare falls through, you take leave.

IamWaggingBrenda · 14/06/2019 16:41

Similar, but not working at home. I had applied for a job when my DD was about 4 years old. She was extremely shy, which is relevant. I got a phone call one day from the HR person where I’d applied. She told me she had quite the chat with my DD in her previous call! Apparently, completely out of character, my shy 4 yr old had picked up the phone while I was in the shower, and had a lengthy conversation! She still, at the age of 22, prefers not to talk on the phone.

PopWentTheWeasel · 14/06/2019 16:51

IToldYouIWasFreaky I completely agree with you. If you can't work because you have no childcare, whatever the reason, you look at your employer's specila leave policy to see if it pays you for the first day or you book annual leave. You don't work from home with your child. You're not working effectively or parenting effectively so no-one wins.

pluckyfeathers · 14/06/2019 16:52

Hmmm they’re numerous. Mainly the one where I fell asleep on a conference call after Young dd kept me up all night several nighters in a row. I told them my phone was broken.
Another one was (despite my nanny also being home at the time and clearly not doing the best job) while on the phone I was also painting my nails. Obviously naughty but hey ho. Dd who was 1.5 years old at them time came running in and grabbed the brightly coloured polish and chucked it across my cream carpets.
Luckily I couldn’t lose it too much as was still on the call.

SongforSal · 14/06/2019 17:15

Yep. Like you, on the phone to a client. I stupidly (this was a few years ago) set up office in the room in my house that is street facing, blinds open. Neighbour would walk her dog past and wave everyday whilst I was working.

One particular day she kindly made some cakes for my DC, stood outside my from window and waved, whilst indicated the food plate. I in turn (being on the phone) indicated to my headset, thinking stupidly she understood I was at work. Anyway, she BANGS repeatedly on my door, she then opens my letterbox and shouts ''CAN YOU OPEN THE DOOR I HAVE MADE CAKES FOR THE CHILDREN AND IF YOU ARE STILL WORKING I WILL LEAVE THEM ON THE DOORSTEP...BYEEEEEEEEEEEEE'.

I mean, it was sweet of her, but ffs. Client heard the lot.

funnelfanjo · 14/06/2019 17:21

This is my favourite video on teleconferences.

QuestionableMouse · 14/06/2019 17:27

Many many places don't let you put leave in the day before. Taking a day's sickness is frowned upon too.

IToldYouIWasFreaky · 14/06/2019 17:45

Any employer has to give you leave to deal with an emergency concerning a dependent. It might not be paid leave, which is the sucky bit, but they have to let you take it.

SilverySurfer · 14/06/2019 17:46

PolarBearBubbles
Missing the point of the thread but I think saying you're working from home when you've got your child(ren) with you just perpetuates the idea that people are slacking when they're working from home and ultimately harms the progress of flexible working and therefore the gender pay gap.

I agree - it's really unprofessional and if your client reports back to your manager, your days of wfh could be numbered; they certainly would have been in my old company. Whatever you would have done in the absence of childcare when you were due in the office should be the same when wfh.

SAHMs post on here all the time saying how looking after little ones is a full time job. How is that compatible with wfh at the same time?

JAMMFYesPlease · 14/06/2019 17:53

I once had an interview with an actor from a tv show that conflicted with childcare because the timing had to be changed for his schedule changed last minute. We were halfway through when my DD came into the room to tell me "the TV happened" (ie. PAW Patrol had come to an end and Netflix wanted to make sure she was still watching).

Fortunately, the actor had kids her age so understood. We ended up chatting a bit about PAW Patrol because his DD also watched it.

I also had my client call at the last minute when both kids were home. I wasn't meant to be working (self employed) so hadn't planned with the kids. My 6yo decided to sit down thinking I was speaking to my DH (he's a way at the mlment) and started to tell him about her day before she realized it was the wrong person.

VioletCharlotte · 14/06/2019 17:57

I think what some of you are missing here is that the Mum who tries to juggle wfh and a childcare emergency will often go on to work long into the evening after the child is in bed. An employer who is flexible and allows employees to work around the needs of their family will reap the benefits in the long run. If people feel trusted, they feel valued and engaged and will be more productive and willing to go the extra mile when needed. Good candidates are in demand these days. They look for employers who can offer them the work-like balance. Employers who are rigid and inflexible will find it difficult to recruit and retain people.