To think if you're working from home, you're working?

[TheTitOfTheIceberg]

I'm primarily office based but work from home one or very occasionally two days per week. This is a reasonable adjustment to help me manage a disability.

On another forum recently there was a thread about home working. Around 60% of the people who posted said that they spent part of their day doing housework, childcare, going to an appointment, taking a pet to the vet or similar - the majority giving the impression they viewed this as a perk of home working.

I was very much in the minority of people who said that we treat it as a day at work just in different surroundings - we log on, we crack on, we have a lunch break, we log on again, we crack on, we log off when the working day is over. We're not doing the hoovering or in and out hanging out washing or nipping out to the park with the kids for an hour.

I have some flexibility around start / finish times so long as I'm contactable during core hours (10-3) and sometimes I'll arrange to WFH on a day I have a disability-related hospital appointment because the hospital is closer to home than it is the office so I'll be away from work for less time, but that's always with my manager's knowledge and agreement. (And I'm on leave this week before anyone thinks I'm being a hypocrite and MNing in work time )

AIBU to think it's people who treat WFH like it's a day to get caught up with chores or look after kids on an inset day with work as an inconvenience to fit in here and there who contribute to many managers' reluctance to agree WFH requests for fear their staff will be doing exactly this sort of thing rather than working?

What absolute nonsense. It surely depends what sort of role you are in. Sure, if you are expected to respond quickly and "on call" then you need to be available between certain times. For a lot of jobs it doesn't matter what time you do the work, as long as you get the work done.

These people are all in positions where they should be contactable within core working hours, and weren't, because they were in the shower.

My employer does encourage flexible working patterns regardless of if you are at home or in the office, but I'm not sure about showering at 11am.

When I moved to working from home a day or 2 a week, I was at my most productive, no I never did the housework or showered, I worked. But I wasn't constantly interrupted with people knocking on my office door with trivial issues. I used to get so much more work down so I rolled it out through my department.

My husband works from home 1day a week and I don't see him from the minute he logs on (maybe to grab a coffee) but he is also at his most productive at home.

I work from home one day a week. Usually I'll be logged in to emails and answering them at 6.30, when I'd normally be catching the train to work. Work until 12.30, half an hour for lunch when I'll perhaps hang out washing I put on first thing in the morning, or run the vacuum cleaner round. Work in the afternoon until 5.30 and check emails sporadically over the evening in case of anything urgent (manage training delivery so need to know if a trainer is going to be unable to teach). And yes, I might throw another load of washing in the machine in the course of the day, or unload the dishwasher, but out of a 10 hour plus working day, I don't think that's unreasonable :)

I think my employer gets their money's worth out of me and I am flexible in return, so will happily go to the office on what is nominally my wfh day if they need me physically to be there.

Ultimately, my employer trusts me to deliver the outputs and outcomes I have signed up to deliver and I trust them to give me the flexibility I may need at other times.

Wfh can mean you can pop to an appointment, take the dog out or pick up older kids (who don't need care exactly but need someone in the house) but not full childcare or an excuse to slack

I believe that work should be done based on quantity/quality, not time your bum is sat on the chair. If I can do a load of laundry, take my boys to school and prep dinner, and do a full day of work before 6pm, then good for me - I'm benefitting from my own efficiency.

Thanks Stubble useful info!

I know some people that decide to go and shower at 11am if they are WFH. You wouldn't do that in the middle of the day if you were in the office, so you shouldn't do it if you're WFH

Don't see why not. It just becomes an early lunch break. In my last job I had to be on call all day so took my phone into the bathroom if I did anything like this. And yes, it did ring on occasion but nobody needed to know I was sat there wrapped in a towel with wet hair answering queries!

Coincidentally just had this article pop up: ideas.ted.com/why-working-from-home-should-be-standard-practice/?

I work from home full time, as does everyone I work for. We work on output, not hours. Today I've spent most of my day clearing out my bedroom because I have a moth infestation, but I will be online this evening and I am available for calls if needed.

As long as I get my work done, and I do it well, which I do, no one minds what exact hours I work or when I do it.

work WITH, not for.

I do have my son in childcare though, I couldn't work with him here. It's fine on the odd occasion if he's ill or whatever but I couldn't do it all the time.

When my dh works from home, he works. Constantly answering calls, emails etc. He does of course have his lunch/coffee etc without people annoying him at his work for things. He saves on diesel which is a bonus too! He is however available 24/7 if need be and always answers work calls even sometimes during holidays. Its all a bit of give and take.

Our work wont allow you to regularly work from home with children under 8 (a 1 off for child sickness is ok) unless you can show that you have suitable childcare arrangements in place.

Other than that they trust staff to manage their time as they see fit.

Working from home or not, I’ve often not had enough work to fill the time. At least wfh I don’t have the soul-destroying exercise of pretending I’m working when I’m not.

Tbh yes I do think that's what people do.
H certainly does (eg says he is working rom home in the am, logs in for a meeting and then goes to a dentist appointment before answering a few more emails and heading back to work).

And there is a pletora of people on MN complaining that thsi is what people round them are expecting them to do too. With comments along th elines 'well if you are at home, surely you can also do .

On the other side, I think the reason this is going on is that a lot of people are actually much more efficient at home (no distraction from colleagues etc...) so it doesnt show up and companies are letting that go on that ground.

I work from home unless I’m travelling...

Regular day:
Log on at 8am
School run 8:45-9
Take breakfast to desk
11ish Coffee in between calls
Pop dishwasher on
1pm: put wash on and make lunch
Eat at desk
3-3:15 school run, make coffee, hang out washing
3:30 back to desk
5:30-7 kids dinner and bedtime
7: check email and do anything I need to prep for next day

Occasional calls up to 10pm with US
When travelling I often leave at 6am, away 1-4 nights, home late

I have no issue nipping to shop/dentist/school event. Work is something I do not somewhere I go.

It depends. I've worked from home, in my own business, for 16 years. Working from home means exactly that - working. As it should, if you are working from someone else.

However, it does give me more flexibility as to when I work. I still expect to put in a full days work, and be available when clients expect me to be. It does annoy me that other people seem to think this means I'm available to do 'chores' . I'm not - I'm working.

I work according to the objectives I have. Whether that’s from the office, or from home, I might flex my hours to do some washing, attend assembly or make an admin phone call. My manager will soon be on the phone if I’m not achieving what I should be.

I wouldn’t work for an organisation that didn’t trust me to arrange my own work as I see fit.

I've been working from home 2 days a week for four yers now, and have just had my request to work from home for 3 days approved. So my manager is happy with my performance, even though I might put a load of laundry on or even take the cat to the vets - he's happy because I consistantly meet all my objectives, keep my clients happy and meet my deadlines. So really it's the people who don't do their jobs properly or well when working from home who give it a bad reputation.

I work from home about 8 days a month, and I get more done (I work in a quantifiable role, so it's there in black and white) in those days than I do in the office - but I also put a load of washing in, sweep the kitchen, do a shop on my lunch, etc. Same as when I'm in the office I might pop to make a cup of tea, stop by the office of some colleagues for a chat, spend a few minutes chatting with other people in my office mid-morning - it's not productive for me to be completely, head down, focused on my work for 8 solid hours. I work best when I have a quiet environment - so, at home - but I also take regular little 1-2 minute breaks to stop myself getting burned out/my back getting sore sitting down/distract myself.

Oh you’ll hate me OP

Work from home
Very well paid
Today I’ve done a yoga class for an hour AND vacuumed.

But.... in the hours I have worked. It has been complete and utter focus. No chatting, no coffee making, just work.

And I bloody love it

I am WFH today. Mid morning between calls I popped out to the pharmacy to pick up my repeat prescription because I forgot to order it due to work pressures/several 12 hour days working through different time zones working on a critical systems issue.
My ds is also off school for summer (Scotland) so I stopped and made us lunch as I haven't seen much of him this week, also popped out for 15 mins to drop him at friends house. If I want I can log off for the day early, or hit snooze a couple of times on the alarm if I fancy a little lie in. Taking 10 mins to stand up and stretch / put on a washing/run around the living room with the vacuum / stand in the garden is good for wellbeing, you cant regularly sit at a desk alone non stop for 8+ hrs at day without it eventually impacting your health. "Interruptions" at home are much less than in the office.

My manager has absolutely no problem with this, the goodwill works both ways, I am trusted, I always work more hours than I am contracted (salaried so no overtime) so WFH 1-2 days a week.

Any manager who thinks if someone is WFH they should stick to rigid sign off/crack on/sign off schedules and gets their knickers in a twist because someone took 10 mins out to load a washing machine should reconsider if WFH is appropriate for them in their position as they obviously don't trust them.

I work from home probably 80% of the time, the other 20% I'm travelling. I work PT. The commuting time (2 hour round trip) I save means I can break up my day.

No such thing as core hours - My team is all across the world, and so are my stakeholders. I often have a call with Australia at 7am, and another with the US at 7pm, or later. As long as I keep my diary updated with appointments (as I'm disabled I have quite a few) internal people know when I'm available. I fit in the odd bit of loading washing machine etc, some yoga/pilates. The children are in childcare though, unless ill. I wouldn't be able to work too well if I was actually having to look after them.

I consistently meet/exceed my objectives, and as for not working enough hours... for my own protection I record my daily hours, and at last count I had done 6 weeks unpaid overtime this year, which I will almost certainly never get back, apart from the odd day here and there.

So who's getting the bad deal here?

A lot depends on the type of job - lots of people who work from home do so because the type of work they do is flexible, project/result based and not hourly clocked on.

For example, if you write content for websites and your boss expects you to be able to complete ten pages of content on an average workday in the office 9-6 - with an hour off for lunch. And she wants to be able to check through that work before she goes home and gives you a deadline of 5pm.

Working from home you could get up and start working at 5.30 am in your pajamas - work like crazy finish 3 pages by 7.30am. Make a coffee, grab a piece of toast. Back to work - finish 2 more pages by 10am.

Now you have a leisurely shower, take the dog for a walk, read the morning paper.

Back to the computer at noon. Work solidly for another couple of hours. Finished 8.5 of the pages needed.

Pop out to the shops at 2pm - take your laptop with you - go to the coffee shop at 3.30pm and finish the last two pages. Email everything to your boss at 4.45pm.

Go home - check in with boss at 5.15pm to see if any adjustments needed.

Spend an hour replying to emails, planning work schedule for the next day. Clock off.

You could have commuted - got into the office at 9am worked till lunch, had an hour off, worked till 6pm, commuted home but the work expected and done would be the same - makes no difference if someone sees you sitting at your desk completing it.

OP, I see where you are coming from, there must be some people who take the piss, like the girl you mention upthread with riding. However, there's only a certain amount of times her employer will accept her excuses and fire her.
I know of a person who was quite senior and did similar, she was sacked at next review.
People don't want to lose their jobs whether wfh or office, those taking the piss will be a minority and likely to be caught.