If you work from home, do you actually work?

[fallacy]

I'm a SAHM but I have many friends that work full time. A lot of the time they wfh and from what I can tell, not a lot of work actually gets done.

I'm jealous.

Yes. I'm freelance and if I don't work I don't get paid.

I know someone who does a lot, earns mega money. Yes they do work but certainly not for long. Has time to socialise and chill out. Some have it good.

Yes I WFH in a professional role 3/4 days a week and work solidly! My kids are in school or clubs during working hours. I’d be out of a job if I didn’t perform. But I do get jobs done like the laundry or prepping dinner, maybe a quick run around lunchtime instead of going to endless meetings or chatting in the work kitchen ...
i’m A high performer and have had 2/3 sick days in 15 years probably because I run my own schedule and my work/ life balance is good and i’m Happy...

@IceAndASlice123

I know someone who does a lot, earns mega money. Yes they do work but certainly not for long. Has time to socialise and chill out. Some have it good.

True of lots of people who don't work from home and slack off at work in an office. There are conscientious people and lazy people in both situations.

I agree. Just easier to get away from in the home environment away from watching eyes.

In my experience people skive off and take the piss whether they're in the office or WFH. It's just their type NOT the environment they're in.

...and that's such an important point I needed to say it twice

I do. But anything I don’t get done in the day I will catch up that evening. So today I went to a school coffee morning and will then work later. If I’m on a long call I’ll take that then sure I’ll put a wash on in between the next one etc so I suppose may look like I’m not working all the time I’m supposed to.
I always get my work done though. I do a lot of unpaid overtime as well but it’s give an take isn’t it. Id say I was lucky to have this job but I only took it as had no childcare and I’ve basically halved my salary.

i'm self employed, work at home all the time. If I don't work, I don't get paid.

What do you do fitzbilly?

It seems a bit of a contradiction to say you hang out with your kids but your job is full on and you work hard. Or do you mean you're a SAHM and your partner earns the £ to support you all?

@TheOrigFV45

In my experience people skive off and take the piss whether they're in the office or WFH. It's just their type NOT the environment they're in.

I think this is 100% right. Piss takers are piss takers and conscientious people are conscientious people. Doesn't really matter where they are, they'll behave the same way.

I'm far more productive at home than in the office, partly because there's no one to chat to and largely because I know a portion of people assume home workers sit around watching tv and doing housework so I make an effort not to prove them right.

I WFH one day a week and it's usually my most productive day! No interruptions or conversation. It's great! And no I don't pop a wash on or clean the kitchen or go out for coffee. I work! I've seen so many posts on here complaining about their partner not doing any housework when they are WFH.

I work from home 2 days a week and it's my most productive days. If I'm in the office I can spend a lot of time helping others out and not getting a lot of my own work done. When I'm at home I fly through it!

I do also get the washing done. Think coffee making/change a load, comfy call, fold up etc. If I didn't do that it would never get done and it doesn't mean I'm focusing on "the job" any less

My last 3 jobs I've wfh. The first one, yes I'd do a fair bit, but it was a job I knew well, was really good at, and as a result of a lot of hard work up front, after a year or so I could spend a fair bit of time doing housework, going to the gym, walking the dogs etc - but I'd try to do this at lunchtime and not take the piss. (Is start at 7.30 and finish around 5)

My last job was a nightmare, 7 till 7 normally with frequent 10pm conference calls - hated it

But my job requires me to do the hours it takes to get the job done, so in most circumstances it's swings and roundabouts and don't take the piss

Piss takers are piss takers and conscientious people are conscientious people. Doesn't really matter where they are, they'll behave the same way.

Not necessarily. At uni I could do full-on 8 hour days revising in the library. At home, absolutely NOTHING. Just something about being at home.

I'm exactly the same now. I had to work a weekend a couple of times - I went into the office, as I knew I'd get fuck all done at home. I can't work in the same space I relax in.

I'm both amused and appalled to think that my friends would think like you. If someone calls and I have time to take the call and asks what I'm doing, I'll often say 'not much'. What that actually means is, (for reasons of confidentiality, lack of time or boredom) I'm not going to list the details of my working day. I take it for granted they know I'm working.
How dull if I'll have to start listing specifics for them to 'believe' I wfh.

Yes, definitely.

I work from home and I DO work - but I usually take a fairly long lunch break so I can fit in lunch, a quick allotment trip, a swim, and a nap..

However, I'm so much more productive at home. It's hard to concentrate in a busy open plan office and I end up sitting at my desk getting sleepier and sleepier..

I work for myself, so if I don't work...it doesn't get done and I don't get paid :) So yes I work. But I also arrange my hours how I want them, so it might appear to people that I have a lot of 'free' time because often I'll work in the evenings and weekends as well as hours in the week.

When I worked in an office however and worked from home, I worked within the set working day and often got way more done at home than I would in the office, so often ended up finishing much earlier than I would in the office.

Such a silly, outdated way of thinking. When people shop from home, are they really shopping?

I think Amazon being the world's number one retailer might have something to say about that.

I WFH 2 days a week and I would say I pretty much do the same amount as when in the office - punctuated sometimes by a lunchtime bath

Is this a thinly veiled way of saying, I'm a SAHM and work harder than my full-time working friends?

I WFH once or twice a week. I get more done as there are less distractions away from the office. Less people saying "Can I have a minute" and being invited to ad-hoc meetings.

I've run my own business and wfh for the last 20 years. Yes, I work. Otherwise I wouldn't get paid!

Sounds like your friends are swinging thre lead.

I don’t now but hen I used to work at home, I could start at seven and work through until four with no interruptions. I got loads more done than I would at work with the advantage of being able to chuck a wash on (took about 1 minute so hardly skiving). My firm got much more out of me than they did in the office where people would stop for chats etc.