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.

DH works from home (self employed) usually like that:
9h to about 15h / 17h to about 20h / 21h to about 1h in the morning usually 7 days a week (He loves his job.)

He always made / makes time for housework, DCs, neighbours, family etc., which to those on the outside may look like no work gets done.

I work from home whenever I want and do between 0-2 days a week depending.

While I may do some project work that needs focus, but I mainly just stay on top of emails / field the odd call and do admin, wash clothes and watch Netflix. Other days I’ll go on a day trip or grab lunch and go shopping with a pal.

I earn £££ but I’m worth every penny when the shit hits the fan I’m there putting out fires for as long as it takes so 🤷‍♀️

I've worked from home since 1999.

This morning I was at the computer at 8, had a coffee break at 10, a cheese toastie and coffee at 11, and then I just finished work 5 mins ago.

I would say the quality of my work is also better due to WFH. I don't do well in open plan and I know sometimes I'd rush things as either time had been taken up elsewhere (meetings or whatever) or maybe I wasn't feeling 100%. Things like that.

At home I can just get on with it. If I'm feeling tired, I can take a nap (struggling with sleep at the mo due to peri!) and then get back to it feeling more refreshed. If I get a bit bored with what I'm doing, I can take a break and do something else for a while. Whereas in an office you're "stuck". I've concluded I work much better in 2-3 hour "bursts" rather than sitting at the desk all day long. Some days I do get more "in the zone" and will do a big chunk of work at once but it's so nice to have the flexibility.

I WFH one day a week usually and I do work but not much because I just don't have enough work! I've told my LM loads and loads of times and he is slowly organising more work for me but it's taking ages. I get paid shit as well so I don't feel too bad about it especially when I keep asking for more work and when i'm in the office I often voluntarily do other people's most boring parts of their work when I have capacity, and I see other people with not enough work literally sitting on their phones ALL day and never once offering to help anyone else!

A lot of the time they wfh and from what I can tell, not a lot of work actually gets done.

I'm jealous..

how do you know how much work gets done and why are you jealous - after all you don't work at all (either).

Fwiw, if I have the odd working from home day, then yes I works. I need to deliver at work and it would certainly get noticed if I spend my day on MN instead of doing my job.

This latter type have spoiled things for others at dh's office as the big boss has said enough is enough and decreed that everyone must work in the office.

Actually that sounds more like lazy management to me.

The kind of person who will "WFH" as a way to get out of doing work is going to have a crap work ethic in the office as well - their manager should notice performance issues and address them at an individual level. A blanket decision to ban WFH for everyone will just reduce employee morale and goodwill overall.

I get loads done when I wfh. I do two days a week. Couldn't get away with not working.

I WFH, but unlike others I have toooo much to do. More than can be dealt with and I often feel overwhelmed - and so I avoid it!! In an office, I at least wouldn’t be able to avoid it and I wish I was in the office more. Sometimes I avoid it by mumsneting... other times I avoid it by eating. I’ve gained more than a stone.

Oh, and I’m treated by the family like a housekeeper and PA.

I’d like to WFH 2 days a week, ideally.

Do people who take the piss out of WFH not have instant messaging then? I've worked with systems such as Office 365 and Google and your IM status can be seen by anyone who cares to look.

Crossed post with Kitties who works my ideal pattern!

For those who asked, I'm a childminder, so yes, I get to play all day with my kids and that is my work, I just have lots of other children here as well! It suits me well but obviously isn't for everyone.

I occasionally WFH if I have an appointment or something. I work all day and email when I am going for lunch. Tbh my team would know if I didn’t as my status would show that I wasn’t active so I am quite conscientious.

I might throw a load of washing on but that’s it. I don’t actually like WFH and prefer being able to make it into the office as my team are lovely and it’s boring by myself.

I have worked for old school managers who when they WFH literally disappeared though. Once I called my director. I could hear the wind howling and he told me was on a boat fishing.

I work from home occasionally and do actually work! I tend to do it when I need to concentrate on something so it wouldn't make sense to waste that opportunity! I might put washing on before I start or empty the tumble drier whilst making a coffee but yes, I work when I work at home!

I'm now retired but used to work one day a week at home, and sometimes two. I was far more productive. I used to start at 7 and finish at 7. That was still a shorter day for me than usual because I avoided the (at least) 3 hour daily commute.

Skype meant that I could take part in work meetings as usual. Improvements in ICT mean that working at home is a lot better than it used to be.

I WFH 3 days a week and 2 days office based. I get so much more done than commuting to the office, which feels like wasted working time. My office days are full of meetings so often feels less productive, weirdly. The benifits of WFH means I get to do school drop offs and pick ups/homework/ after school activities, too. I feel very lucky to be able to do this and never take the piss.

You haven't really explained how you know people aren't working?

I WFH regularly and definitely work hard as I am so grateful for the privilege. However I might message someone or put a wash on if I need a screen break or something.

I actually work from anywhere. I'm currently working in Logan Airport in Boston, having also worked on the bus here, and I'll work on the plane, then I'll work from my hotel for the next 4 days.

Yes I do. I often have calls/meetings in the diary or I have a meeting out in town that I ride to. It just means I can walk the dogs or put some washing in while I'm here. Maybe get the children from school.

I have a more than 5 day a week job, if I skive on one day, the work is still there for me to do and it's my responsibility - no one else can do it. I catch up on emails at all time of the day anyway. I trust myself and my staff to do this - if it means they can collect the children from school, that's fine. There's more distraction in the office , although I actually prefer it.

I usually get more done at home because I don't get interrupted as much.

Yes! I use the time to do complex tasks that require silence and to complete my MBA coursework. It's not a luxury, it's a requirement of my role.

"
Today 17:16KatherineJaneway

Do people who take the piss out of WFH not have instant messaging then? I've worked with systems such as Office 365 and Google and your IM status can be seen by anyone who cares to look."
Not all working is typing away though is it.

I wfh at least one day a week. However, my job involves working closely with people based a few hours behind the UK. I flex my hours on my wfh to suit this, so to friends it might seem I'm not doing a lot in the mornings, but it's because I catch up after 7pm.

I have to actually work. I'm paid a lot and expected to be productive.

When I work from home, I do usually start work earlier given no journey and finish earlier. I don't have children though.

I don't do this very often as I like to keep work and home separate as much as possible.