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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Working from home

30 replies

WinterCat · 13/03/2020 10:56

AIBU in thinking that employers have to expect that some employees are not going to be as productive as normal at that moment if they are working from home?

DH can wfh without any issues but whenever he does, he always has a long list of things to complain about. At the moment his laptop screen is too small, he really needs his second monitor, the baby is crying, the preschooler wants to help, the Amazon delivery disturbed him.... As a result he generally goes into the office but he now will be wfh indefinitely. I usually take the children out if he does have to wfh but that’s not always practical (and soft play, popular places with children etc are places I am currently avoiding). School is about to break up for Easter and our garden is still so muddy, it can’t really be used unless the sun comes out and stays out.

Anyone else struggling with either wfh themselves or others doing so?

Before anyone says otherwise, this is really a lighthearted moan and I completely understand the reasons for wfh (DH could be in the office if he really wanted as he has no symptoms but we discussed it last night and both felt happier with him being at home).

OP posts:
CMOTDibbler · 13/03/2020 11:20

Your DH needs to shut himself in the bedroom and get on with his work - he can cope in an office with people on the phone/talking about TV etc, so home is a lot easier imo - I am permanently home based

CrystalAlligator · 13/03/2020 11:21

Are you not able to treat it like he’s at work? So he goes into the office and the rest of you act like he’s not in the house? No answering the door for him, you see to the kids, he wears noise cancelling headphones?

Original poster
WinterCat · 13/03/2020 11:21

He is in the office but easily distracted combined with a three year old who is thrilled he is at home (he often works away and has been away fairly recently) so she has missed him.

OP posts:
LittleLittleLittle · 13/03/2020 11:22

Your DH is being precious.

As PP said he needs to shut himself away and get on with it.

Original poster
WinterCat · 13/03/2020 11:22

I was just thinking that lots of people aren’t used to working at home and don’t have an office so probably are struggling to be as efficient as they are in the workplace.

OP posts:
Tulipstulips · 13/03/2020 11:23

He needs to suck it up. Yes, he should go into a bedroom or something and you should avoid disturbing him but obviously it’s not going to be the same as working in the office.

LittleLittleLittle · 13/03/2020 11:23

OP he needs to start work earlier. Then either have a longer lunch break so he can spend time with the 3 year old or finish ealier so he can spend more time with the 3 year old.

NeverTwerkNaked · 13/03/2020 11:24

He surely just hides in a bedroom to work and you leave him in peace?

LittleLittleLittle · 13/03/2020 11:25

OP I learnt due to being strongly advised to self-isolate 10 years ago that I can work anywhere as long as I have a laptop. This period will teach other people how to effectively work from home.

RedRed9 · 13/03/2020 11:27

Working an an office can be equally distracting for some. Lots of people find they actually work more productively when they wfh.

But yanbu that a 3yo is going to have moments of being a very big distraction indeed! You’ll all get used to the routine but it sounds like he’s finding it tough right now.

tiredanddangerous · 13/03/2020 11:27

I feel your pain op. My dc are older than yours but DH will be working from home from next week, and the only place we have he can work is the kitchen table. I think we’ll be ok as long as the schools stay open Hmm

daisypond · 13/03/2020 11:27

He is lucky he can work from home. He needs to lock the door and shut everyone out and get on with it. Why are you letting your child disturb him?

Maxhiggins · 13/03/2020 11:27

I'm wfh today as I often do. I would not be doing it with kids in the house though

Maxhiggins · 13/03/2020 11:28

Forgot to make my point which was I get more done at home

Sandleman · 13/03/2020 11:31

Agree. At my work a lot of people keep saying they are ‘not working’ next week when they mean they are WFH! Some have planned local holidays (not taking leave) and say they will just WFH. At my workplace there is a not a laziness normally and the general consensus is that people will take the piss.

Even front office receptionist is WFH for the next month (she has arranged a temp from an agency to cover for her).

But she actually has no work phone / laptop! She is so excited to have the ‘time off work’! I suspect HR haven’t realised she has no way to connect remotely Grin

Sandleman · 13/03/2020 11:31

a lot of laziness normally

Original poster
WinterCat · 13/03/2020 11:32

It does sound like he is being precious but our house has a strange layout which means the study has the front door on one side and the play room on the other. The WiFi strength is a bit iffy in the bedrooms (I used to see it as a good thing for when the children are older and want their own phones, but now I’ve realised it isn’t). So really he is in the best room. I’m sure the children will soon be used to him being around so much and stop being so excited.

We’ve relocated to the kitchen to attempt some baking but can’t do that during that baby’s nap time as (weird house layout again) means the monitor signal only works as far as some rooms and I can’t hear everywhere.

This sounds like we have a big house. We don’t! It’s a very old small house with a variety of extensions built up a hill.

OP posts:
BadCatDirtyCat · 13/03/2020 11:32

Working from he is hard! I find it difficult to concentrate and that's even with no children in the house, hence I usually go in. Needs must though, if he can WFH then that's great, and of course he'll just have to shut himself away any get on with it.

theneverendinglaundry · 13/03/2020 11:35

My DH is the opposite, he gets more work done when he is at home as he doesnt have colleagues disturbing him all day. He does find it harder to switch off though - the laptop is on as soon as he gets up in the morning and will sometimes come on in the evening after the kids go to bed.

I'm not complaining though - I appreciate that we are very lucky he can do his job from home, and we are saving £86 a week in train fares.

bluemarie87 · 13/03/2020 11:36

I do somewhat agree. We have a 2 bedroom house with an open kitchen downstairs. Our house is tiny! We also have a 10 week old baby with colic screaming the house down so I do agree his productivity despite where in the house he works will be less!!!

JayDot500 · 13/03/2020 11:36

DH has a space he goes to and that's him for the day. He works from home 2/3 days of the week. He will get distracted, but not more than he would do at work. Means he doesn't ignore the kids, but the kids are not encouraged to bother him too much. I'm currently on maternity so I'm here with them, and I don't bother DH at all, he usually comes to me to wind down after tense phonecalls. He's in a senior role and his boss drunkenly called DH his 'secret silent superstar' so I don't think there are any problems with his productivity.

And yeah, I get so much more work done at home than the office where I'm distracted by other employees. Our project recently went 100% remote working and productivity is definitely better... We all miss each other though 🤣

daisypond · 13/03/2020 11:39

So you have a study and a playroom and several bedrooms. Lots of space to be separate. And WiFi at home. And a baby monitor. What would you do if there was a real crisis?

Original poster
WinterCat · 13/03/2020 11:43

@daisypond I would go as far as to say Covid-19 is a real crisis. I’m still surprised by people like you not thinking it is!

OP posts:
GiveHerHellFromUs · 13/03/2020 11:51

I have distractions in the office at work - people always want a chat or ask for help or whatever. Being at home just means you have different distractions. If he can't work efficiently at home he needs to find somewhere where he can. He's being paid to do a job. Sorry but working from a different location isn't an excuse to be lazy.

inwood · 13/03/2020 12:04

It's pretty impossible to wfh when small kids are around. I remember having to lock myself in the bathroom for a con call to get away from DTs when they were small. You need to be in a different place, garden office etc.