Dreading going back to work

[Sarah510]

Is anyone else dreading it? Had a meeting this morning and they are talking about re-opening in May. I don't want to go back - I love working from home! I have so much more time to myself, to do the things I love, plus I'm dreading the commute, and being crushed into trains again. Plus my job is just not that busy, so I do what I have to and then I'm "free", rather than sitting in an office pretending to be busy :( I'm scared. I know we all have to get "it" at some stage, (have no underlying conditions, am pretty healthy so I should be ok if I get it), but I don't want to get it

No I dislike working from home. I can't wait to go back. I miss my workplace and colleagues. My commute was only 20 mins so I've not really gained any time. It's so hard working from home around the kids. Also my job has changed and I'm teaching online instead of face to face. I work at a university and we'll be teaching online all through the summer til at least September.

However I am relieved dh and I are at home with the kids to keep them safe. We are lucky.

I’m also loving WFH. I’m not saying I want to do it full time but not commuting has been so nice, I’ve had so much time back in my life and I really will miss it. Just can’t see my work allowing us to WFH when this is over, they’ll definitely come up with an excuse why we can’t :(

I work for the NHS and have had to keep working away from home throughout this. One of the upsides to this is the journey to and from work has been so much quicker. Also, I had to walk beside a reasonably busy road yesterday - it was so much more pleasant due to the decrease in traffic. I really hope that when we are through this horrible mess we can learn from the positives. This would include allowing people to work from home where able etc. It would be such an improvement to everyone and greatly reduce traffic/pollution etc. I really hop we don't slip into our old ways.

I really miss my workplace. I was so lucky before - I had a mix of wfh and office based. I am fully wfh for the foreseeable future and really missing the office interaction. I honestly don’t know why employers are so against wfh though - I think you get loads more done.

I'm definitely going to push to do 3 days a week from home. It's given me a spare 3 hours a day as I can now take a useful lunch break and have no commute at the moment. I don't have to work late as I can take the calls from the US from home instead of hanging around in the office. The only downside at the moment is I'm not rushing about or exercising as much and not eating as healthily. Plus it's nice to get dressed up and look smart for at least a couple of days a week.

I'll be happy to be back in the office - I have a lovely river-view desk, I work with amazing people, and enjoy my job but will likely try and wfh a day a week. It's so useful to be able to shove the washing in, cook from scratch and get a bit of respite from rushing around.

I will not miss the endless zoom meetings.

It's amazing how this whole thing has revealed what jobs can easily be done at home, but employers just won't allow it.

I am so with you on this! I’m due to go on maternity leave at the end of June but I’ve just become so used to being at home and not stressing about work. I work in a dentist so deal with the public on a daily basis and it’s exhausting I do not miss the rude patients at all and For selfish reasons I hope this carry’s on till mid June! I agree with someone when they said I don’t miss work politics before this all happened work with some people was extremely exhausting and I was counting down the days till my maternity leave. I know if we go back in May I only have 6 weeks but that’s 6 weeks to long for me personally haha

If you are pretending to be busy, maybe they should cut your hours to suit the job, some people come from work shattered after a full days work and still there wasn't time to finish everything.

Me too

Totally with you OP. I would happily wfh most of the time & just go out for the odd meeting. I’ve been doing 2 or 3 days a week at home for the last year for various reasons but it became clear that the time I spent commuting (up to 2hrs a day) could instead be better spent managing my busy workload & thereby reducing stress. My boss wasn’t 100% convinced but my output showed that it was worth it. Lockdown has changed his mind & I expect more of my team will be wfh regularly in the future (see how many of us are left, bound to be deep cuts in my industry unfortunately).

I can’t wait to go back. It’s much harder working from home. I am constantly on a hangout and can hear my family downstairs but not really be with them. Also drinking way too much wine. I miss my clothes and my friends and the banter. The freedom going to and from work ironically gives me.

It will be some time, but when the job market improves look for a job which can be done at home if you love it so much, life is too short to fell down & miserable!

If you're working from home I don't see why on Earth your employer would have you back that fast. Mine is talking 6 months WFH.
Anyone that doesn't need to go in shouldn't. We were closed before lockdown, we won't be open even if lockdown is lifted before summer

I enjoy working from home but do miss the interaction with colleagues although we do chat on Zoom a lot during the day. I'd be quite happy to continue as I am as long as the nursery reopens as DH and I are struggling with a toddler 24/7.

I've 'gone back' insofar as there is a back. I do office work for a haulage firm and have a 3 full day equivalent part time job. I do one and a half days at home and one and a half days in the office. Someone needs to be in the office doing paperwork and logging etc. that can't be done from home so i am almost back to previous hours. Work isn't quite the same though in terms of nature, quantity and lack of other living things there most of the time apart from a rubber plant.

Teacher here too. Husband and I trying to juggle WFH with SAHPing our 1yo. In a 2-bed flat with no garden. We cannot WAIT to get back to work and the LO misses creche too.

Ask to be at some for some days?

YANBU. I've worked from home for five years now and no way could I go back to working in an office environment now or spending time on a commute. Life is just a much better balance this way.

I usually WFH at least one day a week and am a homebody at weekends as travel so much during the week but haven't been since this kicked off (health care industry). On the one hand I've been under a huge amount of stress sorting out PPE, staffing etc. for the group and wished I was at home but on the other I've loved it. Empty roads, huge learning curve, busy, getting loads done.
By Sunday night at the moment I'm climbing the walls itching to get back. I love my job though.

I like being in the office but can see myself doing a day a week at home. My work has reduced significantly and what has been an eye opener for me is how much stress I was under because of my workload and how much I actually enjoy my job now that things are quieter. Its really made me thing about how I want things to be when life returns to normal.

Can not wait to get back
I had just negotiated 4 days anyway and now really missing the office
I can do most of my job from home but EVERYTHING about it is easier in person. Everything.
My children are totally breaking me. Whilst childcare would be back in place I realise how much the commute (it’s short) does me good to decompress
And I miss the coffee shop coffee from next door.

I cant wait to get my life back!

Dreading it. I’m loving this life.

If remote working has been working for you then why can't you continue to work from home most of the time?
If it doesn't reduce your productivity and doesn't interfere with your role then it should be possible.