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

@Whatevah same has happened to my work colleagues (also an NHS Nurse) and I think a lot of them are discovering their potential. In a way it’s excellent as I think beforehand they doubted they were capable but they are and they’re getting really stuck in. I’m really proud of them.

Sounds like it's time to start job hunting.

Jazz up your CV and get cracking: it's bonanza time is you're job hunting.

I think there’s going to be a lot of people reassessing their jobs/work life balance after this. Even before this nearly every office based worker I knew was looking for an out. Knobs of bosses, shit morale, culture of fear, increasing 24/7 culture. People have had a breather from the office politics that fucks up so many people’s working life. Many people will be looking at their actual jobs and thinking what’s the point of it, makes rich people richer etc.

I’m wondering about all the important husbands with oh so important jobs that kept them locked up in their studies 12 hours a day lostsof wives were talking about when all this started and home schooling Mooted. I wonder if their wives have a different perspective on their husbands jobs now.

Ask if you can work from home three days a week as you've realised how much you're exhausted by your commute. They have to have good reason to say no. You obviously can do the job from home so they can't use that now!

It has become apparent that many workers and employers, for numerous reasons, will take a look at working patterns for the future. Some will feel that they are more efficient wfh, some can’t do their job from home, some need to go to their workplace. We’ve seen the benefits of less commuting so it’s to be hoped some wfh will continue especially when children can return to school, nursery etc.

I would say that going forward, if a business uses this pandemic to see how well remote working works for them then i reckon a lot of companies might consider allowing a lot more people to work from home 😍

YANBU I feel the same

I will not be looking forward to going back to work because my boss has been such a dick over this entire situation. He refused to allow me to work from home although many people doing my job in other firms and indeed in my firm are working very satisfactorily from home. My office has no windows and I would have missed this beautiful weather if I had been in work.

I'm missing being in work and seeing my colleagues but going back to work signals lifting the lockdown and that sends my anxiety sky high. I just know they will relax it too soon and that terrifies me

I work for a university and I don’t expect us to be back for months, probably Sept. We are already talking about how we return under social distancing rules. So I fully expect to continue to WFH for at least part of the week. I think that sounds great and I’m looking forward to a better work life balance.

I don’t want to go back to the office full time - but that is partly because I won’t fit any of my work clothes .

I think the ‘if you can WFH, you should do so’ edict will basically continue with exceptions for construction and other sectors. The rush hour will be a huge worry.

I think the London weighting of salaries will begin to become an issue in my workplace, as everyone is clearly doing the same work for very different pay - but the London commute costs are not being incurred by those employees.

London weighting will be a thing of the past for jobs largely WFH I reckon. Wages will likely fall because every vacancy could be done by anyone geographically, meaning more candidates and less reason to have incentives.

I like having more time to cook meals in the evening. I am surprised how productive I am being from home. But I wouldn’t want to work like this ongoing with no face to face contact with my team. It is expecting a lot of people to keep their morale up when they are crazy busy but have no real human interaction. You need a balance and we enjoyed each other’s company in the office.

I can’t work effectively with the DC off school, but other than that would prefer to wfh much more, as find the commute exhausting and feel much better physically without it, but will do whatever can to keep my job.

I think normality is going to take a while! Especially with DC’s Homelearning is going to determine everything, especially if lock down goes on for longer than May..schools won’t go back for a while and I didn’t have a job before Lockdown! I think it is going to be harder to get one now!!

I never stopped working but I'm just so tired of it all. I'm nearly 60 and if I could retire I would do so immediately and go and downsize by the sea. I'd have nothing to live on for 7 years though.
I truly cannot face another 7 years.

I don’t want to go back either OP although I think in part it’s because I’ve realised I hate my job! Working from home just makes life a bit easier for me and the job more tolerable.... I’ve been getting loads done, put a podcast or some music on and just work. I’m quite glad to have at least another 3 weeks home working to be honest.

Nah, I miss my office. A reason to wear normal clothes, meetings without 20 instances of "oh, sorry, I was on mute" or "down! Rover, down!", coffee breaks with my lovely colleagues and lavish client dinners. That's my world and my kitchen just doesn't compare.

I am free to WFH pretty much as I like already. I sometimes do but not very often. And, yes, I am very much an extrovert.

I'm still working but without face to face contact with the public
We have all said we prefer it that way. Keeping them at arm a length on the phone has been far better for me.

I actually specialise in helping professional women who feel trapped in jobs they hate create new careers for themselves in work they feel is more meaningful and in line with a lifestyle they want.

Let's just say I'm getting pretty busy at the moment!

So many have had a moment of clarity where they've realised they are less stressed during a global pandemic than their normal day to day life!

Are most of the women you help able to maintain similar earnings after making changes, wheresmymojo?

I feel that way but IME and that of the women I know, except teachers/doctors, local, flexible jobs pay a lot less, eg 40%, than London ones.

I'm hoping flexibility will still be there after this. For some in the office they were told it wasn't possible for the programs and systems to work outside of the office now with very little effort it seems they do now. No idea why they were so resistance , maybe it's the change .
Any business owners or senior managers like to give some insight ?