The future of working from home

[Maighdeann]

Before the virus there were campaigns pushing towards flex working/working from home. Do you think now where it's shown it can be done (for certain jobs) companies will allow it to continue and is that a good thing?

a serious trouser with no time for elastic. I’ve been strictly comfy lounge wear from the waste down for weeks grin (note to self - must remember to say trousers not pants)

I’m living in jeans / joggers at the moment, but when I am back in the office I’ve got a nice comfy collection of pairs of trousers that even have pockets I can stick my hands in.

I really hope companies will be more open to it. My company previously allowed it on an ad hoc basis at managers' discretion but not as a permanent arrangement. I can do my job from home as can most of my colleagues. I would be happy to do it 2 or 3 days a week in future but I don't think I would want to be at home full time - would miss the social aspect and I don't really like video calls. I don't feel very engaged with them. It also takes so much longer to discuss things when you can't just pop over to someone's desk for a quick chat. On the flip side I get so much more done at home (when there are no DCs here).

We won't be back before Christmas. Which suits me fine. Means I am home again for the summer holidays.

Chances are we will reduce office space, save money and have people working from home for at least mots of the week.

One benefit of this has been that ouMD has always been against homeworking, unless its him. And he did admit he was wrong and he was amazed by how quickly we organised ourselves and how well working from home was going given how quickly we did it.

He has also looked at the savings taht can be made by not renting such huge office spaces. Because they arent that huge, that we can all work 2 meters from each other.

I would estimate less than half could go back full time.

it wont happen forever as a couple of people i work with are very vocal about returning to the office. I dont know why as they have the biggest commute to the office.

Some people like the structure of a day where you have to get up by a certain time, catch a certain train etc. It can be hard to find a disciplined routine when WFH all the time. Also some people want to get out of the house even with family at home (or because of family at home).

I know people who really miss the social interaction of working in an office. I'm single and I certainly miss the chats with wider office colleagues I used to have on a day to day basis.

When our office reopens it will be for essential staff only and I think those desperate to get back to the office will be in for a shock if they think they can just turn up and be allowed in.

One of the best things about fully WFH (for roles which allow this) is being able to live anywhere. How many couples find one partner has to quit their job (or they break up) because of the other's work?

I started wfh when DH was offered a secondment to the US - chemical plant type stuff so one of the roles requiring physical presence. Good career progression sort of thing, hard to say no to. My company wanted to keep me and even though this was before decent internet we made it work. I think before this just about every spouse (well, let's be honest, wife) of a secondee had had to quit their job (one of DHs HR people said many found it an ideal time to start a family...)

So then when we returned to the U.K. and he had to move again the precedent was set, the company knew it was possible and internet and remote systems got better and better till now when CV hit, colleagues were able to decamp pretty seamlessly.

ErrolTheDragon that absolutely right. One of my friends was offered a dream job in the US. His husband, wasn't able to work there because of the visa. The comany gave my friend the equivalent, of his husbands wage on top of the offer to compensate.

But now my friends husband is over there, bored to shit and no career.

If they ever come back, he would really struggle for a job as he is almost 50, and not worked for 8 years.

My husband is a very chatty coworker, so I haven't escaped office socialisation entirely.

I'm really hopeful for the future to be far more flexible regarding home working. I already did wfh one day a week, but now I'm imagining a world where my husband and I can do a long term rental in Europe, travel, take holiday etc whilst basically on the same timezone as working Britain. Even in the UK, we can move to a location that would suit us far better without being tied to the commute.

Another benefit I'd like to add to the list is that people seem a lot more task-focused, and task-appreciative, and it's a lot more about productivity than personalities. Rather than cliques of personalities or who makes the nicest tea, names are attached to work people have done for you, and the quality of that work. Given that our workplace has had some bad personality clashes in the past, it's really nice to see the same set of people interacting highly professionally.

(I must admit, as a task focused person who has more than enough friends outside of the office, I do have a fair bit of side eye for those who go on about the social benefits of the office. I'm not paid to socialise, and neither is anyone else at my company - and I don't need to chat about banalities with colleagues to work either. WFH allows me to socialise more with my actual friends.)

WFH allows me to socialise more with my actual friends.

I work in Central London. The friends I socialise with are scattered around London, meaning that it’s easiest for us to meet in the centre. For me, socialising with friends Is a lot more awkward if I’m WFH.

As for banal chat in the office, I find it’s also a lot easier to toss ideas round, overhear someone’s conversation & join in because you realise you can contribute, discuss ideas with people from other depts, etc when you’re all in the same place.

(I must admit, as a task focused person who has more than enough friends outside of the office, I do have a fair bit of side eye for those who go on about the social benefits of the office. I'm not paid to socialise, and neither is anyone else at my company - and I don't need to chat about banalities with colleagues to work either. WFH allows me to socialise more with my actual friends.)

Not everyone is like you though, you might want to consider that before giving others the side eye. I have plenty of friends too, I am just a social person. Also, you can make friends at work

Of course I'm paid to work, however I also have unpaid breaks as part of my working day. Work is not paying me when I have lunch with Doreen from Accounts.

I only work 17 hours over 3 days, and in the normal run of things my work takes me out of the office a fair bit, and my manager is fine with me working from home if I want to for any reason, so in some ways it won't make a huge difference when things go back to "normal".

Otoh, DP is loving it and says he will continue to wfh if he gets a chance.

Note that he "says" - no discussion - and when I mentioned this morning that I'd miss my two days a week home alone if he was f/t wfh he was a bit .

Apart from anything else, I don't get a lovely peaceful lie-in on Mondays and Fridays with him keyboard clattering and talking on the phone in the adjoining room.

Not everyone is like you though, you might want to consider that before giving others the side eye. I have plenty of friends too, I am just a social person. Also, you can make friends at work shock

More's the pity ;)

Ok, being serious, I get that not everyone's like me (we did extensive personality testing at work, in fact, on working styles and behaviours).

Takes all sorts, different people suited to different tasks etc etc. But the hill I will die on in this debate is that I have NEVER had mine or other's time absorbed, their emotions or their productivity damaged by someone who is task focused at work.

Whereas a lot of 'people people' have wreaked absolute havoc in their workplaces - on both task and people people. From outright bullying, to cliquish behaviour, to time wasting - unfortunately being a people person doesn't make you good at it. Which is why I'm far happier with those who leave their personalities at the door!

Yes because any office work is possible remotely.

However not sure if it is possible to start work in a new place entirely remotely. How would you establish relationships with zero in person contact.

Those little bits of office or lunch socialisation does build rapport including with people outside your team and help with invisible things, like conversations that could steer a problem differently, sparking creativity etc.

Afterthought: and I have to watch what I say while he's working.

The other day, I had some sort of minor calamity while cleaning the bathroom and said (or possibly shouted ) "Holy fucking shit, this fucking house is too fucking small", not realising he was on a Skype call, in the next room, with both doors open.

Luckily, he was talking to a young, male, junior colleague who found it hilarious, but he could have been talking to someone important. If wfh is going to be a thing long term, he needs a headset that doesn't pick up background noise so easily.

I suspect I'll be WFH until the end of the year, and I have mixed feelings about it. I love the lack of commute, but miss the opportunity to 'pop to the shop' on the way home. I miss the social aspect but am happy that I don't have to see certain people any more! I am struggling a little with motivation at the moment, as my role is mainly to support senior colleagues and they have all become a little more self-sufficient. And I'm fed up of wearing jeans, so today I've actually put the work pants on!

The office was always my escape. I have an autistic son and at work I didn't have to think about him. Whilst he is at school during the day, I'm far more aware of being a "mum" when WFH - there's washing on the airer, on toilet breaks I can see the toys in his room, I can hear him come home mid-afternoon despite the office (bedroom) door being locked. My two worlds are getting mixed and it's unsettling. [Sorry, bit of an essay but I think I've just worked out why I feel odd.]

We work on projects pulling together people from different departments and external professionals - most know very little about each other when the project starts. We are finding productivity is lower during lockdown - a few people have kids to look after so that will be contributing to their performance but it’s perceived as more than that. It’s clunky pulling 12 people who’ve never met before for a workshop over Zoom. Even after the reduction in rental accommodation costs WFH is costing more in loss of productivity. So while it’s not looking like WFH will ever be encouraged full time (we have one employee who only wfh but she is generally referred to in awe - as a bit of a whizz genius type - also the other team members have forged the relationships in the past that enables her to be able to WFH) we’ll probably get away with maybe 3 days WFH a week.

U could have an office with flexibility (I.e. everyone goes in a different day once or twice a week or some kind of rotation)

I do think it's harder with younger or fully task based work. I find it harder to gauge their capacities and I know for a fact some (younger colleagues with no children) are totally slacking off

We have a really flexible set up anyway (I'm public sector) 2 people I line manage are completely remote, we have a lot of other flex like compressed hours etc. I often wfh if I have something to concentrate on and we used teams etc for every meeting anyway.

HOWEVER- there are loads of benefits to being in the office at least some of the time- the casual chats where you pick something up that really helps, the coffees that progress things, even the odd moan in the pub. I like the buzz and structure of going into central London every day.

Also most of the younger members of our team who are in London house shares have found it hard- no space to work, no desk, sometimes also sharing their room with a partner. I find it much more difficult to mentor more junior staff as well when I can't sit down with them.

The commute was also a little pocket of time for me and I used it to run sometimes too, and I tend to meet friends in central London after work because they're scattered all over town anyway. I've been freelance before and didn't love it, the days seem shapeless. I'm looking forward to getting back in at least part time.p

For me personally I like a balance so 1-2 days in thread office.

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I adore working from home and it would suit me much better (once nurseries reopen) not to have to commute across London – the money and time saved would genuinely change my life.

But, I'm lucky to have the space to have a small wfh set-up that's separate from DP's wfh set-up, whizz-bang WiFi, and a job and personality that really doesn't require human interaction. Though I do think 1-2 days per fortnight in the office for an all-team catch-up would be valuable.

It's not necessarily workable for lots of people unless their company provide not only the hardware and software but also contribute to better internet connection and proper desk/chair, and even then if you're in a shoebox flat or houseshare it might not suit.

I can see lots of businesses ditching the big expensive centralised building model, though. The problem is they can't share buildings or do shared workspaces, smaller building with hot desking, etc, because of the nature of the virus. Once the Corona element is solved (vaccine, herd immunity, the impact peters out, or it just becomes a thing we're used to), I think most business that can support 80% WFH will do so, with small, localised, shared workspaces for people to hold meetings but without the real estate bill.

I have a chronic condition and wfh has really worked well for me for several years. I have a study at home with a proper office chair. I know a couple of my colleagues are desperate for the social contact an office brings though. It will be great if both are seen as valid choices moving forward.

Luckily, he was talking to a young, male, junior colleague who found it hilarious, but he could have been talking to someone important

I'm self employed now and quit the day job a couple of years ago. I LOVE working from home even though I live alone - between friends, family, networking and the others my studio building, in normal times I get very little alone time and am often craving more.

Obviously had lots of reasons for self employment, and it's definitely the right path for me, but one of them was increasing frustration with lack of trust to wfh in jobs where all my work could be done without me ever leaving my house.

For wfh to stay a viable option, a lot of managers are going to have to wind their neck in and accept they've hired actual competent humans rather than children who need supervising and checking every fifteen minutes.

Or perhaps I just got unlucky in most of my managers?!

Last year our office decided to have a refurb which at that point had around 10 people in their own offices, 2 x 2 people sharing and another 8 in a perfectly spacious office which would currently be ok for the social distancing guide.
Now only 2 people have their own office, albeit it a glass cube with no door and everyone else definitely not compiling to social distancing as they only refurbished part of the space.

Slowly but surely we were given laptops and asked to work from home, as I've got 2 kids and a worked up other half at home I was quite reluctant at first, however I'm doing 2 days at work & 2 days at home, a few teething problems at first but it's going ok. Would be so much better when it's all back to normal and kids and OH are back in school/work.
Hopefully they will keep this in place for the future, as I wouldn't have to rely on my parents so heavily for childcare and could do the school run to fit round my days.
Fingers crossed!

My boss and I are both "clinically vulnerable" so my firm has kindly faciliated my WFH for the last two months and beyond. I'm a secretary so can pretty much only do typing from home (which actually I'm fine with) but some poor bugger back at the office has to deal with collating all my printing and enclosures etc. (a willing more senior colleague actually, as my fellow secretaries have shown a distinct lack of team spirit even though I've been picking up their dictations). My field will never be paperless!

So while I'm actually more productive, I can't really do my whole job from home so it isn't really sustainable long term and whilst my home set-up works very well, I do miss my colleagues and being in the office so I'll be more than happy to go back in when I get the call.

Also, I have a mile's walk to the office and I'm very much missing the exercise!!