I don’t want to go back to the office

[Dontmakemegoback2office]

Certainly not most days. I’m enjoying the improved work/ life balance and I can do my job perfectly well at home. Meetings, research, reports, emails. The lot.

I’m angry at the thought of being forced back on to that horrible commute for no reason other than cannon fodder for the city centre economy. Just no.

AIBU?

Oops didn’t mean to enable voting.

YANBU. Our workforce of 5000+ have realised that people can work from home en masse and are implementing big changes

I could have written this!

We had tha ability to wfh before but it was limited to 1 day per week for everyone.

Now we have worked through this there are varying talks about when/if we go back and it fills me with me dread. A couple of days in would be OK, but i am logged on far earlier at home (45 minute commute) far more productive, and can log off and not have the commute home.

Really hoping we get told its only 1 or 2 days back in when we go. Fingers and toes crossed.

well what do your management say?

We are also making big changes as a result of all of this.

YANBU. I could do without the toddler at home whilst I try and work though 😂

YANBU. Never heard anything as stupid as sending people back to the office because the sandwich shops are complaining.

Yeah all totally true but what about those that rely on jobs in the city centre chain stores and clothes shops etc?
I would love to see these things crumble in favour of independent local high street shops however I don’t want others to experience job losses/mass unemployment etc
A solution to this would be amazing

I agree. The work life balance is much better. I'll definitely be requesting flexible working after this - I think a lot of people will and since things have been running perfectly fine the last few months they won't really be able to tell people that wfh a couple of days a week isn't feasible.

I feel desperately sorry for the small service businesses - cafes, sandwich shops, barbers, nail bars etc - but it is madness to go back to offices just for them. Plus I know lots of businesses in my village that are booming as a result of more people working from home. I can collect great salad boxes / toasties / coffees very locally. I’ve ordered cream teas, cocktails, gourmet food, fruit and veg, meat and even a garden cinema experience. Most of that wasn’t available pre lockdown but most will stay.

I don’t want people to lose jobs either. But things change. We have to adapt somehow. Build a slightly different economy. Spend the money we save in different ways creating different jobs.

Let’s all stick together on this one. We have to make our feelings known to our employers when the time is right. There must be many of us feeling this way and we can all be saying the same thing.

Strength in numbers!

The most stupid argument I heard was “All shops on Regent Street are open but no customers as everyone is WFH.”
On the contrary, my local shops are doing much better because everyone shops local.

Shops will just have to adapt. Do delivery services maybe. I can see that a lot of small cafes and sandwich takeaway shops in towns will suffer massively, but people are not going to base their decision to wfh on potential loss to businesses. We want a good work/home balance and what works for us.

I can’t wait to get back into the office! Different strokes et al. :-)

Have you actually spoken to your employer about this? No point getting angry until you get their response.
I’ve spoken to my boss and we’ve agreed that we should go in one or two days a week, and wfh the rest.

YANBU and I have been in lockdown with my DH (working full time) and two needy DC under 5! Our days have been pretty samey. I've only been able to do 50% of my hours (I'm lucky that I'm still having full pay) and some days can be stressy as we juggle work and the kids.

But I would still choose this, the work/life balance, the family time! I was getting a bit bored of my job to be honest, it's fairly interesting and I'm well paid but I've been doing it for a long time and could probably do it standing on my head. So I like prefer to not be stuck in the office 8 hours a day and still get virtually the same amount of work done.

Same. I have been way more productive at home even with 3dc home full time . I hate the commute and just don't want the added hours of travel when I can do my job perfectly well from home!

Wfh does not suit everyone but does suit.some. it makes salaries go further, sickness levels reduce and productivity increase. I think those businesses that have refused wfh before, will review their policies as if it has worked during lockdown, there is no reason to refuse a wfh request. Even if it is half and half.

My company emailed today and said as a major employer we will now look to support the economy and start looking at a return to the office from September.

They always supported 1 or 2 days wfh, I Hope now I’ll be allowed to wfh 3 days, I’ve loved not wasting 3hrs day commuting.

However, I really feel for all the youngsters just starting their careers, being part of a physical team in the office, down the pub after work, all the things I enjoyed when I was starting out...

Equally I hope I stick to my plan of taking in lunch and not buying expensive coffees and save myself a small fortune

My company made it clear from the start that we will return to being office based 'once this is over. At the same time they have nothing but praise for the smooth transition to wfh for the whole company literally over night.

I dread going back. The commute. The crowds. The open plan office noise.

But the top boss is a dinosaur who doesn't believe in wfh. I could cry.

People should be spending more on other things that benefit the economy.
We do not need takeaways and fast fashion.

Yes I agree with you.

I do feel incredibly sorry for small businesses who depended on servicing the needs of commuters. But the economy changes and adapts - and those businesses are still going to struggle in any event!

I am with you 100% why should we make ourselves vulnerable to keep Pret a Manger in business? As others have said, businesses need to adapt - that is life. I am dreading it for the same reasons, 2 hours commute a day that I have got back - and my stress levels have dropped so much (despite the threat of Covid19) my IBS has almost disappeared.

The economy will adapt, cafes and sandwich shops will open in places that need them.

Yanbu time for change. Get more people living in town centres. Convert offices to homes. That will help support them. Plus We need less opportunities to spend our money on cheapo crap and coffee. Seeing people queuing outside Primark post lockdown was one of the most tragic sights. We need to learn from this experience. Those who loose out must of coarse be helped and supported but we can't go back to the way things were

Same. Though DH and I would need a better office setup to both work from home long term.