AIBU to think WFH will create new 'class' divide?

[Sallygoround631]

I've been thinking about this. Have done it myself for 15 years so the concept isn't new to me, but I am self employed, (paid per project not per hour) which is the only experience I have of it. I'm not wealthy.

Been reading a few articles/forums discussing this and I wondered if a future of WFH would create some level of resentment or division between those who do it and those who can't.

Those who 'can't' being many minimum wage jobs, etc.

I've seen people happily reporting have many more free hours per day to spend with family, breakfast in sunshine, etc. Whilst I think this is a positive thing in itself, I imagine those who will never have a hope in hell to WFH might feel depressed when comparing their situation? Is this more class based than many would admit?

(I'd prefer this did not morph into a willy waving post about how lucky and well off of you/me/we are)

What's with the obsession with 'class' on MN?

I don't agree with you on the commute point. Those I know on nmw don't have a long commute whereas those on decent salaries are doing 3-4 hour round commutes. So WFH makes a much bigger difference, time wise, for those on higher salaries

We will probably have a bit of a mixed economy for wfh. Some really enjoy it and they have the space at home to work. The local shed showroom has done a roaring trade in shed/office installations which is okay for those with the space and the money. A couple of neighbours have converted garages into office/gyms. However businesses are not going to invest in setting everyone up with home offices.

Not everyone has the luxury of space and after a while wfh loses it sparkle as there is no distinction between home and work.

Others want to be back in the office for social interaction.

I teach and so will be back at school.

@kerfuffling

What's with the obsession with 'class' on MN?

well, if you like, I could call it a new BREED, or a new TYPE, or a new 'segment of the population', if that'll make you feel better.

Maybe, to attract good candidates, employers will have to offer the option of wfh if that is at all possible, from now on. In the future, people will choose careers based on whether there will be a commute or not.

I have to echo what demnentedma said. It all depends on what "home" means.
If home is a large house in a quiet spot with a big garden, and access to nice walks and the gym, then Hell yeah, I want it.
If it's stuck in a dark flat with noisy neighbours, no garden and no car to escape in, then it sounds shit.
I used to do a job I couldn't do from home but earned more than I do now, sat in my depressing dump of a house all day, being forced to consider just how much needs painting/fixing/cleaning.
I'd much rather be out and about all day.

I did notice a lot of younger people or those who are new to the job role preferring to physically attend as it makes settling in a bit more difficult, etc, and younger, single people often enjoy the social aspect more.
Maybe....

Some great points here, it is much more of a mixed bag than I had anticipated. It's good to learn new ideas!

I hated work wfh, I had part time admin job, which I enjoyed going into work and seeing colleagues was just really doing it until I decided to retire in a year or 2's time. I saw the way it was going with having to wfh and thought fuck that and retired.

Interesting question, YouGov had run a survey a while ago,

yougov.co.uk/topics/economy/articles-reports/2020/05/13/most-middle-class-workers-are-working-home-full-ti

Many professions that would be classed as working class, such as factory workers, plumbers, handyman, etc..cannot be done from home. And whilst some office workers must go in, there's more chance they can arrange to work from home.

There was a thread recently where the OP didn't want to go back into the office and the general feeling was that everyone who works in an office based role should be able to work remotely.

I've hated WFH. Feel horribly trapped

But if my company don't go back into the office then I'll freelance once the economy picks up. The main advantage of an employer over freelancing is the community and space the company provides for me to work in.

What's with the obsession with 'class' on MN? class is a topic that is always debated in Britain, it's just to have a discussion. It's not related to money from what I have understood.

I think the other thing is, that if more of us can wfh, we can move further out, thus hopefully freeing up living space for those who do need to be present at work, so they too can have a better quality of life - thinking of for example docs and nurses being able to afford houses near the hospital. I think the world is changing. If our cities could become less congested, and if house prices could come down so that people who actually need to be IN work could live near to it, I think it would make a massive difference. For me the commute has been the bane of my life for many years. All those winter evenings when the trains are cancelled, delayed, trying to make your way in lashing rain and cold, or heat. It takes a massive stress out of your life if you can walk or cycle to work and hopefully this will be the future and we will look back at our lives and wonder how we did all the commuting. I used to do 3.5 hours a day. I'm down to 2.5 hours now, on a good day. It's so draining.

I don't think wfh will last forever. I think people who wfh will be resented because their economic input is already being missed in canteens and coffee shops. They can shave hours off their week by not having to commute or possibly risk catching covid while their colleagues on the same pay do.

I think though many people wfh have had enough too and ultimately it will not last forever for everyone.

@bambinaballerina

Interesting question, YouGov had run a survey a while ago,

yougov.co.uk/topics/economy/articles-reports/2020/05/13/most-middle-class-workers-are-working-home-full-ti

Many professions that would be classed as working class, such as factory workers, plumbers, handyman, etc..cannot be done from home. And whilst some office workers must go in, there's more chance they can arrange to work from home.

There was a thread recently where the OP didn't want to go back into the office and the general feeling was that everyone who works in an office based role should be able to work remotely.

thanks for the link, that's what has been puzzling me.

I think wfh sounds more exciting than it is in a lot of cases. I can't work from home but enjoy seeing colleagues & hearing from people trying to keep kids quiet in house while partner wfh doesn't sound great but can see the advantage if you have a long commute.

There already is resentment from people against others who have working conditions which they perceive as better than their own. Increased WFH just adds one more peg on which that resentment can be hung - although bear in mind, as already noted, some people would hate to WFH while others love it.

The answer, I'm afraid, is the same as it's ever been. If you don't like your working conditions, either ask/campaign for change, or find another job which offers more amenable conditions.

I take your point OP & noticed on lots of threads during lockdown that people who happily wanted to stay shut inside often overlooked the fact that in order to have that "privilege" others had to leave their homes.

I suspect the greater divide will arise between people who still have jobs and those who don't.

A lot of organisations are realising someone in Romania or Poland can do the admin/office type jobs from there (possibly at home) at much lower cost.

A lot of people are going to be out of work altogether soon.

It is not possible to say that all middle-class workers can work from home? only certain job types. Lawyers, surgeons, scientists ....oh god the list is much longer than the people that can work from home.

Many jobs can keep going temporarily by working from home in an emergency as we have seen but it is not sustainable for everyone to work from home.

The city of London & Canary Wharf are pretty dead as all those workers can wfh.

I know lawyers, barristers, GPs, accountants, teachers, detectives all working remotely.

@gogorogo

I take your point OP & noticed on lots of threads during lockdown that people who happily wanted to stay shut inside often overlooked the fact that in order to have that "privilege" others had to leave their homes.

Yes, that's true.

I had this depressing vision of a future where those who wfh benefit from the lifestyle changes it may afford, including time, health, etc, whilst the old 'class' of workers who don't have such options exist in a bizarrely different world, kind of creating a dystopian divide, of sorts.

Haha but forgive my badly worded generalisation, just my head throwing things around, not a serious prediction of the future.

A new idea for a novel, perhaps

But surely if you want a WFH type job then you work towards getting one?

There is always a division of some kind - private sector generally get paid more plus tend to have bonuses, more holiday, private health insurance etc etc but public sector generally has less perks, less pay, no bonuses.

We don't live in world where just because one person has something you want, that entitles you to the same thing.... thank god!

Yes some workers have been less affected by Covid, my DH continued working as normal - just from home. He is very lucky! He works for a private financial company. But you have no idea what's round the corner, COVID still isn't over, things can change in an instant!

@Hingeandbracket

I suspect the greater divide will arise between people who still have jobs and those who don't.

A lot of organisations are realising someone in Romania or Poland can do the admin/office type jobs from there (possibly at home) at much lower cost.

A lot of people are going to be out of work altogether soon.

this is worrying.

I found this on tuc,

The number of people working from home varies dramatically by industry. In a handful, the vast majority of staff have been working from home. But in many others, it’s less than half.
In the accommodation and food sector, for example, just 14 per cent were working from home. Compare that with the information and communicator sector, where it was 87 per cent.

Workers in the highest paid industries are also the most likely to work from home, while those in sectors like accommodation and food earn less than the average.

Throughout the pandemic, key workers have stayed at work and kept essential industries going. Despite the vital work they do, many are also not getting paid enough. Four out of ten key workers earn less than £10 per hour. Nearly two-thirds are women, and 2.5 million of them earn less than £10 an hour.