Do you work more when you WFH

[Userunsure82]

Have been working from home since March, likely to remain WFH until at least the end of the year, possibly longer.

For some background, I really enjoy my job, and have recently been through a whole redundancy process and have managed to keep my job (albeit with a different title and a small paycut but I'm so happy I kept the role and a job in these current circumstances)

DH doesn't have the ability to work home as he is a manual job that requires his presence on site when he works. He also works shifts so goes in for when he needs to, and finishes at the end of his shift. This includes earlies, lates & nights

Since WFH, I have probably worked more than I would do if I was in the office. It started off as a bit here and there (no commute and with DD's nursery closed during lockdown there was no drop off either, so I would be logging on a bit earlier and staying a bit later, but this was balanced with the fact i was also home schooling so I was sometimes catching up.

DD has since gone back to nursery, and I have started going to the gym in the morning after dropping her off so am on slightly later than I was before (by late I am usually home and logged on by 8.45) we work an 8 hours day, so I usually log off around 4.45.

I don't always take a lunch. If the weather is nice and it's a slightly less busy day I will go for a 20 - 30 minute walk. Sometimes I don't and I have lunch at my desk while sorting a few home admin bits out.

This week has been exceptionally busy as a project I have been involved in (short timescales, big impact at the end of the project etc) has needed to be done and completes today, so this week I have taken very few lunch breaks, and have also logged on after DD has gone to bed. DH has been on nights so he has been sleeping until he goes to work at 9, so I haven't really missed any time seeing him as he has been asleep!

Today has resulted in a huge row (including DH storming out) as he wanted to go out for lunch with me during my lunch break, but I had various calls and emails to send to finish the project off. He then moaned that I hadn't taken a break all week and that I am obviously over worked etc.

I should point out that while he has been on nights, he has gotten home from work at 6am most days, slept until 5pm (on and off admittedly - completely appreciate sleeping in the day is tough) cooked himself dinner and then gone back to bed until 830pm to get up and get ready for work.

While I have had to tip toe round the house as to not wake him up, take & pick up DD from nursery, food shop, do the washing (although can't use the washing machine during the day while he is sleeping as it wakes him up), load and empty the dishwasher, cook for me and DD, keep the house tidy etc.

If you made it this far - well done!

Honestly? If I have a deadline for things then I work far more efficiently from home. However if I haven't, then I faff around far more at home and don't get as much done. So long term strategy is really falling behind at present - well presumably until I can convince myself there's a non negotiable deadline for it! Or until I return at least part of the time to the office which personally I do need to do.

I'm working longer hours because it takes me longer to do to do things than it would in the office. And my workload has stayed the same (gone up if anything).

My workload is up and down, dictated by client deadlines. I work as much is needed to get the job done on time to the right standard, whether in the office or at home. Sometimes that means three hours a day, sometimes 10. The only difference is that at home I don't have to fill another four hours trying to look busy because of stupid presenteeism.

I work more efficiently at home not more

I condense my day into 3-4 hours and in those I get a whole days work done as there are less calls, meeting and general office chat when at home

I now do an 'unofficial' 10-2 most days

Much like you it depends on what work I know I need to get done that day/that week. If I'm in the zone I'm More productive and if I get done what I need to faster then I tend to have a couple of "easier" days. (DD home until school starts so depends on how many distractions) but I have to say that my 4 year old is LESS distracting than my colleagues at times and I don't get embroiled in lengthy debates,conversations over the desk with her 🤣. I don't log on early and rarely work later than usual which suggests I'm MORE productive at home that I was in the office given the same workload

I think you do have to be strict with yourself - just because you are working from home doesn't mean you should feel obliged to work through lunch hours/log on at night - would you have done that if you were working in the office??? If not then you shouldn't be doing it now IF you are maintaining the same level of productivity- obviously If you are slacking off a bit and have half an eye on Netflix then yeah you are going to be working over and perhaps need to discuss that with your DH that WFH comes with good days and bad days

I work far more efficiently at home and produce better quality work because I find it easier to focus so although I faff more the end result is still better

Exactly the same as my job is answering the phone so no difference in workload as it varies day by day. I have to work my set shift though

I “feel” that I faff about more whilst wfh, but my stats show that I am actually more productive. I think I chat less!

I work more from home. I do 5 hours on a Friday and started this morning with a meeting at 7.15...

I’m the same as a PP - I work far more efficiently at home, logging on at 8am and working solidly til 12, taking time for the gym/lunch (I am always contactable) then doing another couple of hours from 3-5pm. Doing the same amount of work if not more than usually in the office, but the difference is when in the office I can’t take an hour to potter around and get stuff done at home. Being home makes me so much more efficient both in my professional and private life!

I work far more at home than I ever did in the office. I log in earlier, I finish later and because I am not commuting I no longer get that break between early morning / late evening calls (global calls so the times are odd). I log in on Fridays (I have Fridays off). Basically I was working a good 10 hour day before but now it is probably more like 12. My husband makes me stop.

No, I know I should be saying yes it's marvellous, none of that wasted time but I find it really hard to get going and stay focused. I eat too much and don't stand up enough, but still manage not to achieve as much.

I do everything that "needs" doing but I'm far less likely to be struck by inspiration and I don't have the same drive to make things happen as I do when I'm in work.

Not sure what you are asking if YABU about.

Regardless of where you are working, physically, many, many jobs - including his it seems - mean we work when the work needs to be done - deadlines etc, depending on your work. So he IBU to expect you to be able to drop things that need doing to suit him, when he is aware from his own job, that sometimes things need to be done at that time.

If you were constantly putting in more hours than you are paid for, then that is worth looking at. I wfh a lot (long before this pandemic) and I just keep a regular running note of when I work and when I stop, as sometimes I do 'get into something' and work during the evening, but then, sometimes I might grab a hair cut or something during the day and I have a record of all my hours if anyone ever questioned why I wasn't working during working hours. Or, when the dc were small I'd sometimes stop and go to an assembly or to watch a sports fixture. It is the ultimate in flexible working, as long as you recognise that means you aren't skivving off at that point, just putting the hours in at less conventional times.

You are choosing to go to the gym or for a walk over sitting eating food for an hour. That's great. You have the choice. You need to get him to understand that - just because he can see you in the house, doesn't mean you aren't working, and that, if he wants to go out for lunch, that sounds lovely, but you need enough notice to make sure it doesn't clash with any meetings.

Oh, and to the title question - I don't do more hours (across a week or month) but I get FAR more wok done, as it is far more efficient.

Before lockdown I regularly worked from home and was super efficient. Then I was furloughed until end of may and really struggled to motivate myself and had the three kids at home to deal with. But it annoyed me that my bosses would call me at all times of the day out with working hours to and on days off to do things that they would normally of just got on with and done before lockdown if I was off or finished.

Kids went back Friday and I went back into work and I'm getting so much done and being fully committed to work. There was talk before lockdown of me just workin from home constantly which I wanted. However I now dont.

Same as others, I work faster and more efficiently meaning I condense my days into less hours which I find much nicer than the usual 9-5.

Like you, OP, I have a slightly different routine at the mo. Normally I'd be at the office at 8:30-8:45 after dropping one child at school and the other with the childminder. I hated that, it was always so busy with some major roads always blocked for roadworks etc. So instead, I start at 8:30 or 9 at home, my toddler wakes late (9-9:30) and after getting him ready, I drop him with the childminder, then drop DD at the park and spend 30-40 mins walking around the countryside near the park whilst she plays (she's 9). Then back home to work. I don't stick to proper lunch breaks etc, but I get washing done etc during the day.

If it's busy and I need to work in the evening, I keep my work stuff on and do things here and there during the evening. Feel quite productive.

Maybe when you and your partner want to do something you could book it in your diary, but it's a bit unreasonable of him to not understand that you are meant to be working: you wouldn't turn up at his work and insist he takes you for lunch when he's in the middle of a job!