To think working from your sofa is unprofessional?

[LajesticVantrashell]

Like most people, I’ve been working at home now for close to six months along with the rest of my colleagues. We have a spare room for an office, so I’ve had to set up in our bedroom working from my vanity table/desk where I normally do my make-up.

My colleague, so as not to drip feed, earns considerably more than me (think £30k more) and lives alone paying a nominal amount of rent in relation to her salary (I know this because she told me). Yet, she works from her sofa every day. Yes, none of my business, she can do what she wants but she’s constantly moaning about her back and being uncomfortable.

Yesterday, we had a meeting with a potential client and we all dialled in. We all had certain bit we needed to present and my colleague was again, sitting on her sofa with her laptop on her knees. This meant the screen was wobbling about everywhere as she scrabbled to reach her notes around her. To me, it just looked completely unprofessional and I’ll admit, it really annoyed me.

So AIBU to think that on a high earning salary, with enough space in your living room (because I can see from the Teams calls) and after six months with potentially long term home working being suggested, that she should invest in a bloody desk?!

Really not your business. I work from the dining table with the bins behind me. DP uses the office. My colleague works on her bed.

The moaning about it would annoy me, if she lives alone and has the means to purchase a desk/chair etc then there is no need for her to be uncomfortable.
I along with my colleagues have been working from home since March and i see many people in meetings in their bedrooms (with unmade beds) on their couches etc but each to their own. I can't work from my couch as my DC would climb all over me and stand on my laptop, i have a hard enough time keeping them away while its on my kitchen table. But they don't moan about the set up, i would have assumed anybody with common sense would think let me sit somewhere more comfy if my back is hurting!?

You remind me of Reese Witherspoon's character in 'Election', Daisyandroses, she was very earnest and determined about other people too.

People can and do work fro sofas and some of them have been doing it for years, producing work to the standards required and expected. The fact that you can't and don't, without a formal desk space, just shows a bit of very rigid thinking.

Are your male colleagues also expect to 'do makeup'?

'Professional' just mean that you are paid to undertake certain tasks/activities rather than not paid to do these.

YANBU, I don’t see how anyone could work efficiently like that. The screen must be tiny, no mouse, bending over, twisting to the side to write... it’s annoying me just thinking about it!

The company should provide what’s needed, but she should be more proactive about getting it regardless. I would silently judge her as a bit lazy and disorganised if I’m honest.

Not everyone WANTS to save a space in THEIR home for work. Regardless of space. And it isn't their choice to work from home.

You're not their boss, you're not their manager, it's not your business.

i work for a large (important) government department and we all work all over the bloody place i now know every nook and cranny of my colleagues (up to chief exec level) houses, i also know their children and pets. it's nice, we like it, we're human after all managing in very difficult circumstances and if Sir XY's daughter has left her breakfast bowl on the counter behind him and his dog barks at the postman, we smile and thing "ah he's not some amazingly clever, remote, elite man, he's a person just like me, managing as well as possible the same as i am.

Salary is irrelevant. It's highly unprofessional.

I'd consider the bedroom less professional than the sofa. But, at present, people have to cope as best they can.

If your employers are unhappy with it then they should be providing her with a desk.

Too many employers have expected their staff to foot the costs of the WFH changes recently.

If the work gets done then why does it matter if not if the sofa can be blamed then something needs to be done, if not then again doesn't matter

I don't think working fro your sofa is unprofessional. I do think allowing your laptop to wobble around on a call is, and it's not rocket science to use a virtual background or blur the background, if eg you have a messy room behind you.

In the early days of this there was a thread about someone's boss moaning about a messy background. See above, you can blur the background on Teams and use a virtual background on Zoom.

But I can't understand why she complains about her back and being uncomfortable while working with her laptop on her lap.

Maybe she's working from the sofa BECAUSE of her back? That's what I've been doing, I pulled a muscle a few months ago and every now and then sitting in a chair for longish periods of time makes it ache like buggery. Sitting on the sofa or armchair is much more comfortable. I've done Teams calls from those places too.

As for 'office' furniture, maybe she doesn't want it? I've been offered an 'office' type chair but I don't want one taking up lots of space in my flat, thanks. If it was the look I was going for I'd have bought one before now.

Just tell her the wobbling is distracting and leave the rest as her business not yours.

I'm actually finding this thread fascinating. This sentence in particular jumps out at me:

As long as the work is done professionally where it is done, whether on the sofa or a desk, is none of your business.

In my job, and I suspect in the OP's job as well, the video calls are the work (or at least part of the work). The widget or report or database or piece of code which can be produced just as well lying in bed in your pants without anyone ever seeing you is work product, but it isn't "the work" on its own. Looking professional in a video call isn't something that needs a lot of kit that a company can provide (apart from the minimum of a laptop, good wifi etc). It's more about the how - so, putting the laptop on a stable surface (even the arm of the sofa), having her notes to hand and organised, making sure her face is in the frame and can be seen because it's lit from the front, etc. The word "professionalism" covers a whole range of assumptions, expectations and behaviours that a company cannot control or micromanage beyond communicating expectations clearly and reminding them if they aren't meeting those expectations.

I couldn't believe when I started as a trainee in a large office in the City that we were given a list that included a bullet point that we needed to have good personal hygiene at all times and wear deodorant. It seemed incredible that the need to not smell and wear deodorant would need to be spelled out to people with advanced professional qualifications, internships and work experience under their belts, and yet... It comes under the heading of "professionalism" to me, but sometimes I wonder if there are people out there who would say "if the work gets done, what does it matter if you smell" or "oh if a company wants me to wear deodorant they should provide a deodorant allowance" or "if a company wants employees who don't smell then the company should be responsible for checking and issue deodorant to the ones that need it" etc.

Obviously workplace health and safety which can actively harm people's health is a different kettle of fish. I'm talking about projection of a professional image - a wobbling laptop on your knees and scrabbling around for notes isn't professional, whether you're sitting on the sofa or not.

Why is this your business? She’s not your direct report, so her actions don’t reflect on you. You might be bored of hearing her moan about it; you might not ‘approve’ - but it’s not your problem. Get on with your own life.

She might not have a choice of location. If her internet is more stable in the living room (a common router location) for video calls then it makes sense to sit on the sofa. She might then sit elsewhere for the rest of the day

I’m lucky, I don’t have customer facing meetings normally so I don’t bother putting the camera on if it’s a call. They would see me if I was in the office so they’re certainly not seeing me now! I have it on for some internal calls but don’t bother getting dressed up for them or what’s behind me.

Like most other people I’m making the best of a shit situation and companies need to understand this. Not all of us have the set up to work from home, so companies need help with set ups as much as possible and not expect employees to foot the bill

Came here planning to disagree because I work from anywhere, and even though my work is desk and computer based, sometimes I think through ideas whilst strolling round the park. It's all work, and I happily have informal chats with colleagues in all those situations.

But for a proper scheduled meeting I prep and sit at a table. Internal or external.

You'd love me. I barely even get dressed for Teams calls.

I'm on 3-4 remote calls a day. My work is of a nature that I don't need to turn on the camera.

Which is just as well, given the general state my house and person have descended into over the last 6 months. The other participants would probably think I'd been the victim of a home invasion and call the police.

But surely your colleague's work should be providing her with a desk, OP?

Maybe she works from the sofa because she has a bad back not vice versa. Back and hip pain are often comorbid, and hard chairs can exacerbate it.
You could mention about the screen wobbling or about a 'friend' whose colleague bought a side table for their laptop ...

I wonder if there are people out there who would say "if the work gets done, what does it matter if you smell" or "oh if a company wants me to wear deodorant they should provide a deodorant allowance" or "if a company wants employees who don't smell then the company should be responsible for checking and issue deodorant to the ones that need it" etc

There are definitely people out there who seem to find it an imposition to wear a deodorant! My father was one of them, my mum used to find it so embarrassing :( Goodness knows why he thought he was better than the rest of the sweaty population!

You'd hate me.
Trays on legs are useful for more than breakfast in bed.
Today I'm on my bed wearing shorts and a vest top.

How many of the people answering that it was fine and they routinely work from bed have twigged that it wasn't just a routine call with colleagues, it was a presentation to a potential customer?

@TheLastStarfighter

How many of the people answering that it was fine and they routinely work from bed have twigged that it wasn't just a routine call with colleagues, it was a presentation to a potential customer?

None I bet

So why don't you tell her the benefits of working from a desk OP? Maybe she doesn't realise and needs educating.

Can't any of you change your background on video calls?