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?!

I work from my sofa. I usually blur the background. I have literally no where else to work in the house. My manager did make a comment but until he's willing to fund an extension he can jog the fuck on.

I also think a sofa is better than a bedroom. I cannot stand seeing my workmates beds. I turn their videos off.

@Humbersider

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

You sound a bit...uptight.

Haha me too! My team are now used to seeing me with a bun on top of my head!

@Dontassume2020

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

You can on Teams but we also use WebEx and I don't believe you can

@PinkSparklyPussyCat on WebEx click on the video-options menu (the 3 dots against your own video feed) and select "change virtual background".

I have to work like this as I don't have a table to work from

I generally work from the sofa, the living area has the most reliable internet and the best light. The second best place is being sat on the toilet in the utility. I do have room for a proper desk etc, but I would need an ethernet cable trailing around the flat. My boyfriend has a physical disability and I’m not risking his safety just so I can sit at a desk.

I have my hair blowdried, shirt and tie on etc (just pants on the bottom!), my boss works in her bedroom (with a full view of an unmade bed), some people at desks, others on sofas. If my employer wants me to work at a desk they need to provide adequate furniture and a dongle.

Maybe she asked the company for a desk and they refused so she’s doing this (and possibly exaggerating) to prove a point to the boss.

Meh.

Maybe for the meeting she should have put the laptop on top of a box or something, the rest I can't get worked up about

Dh is in the dining room, I’m in my daughter’s (swiftly tidied) play room. I imagine I’d be on the sofa if we didn’t have that. We’re converting another room to work from long term, but tbh that was worse than the playroom!

Also, we have struggled to get stylish desks that fit in with our decor. I could have got some to make do but if it’s going to be in my home I should like them. Even now some manufacturers still have a 4 month lead time. Ours are finally being delivered at the end of the month, we’ll most likely be back to work in January. You are a little bit judgy, we’re all making the best but who knew we’d still be wfh after this long?

My dh sometimes is on the sofa. When we were on lockdown that is where he had to be as I had dds homeschooling at the dining room table. We currently don’t have an office. We did, but turned it into a bedroom as that was more use for us.

I’m not client-facing in my role. I picked up a desk free on our local neighbourhood Facebook group and even sawed a bit off it so it would fit in the fireplace alcove in our spare bedroom.

I also invested in two screens and a dock for my laptop so I can easily work between emails and documents, and compare two documents if I need to (I’m a lawyer).

I agree, @LajesticVantrashell - it’s incredibly unprofessional to be scrambling around for notes when you’re supposed to be presenting to a potential client. I’m scheduled to present an issue before a senior committee in my organisation tomorrow and no way would I do that from my sofa!

@PamDemic @LuaDipa (just because you are the most recent ones, not picking on you).

Does the fact that this was a presales presentation to a client not make any difference in your opinion?

PamDemic - when you did your TV interviews from the sofa, did you have your laptop propped on your lap, wobbling and with the camera at a weird angle, and with your notes out of reach, or did you prop your laptop up on something and have everything prepared?

( I don’t know why I can’t let this topic go )

That said, I bet my black cat chooses tomorrow to sleep stretched out on the white duvet on the bed as I’m presenting tomorrow!

I just note stuff all the time in a professional context. In the past, I’ve had an HR professional in a huge organisation in which I applied for a job say they’d call me at a certain time to speak in more detail about the role, only to cancel and ask to rearrange 5 mins before the call was due to start. Just “unfortunately I’m overrunning, can we rearrange?” No apology.

I’m just like “hmmmm. Noted.”

It gets my goat when the job description inevitably asks for someone with excellent time management skills and then a person who’s part of the recruitment process and already works for the organisation has...atrocious time management skills.

@TheLastStarfighter I agree it’s not ideal, but up until last week there were also two kids in our house full time, also needing to complete schoolwork (ours had two weeks of pre-work before term began). I am not customer facing, thank god, but I have had meetings in the kitchen, the garden and the playroom depending where everyone else in the house happened to be. It isn’t what I would choose, but I’ve done everything I can to make it work. I’ve also seen people throughout their homes in various sitting positions, full make up or none and numerous colleagues’ partners, kids and pets have made an unexpected appearance. They are also doing their best and I don’t judge; next time it might be one of my kids or pets sticking their head around the door at the wrong moment.

Had I known it would go on for this long, I would have course have sorted the conversion as soon as possible. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Yanbu I'll sit on the sofa working but will move to the dinning table for teammestings

Team meetings

I realised why it bothers me so much. I have someone in my team who does this. He sits on the stairs with his laptop on his knees. I don’t mind for internal meetings but every time we have a client presentation I have to keep my fingers crossed that he has relocated himself. He’s always done this - it’s not a lockdown thing.

I think that if you're holding actual meetings then slouching on your sofa with your laptop on your knees, wobbling the camera around , is unprofessional.

If I was doing FaceTime with a service provider, and I had to choose between a steady visional with someone dressed to work and someone in their pyjamas on a sofa wobbling away well, I know who I'd choose.

I often work from my bed. With two soppy labradors for company.
I’m never late with assignments or the payroll I calculate and process every week.
Does it really matter as long as no one is affected detrimentally?

I think time will tell but, ultimately, people will prefer to trade, online, with someone who seems keen to want your custom rather than someone who's rolled out of bed because they have to.

you would hate me - I often do my job from my bed. Just much more comfy than the table!