Working from home - or not!

[DELIGHTFULLY78]

Is anyone spending their WFH days mainly dossing and actually not feeling guilty about it (thinking about all the times stayed late in office and didn't take lunch break because of crazy workload)? AIBU to think this is acceptable?

I've been WFH on and off for 15 years.

I have project deadlines plus have tasks I have to complete so others can do their work by a deadline, so some days I'm busy and other days I'm not.

Busy days can mean I don't take a lunch break and work after my DD is in bed.

Non-busy days mean I can waste my time on forums and watching youtube clips.

I have to admit I get a lot more done when I'm WFH. I'm not distracted by constant interruptions and chattering from my colleagues. I can do in half a day what it used to take my a full day to do in the office.

I used to feel guilty about being away from my laptop when I started WFH. Even when it was my allowed lunch break. Then when we went back into the office, I noticed no one said anything about people being away from their desks for 20 mins to make a brew, or 40 minutes to natter to the women in the office next door. So now I'm back at home, don't feel guilty about the odd 5-10 minutes hanging my washing up or doing the dishes etc. I still do more in a day than I would in the office.

"and no one will be made redundant as we're public sector"

Isn't this the wrong attitude to have tho? There is no such thing as a job for life anymore. All employers will be looking for cost cutting measures and I cant imagine that the public sector will escape that and nor should it if their people are sat at home not working but picking up a salary while others are putting in a 60 hour week to keep companies afloat.

I have always managed my own time and WFH isn't any different. I get the job done and some days I spend longer at the pc than others but I still work as if I was in the office (except you can put a load of washing on instead of going for a cuppa).

My job is exactly the same wherever I do it, contact centre so it's actually impossible to skive if I wanted to! You can't be away from your computer

Op you need to be careful. Companies are now starting to take note of this and taking action accordingly.

I am on leave this week. When at work wfh have not been 'dossing', but have set boundaries as to when I work, and people know that I am available between certain times and respect that.

Some days I’m so busy and work late - other days like today (most Fridays) it’s quiet very few emails come in and there isn’t usually as much to do! So I tend to keep an eye on emails but also get a few loads of laundry done and usually have a long lunch!

I do my job, nothing gets missed, emails all get replied to,

Sometimes I work longer days sometimes I doss a little

@RizzleDrizzle yes I suppose I could be made redundant but im not worried about it at all as previously when they offer redundancies there are so many people willing to go lots of people are disappointed if they don't get it. Possibly less people will want it if their personal circumstances have changed but I think there would still be more than enough to take redundancy voluntarily

we're all working from home and no one will be made redundant as we're public sector, so yes i can doss and not feel guilty about it

You’re in for a shock if your public sector org has to find anywhere near the same savings that mine does next year. I’d say redundancies are almost inevitable,

Public sector jobs are at risk right now, local authorities were looking at making saving before Covid hit, so it'll be even higher on the agenda now.

I'm public sector, and we've already had a delicately worded email sent from our director to highlight the possibility, although I know they'll be looking for other savings before staff.

People who say they can't switch off, can't you just shut down your computer at the end of the day and not look at emails until the next day?

@Serendipity79 I agree it's certainly not fair and if the public sector was run like a private business many civil servants would have a big shock as theres a lot of dossers in my department, however i do the work given and the OPs question was do i feel guilty and honestly no. From working in many different departments I know that the inefficiency runs through out the public sector and it still baffles me that staff don't have to prove their working hours through the likes of a swipe in and out system as so many people steal time

YABVU

I hope those excessively dossing all get found out and sacked tbh

There’s plenty of people who would like to have your job who would actually do the work.

@niceupthedance

I have had very unmotivated days when I am present and sending emails etc put off calls - but I catch up the next day with double the work. I manage my own time so as long as I get the work done I don't see an issue.

Pretty much this. Some days I'm really unmotivated and end up watching a lot of TV or whatever while just responding to requests that come in and joining scheduled calls. But I make up for it on other days and my work still all gets done to a high standard.

Plus my job works on a monthly cycle of deliverables, so I'm always going to have busier days and quieter days!

Being self-employed focuses the mind somewhat. If I doss about all day in my jammies watching Netflix, I don't get the work done and don't get paid.

@Fittata

People who say they can't switch off, can't you just shut down your computer at the end of the day and not look at emails until the next day?

Hahaha if only it was that easy.

I’ve found I’m working more, it’s so so easy to go oh I’ll just finish this, or I’ll just check my emails.

I used to stay a little later if I was in the middle of something anyway.

But I think what a lot of people are saying is it’s in their heads even when I was working from the office I’d often send myself emails from home to work with a follow up to a task or with some information, because I’d thought about it when I was at home.

Now it’s an a lot lot easier to just log on to my work laptop and once I’ve started one email I’ll end up doing more and more.

I guess some of this is about work ethic, I love work, tbh it’s been a bit of a saviour, god knows how I’d have coped with either lock down without it. I honestly don’t mind the monthly targets and I quite like informing my line manager a task is complete. It gives me a sense of satisfaction and achievement.

I like so many here feel quite frustrated by OP attitude and the attitude of we’re in the public sector so I won’t get made redundant.

I work in the charity sector that works closely with the public sector services and I see colleagues working extremely hard to provide services to children and very vulnerable people and attitudes like this make me realise that their probably picking up the pieces for people who think oh we won’t get fired!

I mean even at the office I have days where I do fuck all - if it’s a quiet day or I’m having an unproductive day or there’s not a lot of work on that particular day - you sit there at your desk not doing a lot - having a few extra tea breaks, waiting for the day to end -

Just because your actually present and sitting at your desk in an office doesn’t mean you are productive all the time! Your just there and can be seen

Luckily my company don’t keep tabs on us, are happy for us to manage our own time and I’ve never been checked up on once in all this working from home period - because I get my work done. Even if I have doss days occasionally

Some companies sound awful to work for tbh

I am, but then I'm being made redundant at the end of the year so I shouldn't be busy.

No, I’m not dossing about. I manage my breaks differently I suppose, but I don’t do any less.

As in - I might have my break before I start, after the school run, rather than stopping at lunch time. Not strictly allowed but doesn’t really matter. I feel I need a break more at that point!

It is unacceptable if your other colleagues have to pick up the slack. We have that currently - some people just seem to do as they please and do as little as possible, whilst others understand the need to keep the business efficient, or none of us will have jobs. It’s a very selfish attitude to feel wfh gives you a free pass to do minimal work while still taking your monthly salary.

@Fittata

People who say they can't switch off, can't you just shut down your computer at the end of the day and not look at emails until the next day?

Ha!

No. That would land me in a disciplinary.

A disciplinary for not checking your emails after you’ve finished work? What the fuck kind of company do you work at that’s ridiculous