Those now WFT are you slacking?

[grapesandcarrots]

My friend told me her boyfriend sleeps in until 12pm when he's meant to start at 9am. He sets his alarm for 8.55am and writes a message in the group chat 'morning everyone, I am working on XXX this morning. If anyone knows any great resources for XYZ then please let me know." Then goes back to sleep. If anyone tries to contact him before 12 he can just say sorry I was so engrossed in research for XXX.

I was really taken aback by this.

The friend then admitted to finishing early by 20m and starting a bit late by 20m. To taking lots of breaks and calling her mum during the day and cleaning her flat and endless news sites. Both her and her boyfriend are on great terms, love their jobs, and their bosses love them.

I have not slacked off because its not it my nature and found i've worked more due to little else to do.

What are everyones thoughts? Do you slack off during the day more now and to what extent?

YABU - I slack off more
YANBU - I would never slack off.

Chance would be a fine thing! I'm public sector though and my workload has gone through the roof. Not unusual to so 12-14 hours instead of 8.

No. I'm working far harder than I ever have, it's 100mph all day. Before lockdown 3 I was in the office one day per week. It was noticeable how much more I got done at home vs the office.

Like others, dh and I are also working our old commuting times so doing more hours per day as well.

TBH I 'slack off' about the same. I work my hours, get up on time etc as i think I'd just get myself in a mess if I played with my hours.

Some days I have no time for slacking, other days I'm quieter and on those, whether at home or office, I would do more vague bimbling about and 'research' wherever I am based.

I think I take less time for lunch than I did at the office, but probably fill the rest of that allowance with stuff like washing up or doing laundry.

I think net-net I am about the same.
Things I do more now I WFH

• Procrastinate terribly on mumsnet - harder to hide in the office
• Work later because I think 'I'll just finish xyz' then procrastinate as the incentive to leave and go home is not there
• Have shorter lunch breaks - normally used to have a proper lunch with my team
• Finish slightly earlier (I work in a very long hours industry, 9-9 standard hours, 9-12 wouldn't be unusual so it's not like I'm slacking on specific hours I'm meant to work)

Things I do less

• Obviously waste less time commuting although I haven't extended my hours much because of this, maybe by 30 mins
• Fewer chit chats (although I think this is actually bad because a lot of ideas and knowledge sharing come through chit chats)
• Fewer long coffee breaks (ditto)

I certainly would never just slack off and take the morning off and pretend to be online. I have a strong (sometimes I think too strong) work ethic due to how I was raised, plus my current job wouldn't allow for it except as a real exception due to being very intense and competitive. I had a performance issue 6 months ago after a big promotion and also feel a lot of pressure to perform so couldn't slack off. However, in my previous employer I would almost definitely have slacked off like your friend's boyfriend as I was chronically underworked so would have just been browsing the internet half the day either way... so I think the morality of it does depend a bit on circumstances... if you're getting all your work done, you've asked for more, the company isn't struggling then it's not so bad. But still not great.

I have no choice but to slack off, the same as many parents. I'm not lounging around however. 43, in a new job, but feel like ditching my 20 year career now. I feel like I'm seeing things differently now and dont like the set up of society where the expectation is to slog your guts out. Doing less should be the norm.

surely employers don't need to be doing anything to ensure people don't slack?
wouldn't it just be noticed that your work is not being done or the standard has dropped?

No I’m not. Have a child at home so start work at 5/6am. I log out during the day to amuse her, do homework, make meals.
I know some staff take the mick though and I’m not impressed. Something I’ll definitely remember when promotions come up.

I work about the same.

At work I would still take breaks, so at home I take shorter but more frequent breaks to do little chores.

I can focus more as I'm not being interrupted.

I also don't have the two hour commute so that certainly feels easier. My last lesson finished at 3pm today so I had time to go with my son to the park in the last of the daylight, which I wouldn't be able to do normally.

As long as I get my work done, no one cares if I do it at 9am on Monday morning or midnight on Saturday.

Was it not during working hours when you posted this, OP?

I've been busier than ever when at home, covid has made my workplace (and our 'clients') work in some very new and unusual ways.

But I'm now not commuting so saving an hour a day including fannying around with smalltalk when I get to work, and I'm not feeling guilty about taking a full lunch break. Two hours of my day pre covid was literally supervision/observation with minimal input/impact, so I am using that time more productively, but I don't feel guilty about making the odd personal call, or putting a load of washing on, or having a cuppa. It's going to take some time to get used to being able to wee when I want...

I can just see the DM headlines now: "Lazy mums reveal spend more time Mumsnetting than working".

Anyway, I am more of your ilk than the opposite when it comes to work, OP. But am a bit you being "really taken aback" at anyone slacking in the current circumstances. Really??

@Icenii

I have no choice but to slack off, the same as many parents. I'm not lounging around however. 43, in a new job, but feel like ditching my 20 year career now. I feel like I'm seeing things differently now and dont like the set up of society where the expectation is to slog your guts out. Doing less should be the norm.

Agree with this!!

@Heyahun my tasks vary so if I wanted to I could easily say each took double the amount of time than they did. but I wouldn't. So no my boss wouldn't notice

I wish I had the chance!! Been really busy ever since Lockdown 1. If I'm having a quiet day I use the time to catch up on admin, and I may do a few more quick household chores than I get a chance to if I'm really busy, but overall my behaviour is no different to when I'm in the office, other than I'd probably have gone for a coffee in the canteen rather than put the washing machine on . I don't do personal calls or emails etc other than at lunchtime and the TV stays off all day.

Also public sector. I start slightly later about 8am rather than 7.30am and work through to 6pm or later. I used to leave before 4pm. I barely take breaks and eat at my desk. I also catch up at the weekend. There seems to be a lot more to do.

I've read that employers are installing essentially spyware on work laptops- to see whether screen is on, logging keystrokes and even remotely switching camera on to see what you're up to.

If they tell you they're doing that it's one thing (and you can decide whether to look for a different job!) But if they aren't I think that's awful.

IME you get more out of people of you treat them as grown ups. And if they aren't performing then manage that through the more usual channels.

why does it matter how long each task takes you though? @grapesandcarrots? once you get it done?

I have quiet days and busy days - i've never had to tell anyone how long I spent on anything - I just do what I need to do and if i've no work left to do for the day I just finish up.

If you finish a task quickly are you meant to ask for more work or something?

I’ve wfh for 11 years. No reason to slack off now.

Dh works harder than ever

No I think I’m doing more, saying that I’m only doing 2-3 days instead of 5 but they are non stop so basically I think I’m doing 4-5 days work in those 2-3 . I start earlier because I’m not commuting only take 10 minutes or so for lunch and work later because again not commuting .
I may put a wash on / dishwasher etc but I’m definitely doing more as not brewing up chatting etc . I wouldn’t want my employers thinking I’m doing nothing though and have me back in the office or refuse wfh altogether.

I'm working longer, harder and with fewer breaks. Public sector.

I work harder probably than when at work. My office is open and I'm one of the privileged few allowed to WFH so I don't want to fuck it up!

And there is a mountain if work to do, so slacking would be noticed!

I have continued to MN and do a few other things as I would in odd few minutes at the office.

But it's pretty full on, as always, so while I sometimes need some light relief as I change from 1 topic to another, no I am doing as much (and more) than I was doing in the office.

And I don't have much hope of getting back there (where there is decent lighting for work purposes, plentiful paper and printers that work, IT support, kettle for tea and colleagues for gossip, and access to shops at lunchtime) until late summer at the earliest.