Some people have just gave up?

[lovioli]

On our daily teams meeting many colleagues are declaring how they never want to return to the office . They are very adamant they want to continue to work from home and are even talking about selling their cars

Why are so many people embracing this insular life ? Giving up their independence of having a car ? So they can be chained to the house working off a laptop.

Working from home is great!

It didn't always mean working "from home".

Before C-19, I would work (hang out) at a nice coffee shop on a couch, go to the library, hang out at the table at the local park...

Telephone meetings before Zoom were whilst I was walking on the treadmill at the gym or walking around the neighborhood.

There was no leaving the house at 6:15am to take 1.5 hours commuting for an 8am start or the crappy return home at 5pm with everyone else and getting home close to 7pm and all the wear and tear on the vehicle, never mind the expense of petrol, maintenance and any tolls.

No, thank you.

[quote Kitkat151]@LunaHeather I think even after some normality returns ..lmany health appointments will continue via telephone or video call.....Trusts appear to be finding them more efficient and cost effective[/quote]
Oh I know

It worries me though

Things like ear and throat infections...helps if they can look.

I wouldn't have wanted physio on zoom - had a lot of that after an accident. Therapist needs to feel the state of muscles, tendons etc.

I'd happily WFH forever. I don't see how that is "giving up"

On the flip side I don't see why WFH forever means selling your car? Surely most people use cars for more than commuting? Visiting family, UK holidays, walks away from your local area etc

My husband is doing exactly this. He's going to wfh permanently and we've sold his car.

It's not becoming insular at all, just that his work/life balance will actually be better. In fact he'll have more time to see his actual friends. I'd be the same if I could; I'd rather spend more time with my friends/family than colleagues. Plus he can walk DS to school and spend more time with the DC after work.

We can easily manage with just my car, he only ever used his for commuting anyway. If we ever needed a second car again we could just buy another one.
And his work won't ask him to go back in because the lease was up on the office and they've moved to smaller premises to allow anyone who wants to work from home permanently to do so - his contract has been changed.

I hope ppl never return to the office.. rush hour is so much more chilled out now, way less cars about

No more sitting in queues on the M4 for 2 1/2 hours a day
No more wasting cash on diesel, tyres, brakes, insurance, tax, MOT, car washes
No more polluting the air

Being able to walk my child to school
Less stress
Better work life balance
Money saved on wrap around care
Money saved by not buying tasteless & expensive sandwiches
No need for so many office clothes
Opportunity to exercise in daylight during the winter I'm sure I can think of some more if I try. .

And I can cycle most places now. On the few occasions I need a car, I can get a cab or hire a car.

Me and DH have been WFH since March. We have sold one car as DH walks to work anyway and it was sat being unused and the battery went flat. We’ve kept my car but it’s currently barely being used.

Neither of us want to go back to the office. We like WFH, we just want to be able to have a life outside of work. Once life does resume we won’t be stuck at home like we are now. In the long term I’m likely to mainly be WFH and DH will be a blend. So selling one car was a good idea and if the time comes we need 2 again we’ll just buy another.

I’d happily work from home forever if I could. I don’t miss my commute. I like having the extra cash saved from my train fares. Yes my electric bills are up a bit but still offset by what I’m saving on commuting, coffees, lunches etc.

But does that mean when restrictions ease and things go back to ‘normal’ I wouldn’t be going to be out seeing friends and family, mooching around shops, going to be wine bars and pubs, out for dinner, nights at the cinema, pissing off on holidays? Absolutely not! I can’t wait.

‘I’d like to work from home permanently’ doesn’t necessarily translate into ‘I will never leave my house again’. Life is rarely so black and white!

God I really really hope I can continue to wfh. I don't drive so it would make my life a dam lot easier not needing a lift or public transport. If all the other restrictions were lifted it would be an amazing work life balance.

I love the homeschooling side. But I need time as me, out of the house like never before. Maybe it's because I can't work though.

I can't wfh normally as I am a teacher. For me personally, wfh wouldn't work (if I had a job that could allow it). I love my house, DH is around a lot in the day so it wouldn't be lonely. However, I just need to see something different and see/talk to other people. Even now, I could wfh some of the time but choose to go into school - it helps me. My commute is 20 mins on local roads with no traffic issues (even in non-covid times).

For some people though, I can absolutely see why wfh would be a good thing. If they have a job that can be done from home and they're happy to be home then why not? Maybe it saves them a lot on commuting costs/time, some people are more productive at home, can pick the kids up etc.

Hopefully, employers will be more willing to support home working in future.

You work in healthcare? What do you do?

Because in 'normal times', you're not prevented completely from leaving the house like you are now. You can meet with your colleagues in person for meetings while doing the majority of work at home. You can have nights out. You can have hobbies outside of the house. There's plenty you can do, and working from home can be a brilliant way of having a little more control over your own schedule - if you're motivated and organised!

My husband works for a massive international company, and they have just announced that anyone who wants to work from home permanently can. To say my husband is thrilled is a gross understatement. His entire team, which consists of about 35 people from around the world, have all also decided to work from home. My husband said everyone is very, very happy to be given this choice.

Is it insular to not want to lose two hours of my day to standing in a sweaty tube surrounded by people?

To have my kitchen nearby so I can eat breakfast and lunch when and what I want?

To have my own loo that I don't need to worry about being heard in?

To go for a nice 20min walk round the park with my partner at lunchtime?

Oh and I don't have a car anyway bc central London is crap for them. We get around just fine.

Surprisingly, people like different things. Working from home isn't at all insular for me - I speak to people all day long.

But I can do so from the comfort of my own house and without commuting down a motorway spending a fortune on petrol and having to remember to take my lunch in every day or be cold because our office is freezing or not be able to concentrate when I'm busy because I have auditory processing issues and if too many people are speaking nearby I can't think.

I'll be working from home the vast majority of the time post-lockdown and I was already doing 3 days a week.

It doesn't mean I'm never going to leave my house or see my friends again, I'm not becoming a hermit. Just the work portion of my life will be at home, not in an office.

Well I hate it! I work in HE so if I can't have a jolly time teaching students and having a lark it's just boring. It's not like I have a huge wage to make up for it. I went into HE for the people and now there is none - just miserable students on zoom. It sucks!

Also: "settling for this life"? Lots of people have enjoyed the freedom that WFH gives as one small positive of this shitshow. It's an improvement in many people's lives.

And when children go back to school and we can do things outside of work, I imagine even of those people who've understandably found it a nightmare so far being cooped up will appreciate the ability to work from home.

It's not a death sentence, just better work life balance for some people. Of our staff, approx 50% want to WFH some or all of the time post pandemic and the other 50% would prefer to be in the office. We're happy either way.

I sold my car after the first lockdown ended. It was acting up and needed a bunch of stuff fixed. I had no intention of using it for the foreseeable future so I sold it.
If I need a car in the future I will simply buy a new one. Why are you so fixated on people selling their cars. You realise it's very easy to just buy a new one.

I've definitely noticed the responses differ from the personality types. Also noticed most people who are looking forward to going back are missing the social aspect - can do the work from anywhere but plan to go in to go to the pub etc. I quite like the way it's made people rethink what they do and why they do it. After all having fewer cars on the roads/people on public transport has to be a good thing surely?

No commute, saving money and time... working in the home I actually pay for and love. I'd have more time to see actual friends, more time with DD and DH, and if I need a change of scene (once this virus thing is over) - nothing stops me from visiting the office and working there a day here and there. Total win in my books.

I bloody wish I could work from home...I can't though, so 🤷‍♀️

That said...I'm not a particularly sociable person and would be very happy to only speak to the odd postie and shop assistant on a daily basis 🤣

My DP now works from home. He used to leave the house at 7am & got back at 6:30pm, he barely saw the kids in the week. Now he goes into the study at 8am & comes out at 5pm - he’s gained 2.5 hrs to his day, he eats dinner with us every night, he often joins us for lunch too.
He’s also saving thousands not having to pay for the train.
He has friends locally, outside of lockdown it’s not an insular life.
In the summer he started earlier & finished earlier, we went to the beach when he’d finished or went for a walk. It’s improved not only his quality of life but mine & the kids too.

Working at home is great, if a bit isolating. You can even get daylight in warmer days and also use your lunch break to exercise, don't have to dress up and can actually concentrate.

Who would want to throw money in a put by running a car when you can keep the money and spend it on something you really want? Who wants to spend all day with people you don't really like? It's not giving up, there are LOADS of benefits to working at home. If you have pets, you;ll know they are better company than most humans lol