To think WFH permanently is a game changer?

[MiaMarshmallows]

For working parents as it saves on childcare costs as well as commuting etc?
DP been told he can wfh indefinitely and it's going to improve his lifestyle so much more. For everyone saying he will be outsourced, not a chance. He is very specialised in what he does and earns a very good wage for it.
One good thing to come out of all this at least.

[MistakenAgain]

I'd always want it in my contract as otherwise a different manager could come in and change the situation.

[Jourdain11]

I have quite a lot of friends who work in customer relations type roles, and while wfh has been okay "in these unprecedented times" they say it does affect team comms negatively, and even smaller issues (like the app they use for customer calls not having great sound quality). It also cuts down opportunities for advancement, which is a big negative for a lot of people.

[MedusasBadHairDay]

I started a new job in lockdown, as we don't usually do video calls I have team mates who I've never seen. It's been fine honestly. Just because wfh doesn't work for everyone, doesn't mean it can't work for anyone. I think it can only be a good thing if it's an additional option.

[BackforGood]

I think the opportunity to wfh, for a lot of people, for ^some of the time is an excellent thing to come out of this.
As you say, once the dc are of an age where they can entertain themselves after school for a bit, but not really old enough to walk home to an empty house and spend 3 hrs waiting for a parent to come in, it is brilliant to be able to do.
For many of us it is much more productive in terms of some peace and quiet.
It is great for days like when you need your boiler serviced, and just really need to be there to let the chap in, but can carry on working {insert, new carpet fitted / TV engineer needing to come out / quite frankly any job where you just need to be there to let someone in or be available to answer a question half way through the job}.
Massive saving on commute time - for both travel costs for some and actual time out the home for others.
It means you can make useful use of any trapped time (like lunchbreak) - where I might prep the evening meal or I might hand some washing out.
I've done some wfh for years, and hate trying to get anything done on the odd occasion I have to be in the office however by job is varied and involves site visits, delivering training and meetings in different places, so the 'wfh' I do is only part of what I do. I don't like the last 11 months of 'never leaving the house', and I'm a BIG advocate of being allowed to wfh.


OTOH, it makes it difficult to bounce ideas of someone, have a 'casual chat' about something.
Some people struggle for a working space in their home
It must be very difficult for anyone coming in new to a job.
You can go a bit 'stir crazy' if you don't make yourself go out
There will always be people who take the mick, and use it either to skive or to be looking after little dc instead of working.

[Flippyferloppy]

We have recently spent a fortune on fitted furniture, with a desk included for occasional teleworking. I have just found out I will be working from home most of the time now. The new, very expensive, desk is now not suitable. Also DH needs a desk now for the same reasons... Our house is not suited to being full-time workspace for 2 people.

[Jangle33]

@WhatdoImean of course people have thought about this. In some industries the idea of a London weighting may become a thing of the past. Lots of employers thinking about this and plenty of news articles and the like.

[mrsmacmc]

I hope we have a hybrid working model a mix of remote and office

[EmmaGrundyForPM]

It depends on your circumstances. DH and I are both wfh and very unlikely to go back to our offices even they reopen. I love some aspects of it but feel really cut off at times.

Our adult ds lives with us as he can't afford to move out. He hates it. He never gets away from his desk or from us.

We have a reasonable sized house but not big enough for 3 separate dedicated workspaces. Dh has the study, ds has a desk in the spare bedroom and I have a desk in the living room. It's crap but it's a lot better than many people have.

I know I'm saving on commuting time but I used to really enjoy my commute (45 minutes each way, very little traffic). I used to listen to audio books or just have some thinking time. I really miss that.

[BungleandGeorge]

I expect employers will insist that you’re not in charge of children when wfh. It’s ok I’m an emergency but not great if they’re stuck at home all holidays with a working parent

[merrymouse]

He is very specialised in what he does and earns a very good wage for it.

Good for him.

Mosts people aren't very specialised and don't earn a very good wage.

[HeyDemonsItsYaGirl]

If enough people change from office-based to WFH it will have huge implications for the whole country. Many geographical imbalances will be changed if people aren't tied to certain locations for work. The housing market will change significantly and the rental trap might be less of an issue. Flexible working is brilliant for women, not just those with children.

Some businesses that rely on people commuting to work will have to adapt or close, but there will be new opportunities - meeting spaces, flexible offices, new technology for remote working.

I think it'll be a fantastic thing overall.

[nokidshere]

I'm about to retire and DH is already retired but I sincerely hope that my two sons (currently at uni) aren't going to spend their working lives in their bedroom or the dining room.

Most of my working friends want to go back. The overriding feeling amongst them is that there is little divide from home/work. They say it's not so much like working from home, but more like living at work.

I'm grateful everyday that I have space and mindful of others who have not. It's very hard for a lot of people so no, we shouldn't be advocating for permanent and full time wfh but for an easier balance with a flexible mixture for those who want it.

[Cam2020]

Im also hoping for hybrid working. 3 days in, 2 days WFH would suit me. It would be great to have a couple of days doing the school run and not doing the commute but, I like and miss my colleagues and don't want to spend all my days stuck at home.

[Donotfeedthebears]

My workplace is starting to offshore jobs abroad as it’s cheaper...

[YetAnotherSpartacus]

Oh, I hope so! I love not having a commute and putting up with office politics. I love my sanctuary of a home.

[MargaretThursday]

Not unless employers will happily pay for an extension. Currently dh is at our dining room table.

[StressedTired]

It certainly is a game changer if it's what you want, but a lot of people don't want to be at home all the time and it's frustrating to have it forced on you. I'm incredibly lonely at the moment and miss the casual office chat as much as anything else. Also, I really worry how younger or new colleagues will learn a job - I learned so much just by being in a shared space with experienced colleagues, observing, hearing conversations, etc, you just don't build that experience working alone. But I can totally see how WFH full time benefits some lifestyles.

[poppycat10]

I've said this before but wfh during covid isn't the same as wfh in normal times.

At the moment wfh means wfh, but when things open up you'll have the chance to work anywhere, whether at the local library, coffee shop, hotel or co-working hub. You may only have a bedroom to work from at the moment, but as an example my local council has a business centre that I could walk to in less than ten minutes. Even if you have to pay to rent a desk it may work out much cheaper than commuting to an office an hour away every day.

We're in a very artificial situation at the moment.

I also agree that wfh gives those with caring responsibilities and disabilities more options for work.

[shinynewapple21]

@BlueSoop

I would love to wfh but the fact is most employers want people in. Imo we will end up with a social divide where poorly paid workers are wfh and higher paid workers are required in the office.

Not always the case though BlooSoop. My experience before pandemic has always been it's the lower paid workers who answered switchboard , did filing, scanning, photocopying were required in the office whereas consultants and management were able to come and go as they felt like . And lower paid discriminated by an absence management policy that meant when they felt unwell they had to take two buses to be in answering the phones at 8 am whereas the managers and consultants just worked from home .

If we are seeing a reverse of that I'm all for it .

[poppycat10]

@TheLostDiadem

It better bloody not be. The town I live in is already too expensive for locals to buy a property. The last thing we need are a load of Londoners coming down and being a bunch of condescending pricks.

Why would they want to come to an area with pitchfork waving locals who think they are bringing the plague with them?

[LadyCatStark]

It’s a game changer for your husband but you can’t really generalise that to the whole population.

[Fizbosshoes]

I think wfh being a good thing very much depends on circumstances.
Where I live (commuter town) a lot of people i know frequently wfh, well before covid. They tended to be men in their 40s/50s, with well established career/contacts. They sometimes did the school run and it allowed them to be more flexible. They most likely have a dedicated space to work from.
My nephew is mid 20s and wfh from the kitchen table and is desperate to go back to London and see colleagues.

[poppycat10]

I definitely won't be wfh permanently. I'm back at the physical building on March 8th

What's the legal basis for that, given that the work at home order is staying in place until (at least) 21 June?

[RedskyBynight]

Commuting costs = 0 (walk to work)
Childcare costs = 0 (children old enough not to need)

Time spent doing job from home = significantly more than doing it in the office
Pleasantness of working from a corner of my living space = very low
Training/mentoring = very difficult

WFH is not the solution for everyone.
Although if my company insists on it long term, it will be a game changer. In that I'll go and find another job.

[Figgygal]

I have the flex to decide when I go in but always did
I tended to go in 2 days a week now I’ll aim for once a fortnight
We are thinking of extending the house to building office because at the moment I have a desk set up in the bedroom