To feel sad that the world of work as we knew it has gone forever?

[Youngatheart00]

My work confirmed today we are moving to 100% remote working and will only get together a few times a year for team meetings. I find this so sad. I loved my working life - I know realise so much of that was down to the people. Now all I do all day is stare at screens and give myself a migraine.

They are justifying it by saying ‘most people’ want this despite me never seeing any such survey. It’s a blatant cost cutting exercise.

Anyone else fed up and lonely?

I think that going forward there should be more flexibility towards different working patterns, so people can choose what they prefer. But to be fair office work was the norm for ages and people that hate working from office couldn't really decide to work from home so easily, so now it's time for them to enjoy the change. And I believe it's much easier when the default is WFH - you can still rent a desk in co-working space few times a month if you need to, work from coffee shop or have a home office wether if you're normally working from office you can't really decide to WFH few days a week/month. I'm front office and work with clients, so I will have to go back to our office as soon as it's permitted, but I'm not really happy about it, I've really enjoyed WFH.

YANBU - you feel what you feel. But I would love this - although it looks like we are leaning towards agile working where I’ll only be in the office 2 or 3 days a week so not too bad

Yanbu. Not at all x

I think it's a very real bereavement OP. Wfh will suit some and devastate others. It doesn't have to be one or the other. Both responses are valid, but I really encourage you to find somewhere to work where you can see people. I need to see people, too. For me it's what life is about. Best of luck finding a job that gives you the social contact a lot of the human race need.

I hated it so much that I retired, my job was for variety in life, no variety stuck in the spare room. DH retired also though he stuck it a bit longer than me, YANBU.

DS does most days in the office as his broadband is crap, something to do with location of his flat so not easily rectified. He also got bored wfh

Agree with @WonkyCactus @dms1 there needs to be balance rather than one size fits all. My life and friend groups are separate to work, work is work not my social life.

I used to drive over 1000 miles a week, every day a four hour round trip somewhere, sometimes worth my while, often people just didn’t turn up and didn’t bother letting me know. I love our move to remote delivery and I never want to go back to the stress I used to have. I am more effective, make twice as much as I used to and am so much less stressed. However I have always worked alone so I do empathise with people who have gone from living being part of a team in a busy office to working from home though, I recognise it definitely doesn’t suit everyone.

@RampantIvy

Is it because they genuinely want to WFH or are they still being careful due to the pandemic *@HeyDemonsItsYaGirl*?

The former. Very relaxed about the pandemic in general... mostly under 50 and fit. I'm probably the most worried as a Type 1 diabetic, but I wanted to WFH long before the pandemic.

I agree with you OP . I miss the human interaction , I miss dressing up for work , I miss concentration just in work rather wandering for a coffee and seeing things round the house that need doing . I miss meeting colleagues for lunch .

I am hoping we split between home and office , whereas my OH would rather be at home full time .

I hope that the utilities don't continue wfh, impossible to get hold of my energy company last week, I have also heard other companies are giving dreadful service at the moment

I'm a key worker, so have been in all the way through anyway.
I can't imagine to being able to socialise with coworkers. Some of my best friends have been met through work, very sad if you spend your days and nights alone (I live alone, so would hate remote working)

I used to work in an office and loved the social life, the chatter, the possibilities for career advancement that I'd never have had otherwise.

After working there for 20 years, I went self employed and have now worked from home for 10 years; I love the convenience and the comfort of it, and would never want to go back to a commute. I like knowing that I'm not driving anywhere and causing pollution, and that I can choose when to take my breaks and have my meals.

I do recognise that this is a privilege of age, progression, and of having made my career and contacts in my first office-based phase, though. I don't know how apprentices will manage. The friendships I made early on have lasted; I met my partner at work too. So, while I'm happy to WFH myself, I do feel sorry for those who will never have that office based social life.

I completely agree with you. I think it's shocking that so many people will be stuck working from home and have no choice in the matter. Fine if you have family and are involved in the local community but otherwise v isolating.

I know a few young people who now have to sit on their beds with their laptops all day working. It's so sad and unhealthy and I worry for them. I have worked from home for a few years - am self employed - but as a young person work was the source of much of my social life and I still have a lot of those friends. We would meet for lunch, drinks etc, not to mention chats in the office.
I hope people won't just be abandoned to work in their rooms.

@RedRiverShore I've found it difficult to contact mine too.

@Youngatheart00 my sister doesn't have children and says she gets her identity from her career as well. She has been WFH since becoming self-employed a year or so ago after working for a TV channel for years.

She lives in a small but expensive flat in London with her partner who also WFH. Monday to Friday is basically back to back Zoom meetings for them both.

They are both pretty content though and don't miss the office. They fit in jogging and yoga each day and she manages to meet a couple of friends separately each week for a coffee and walk in local parks.

She's very sociable and an extrovert but doesn't miss office working at all. She's early 50s so somewhat ahead in her career, but her's and Gannett's experience of WFH as a younger person indicate to me that you don't necessarily need a family around you to make WFH work for you.

One of my friends has started renting a desk in a shared office. So she's still working out of the house, other people around, but not at the actual workplace.

These sort of places exist - might be worth looking into to break the week up a bit. I am looking to start my own (very small business) and fortunately will hopefully be able to access some free shared space because of this locally. I need flexibility so I'm hoping this will be the answer to getting out of the house a bit.

Its so sad to see my DGS (19 ) wfh full time, permanently sat on his bed with a laptop and phone. He's on a very basic wage so little funds and/or knowledge about safe working practices and ergonomics.
Companies surely have a responsibility to these employees if they are to be permanently wfh, to assess and train them how to set up a workstation. Shouldn't they also supply a workstation and good chair to facilitate safe working practices.

Can you use the time saved from commuting to build your social network outside work? Volunteering or taking up a hobby? Could you meet up with a couple of colleagues and work remotely in a coffee shop or shared working space when restrictions relax?

YANBU. The main reason that I used to work (I'm now retired) was for the companionship, the camaraderie, the sense of belonging - and of course, the gossip and tittle tattle that always goes with the territory!

@MeanderingGently

Oh dear, I dream of a job I can do online but they're all either admin based (I've no track record) or IT or finance-type jobs for which I have no skills. I will just have to put up with going in to work, at least it's only part-time. I would put in masses of extra hours if I were working from home.... But then I'm not lonely and don't get my "buzz" from co-workers at the office.

What line of work are you in? I don’t work in admin or finance and have been working from home full time since the start. There was some home working before the pandemic, likely to be more after.

I go to work for human interaction and adult chat and fun, I hate home working - I like the separation. I’dve gone mad if I couldn’t have gone to work through lockdown. I’d definitely be looking for a new job if it were me

I'm OK working from home as I have a family, a decent size house and spent over 2 hours a day on public transport each day to work in the office for 5 hours. I miss being able to actually go to meet people face to face but it's not a disaster

But had this happened 15 years ago when work provided my social life (I met all of my best friends through work) I would have been so upset and lonely.

It’s a huge step change. I feel miserable that my employer has done so little to get people back into the office.

I have a management role and dealing with all aspects of that and keeping the team going, happy, motivated and secure through this pandemic has been such an uphill slog.

My firm keep saying WFH is going “so well” when actually the additional toll is really being felt.

I will be looking for something else as soon as the pandemic is truly behind us and will ask my questions carefully about how any new employer plans to address working practices.

Total opposite - I wish our work would continue with remote instead of forcing people back in.

@MyDcAreMarvel

Couldn’t disagree more. Wfh gives you so much more of your life back. No commute so hours extra to do as you please. No stress of a commute, better for the environment Lie ins , comfy clothes, no small talk , more time with family, in for parcels, can eat lunch at home, use your own toilet. Absolutely no negatives at all.

Also the freedom to go to an appointment when you need to! It never occurred to me what a faff it was to go to the doctors when your work isn’t in the same town as your GP. Now when I have needed doctors/dentist I have just blocked out time on my calendar and gone. So much easier to just live your life!