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?

surely the more fun and stimulating thing to do and one likely to keep the spark going is to spend chunks of time apart

I agree with ths ^^

Saw this on another covid thread, re just feeling generally flat:

"There was a very interesting Digital Human on R4, talking about novelty. The human brain needs novelty, even just water cooler chats at work or wandering round the shops or different people on the train to work. Without novelty we grind to a halt. "

I think employers who are taking advantage of what they think is short term cost cutting, by closing offices without consultation, are underestimating the damage that this will cause to their business overall. Meetings and teams are great, but many humans crave social interactions, and not everything can be done over zoom!

There has been many debates about the damages caused by forcing people to work in big open plan offices. That has never stopped anyone from using the format everywhere.

There has also been countless debates about the negative impact on individual and businesses themselves of the lack of work/life balance, presenteeism and poor working conditions.

No one is disagreeing about the negative impact, overall, of the lockdown. WFH in the middle of the lockdown has nothing to do with WFH in real life.
Even if some people think being able to see 6 peoples a month last summer made a huge difference . Lockdown or restriction, you can't judge real life based on the current pandemic.

@Oblomov21

Saw this on another covid thread, re just feeling generally flat:

"There was a very interesting Digital Human on R4, talking about novelty. The human brain needs novelty, even just water cooler chats at work or wandering round the shops or different people on the train to work. Without novelty we grind to a halt. "

I think employers who are taking advantage of what they think is short term cost cutting, by closing offices without consultation, are underestimating the damage that this will cause to their business overall. Meetings and teams are great, but many humans crave social interactions, and not everything can be done over zoom!

Agreed, my colleagues and I all feel that we have lived off the fumes off our good relationships and understanding of one another (with variable success) but that even that needs the oxygen of meeting, sparking off one another. And as you ay, the wider novelty of observing things, of unpredictable things happenings, of feeing alive rather than stagnant. As for new staff, it's very rough on everyone - them first and foremost but also the people trying to train them, the wider staff who tend to forget they are there because they dont 'know' them, etc.

@RampantIvy

surely the more fun and stimulating thing to do and one likely to keep the spark going is to spend chunks of time apart

I agree with ths ^^

So do I.

Even if some people think being able to see 6 peoples a month last summer made a huge difference

So... you think myself and DH going from seeing nobody for 3 months to being able to have all 4 of our parents to visit, have a meal and a glass of wine with them, help with the toddler, go to the cinema and have my best friend stay for a week made absolutely no difference to our mental health? Weird.

Hmm. Was WFH plus travel pre pandemic. Not travelled for a year. Not seen colleagues or clients in the flesh for year.

Honesty - don’t feel I’ve really missed it and not sure i feel less close or connected than I did. And I am quite extroverted...

People are different 🤷🏻‍♀️...

@AgentJohnson

I can understand your personal disappointment but the hyperbole was really not necessary.

What hyperbole ??? Seems a bit mean comment

I suppose many people, especially those that had to commute on packed, trains, buses and tube trains wont miss the commute or the cost but yes i suppose some may miss the social aspect of working with your colleagues, especially if you worked with nice people. I work with race horses in a stables so will always work away from home and in a team of people at the stables and outside in the fresh air. I couldnt do a job that involved staring at a screen for 7 hours a day anyway.

My works never closed. Wish it would. Job swop op? 😆

I'd happily be at home all day

Haven't RTFT, but OP, if you work in insurance, the vast vast majority of those companies are not shutting their offices or moving to full time WFH (I work in a related field). So can you find a similar role in another company?

WFH in the middle of the lockdown has nothing to do with WFH in real life

I think this depends on your job, home set up, where you live etc. I can’t see that much will change day to day wfh post lockdown for me. I’ll be able to go to the gym instead of working out at home I guess. But my friends don’t live close by (as is common for London) so seeing them in the evening will be a bit of a mission.

@mangoandraspberries

Haven't RTFT, but OP, if you work in insurance, the vast vast majority of those companies are not shutting their offices or moving to full time WFH (I work in a related field). So can you find a similar role in another company?

Aviva have said they expect people to be in the office an average of 1 day a week. That’s not great for anyone who doesn’t want to be working from home.

People can always apply for a job with Goldman Sachs!

I really don’t enjoy working with the people in my office. They are lazy, always chatting, and quite ineffective. They are also selfish twats given most of the first floor team were working in the office today, not socially distanced properly and despite there being a work from home directive still in place. There is absolutely no need for them to be in, they just don’t like working at home. Most used public transport too.

I’m glad my boss is happy for me to continue working from home as long as I want to.

There was a very interesting Digital Human on R4, talking about novelty. The human brain needs novelty, even just water cooler chats at work or wandering round the shops or different people on the train to work. Without novelty we grind to a halt.

This, my productivity has nose dived WFH. I just can't concentrate as well with no little stimulating breaks, little chats. Just those small human interactions that keep you stimulated, awake and alert.

I love my commute. It's about half an hour, in the car, audiobook on. It's a real switch between home and work. Getting up from my dining table, lugging the screens off it and trying to make space where we can all eat? Not so much. I've hurt my back moving the screens and no one gave a shit that I don't have a suitable area to work in but need large screens to do my job. That's why I left and am now back in an office based role.

Also, WFH order ending will make no difference to me not having a suitable area to work in. It is NEVER going to be possible without seriously impinging on how others use the house or on my physical healthy trying to shift stuff around.

I don't want to live in my office. I don't want it in my bedroom all those saying "oh just set up a small area" I need a BIG are for two large double screens. Also confidential stuff so cafes are out.

Well - to sum up how I feel about another gruelling and largely unrewarding wfh week. rather than join colleagues for a happy hour down at the pub (oh remember the days) I’ve just gone to bed and had an hours nap.

Have an unmumsnetty hug from me. I understand how you feel.

Thanks @RampantIvy that’s the best social interaction I’ve had all day

You're welcome

Please don't feel bad. Mumsnet does seem to have a disproportionate number of posters who either have horrible work colleagues, hate their work colleagues, have a horrible commute or are extremely introverted.

It’s sad for the young. Get up it’s dark outside then stuck looking at screens all day. Very depressing😩😩

I had no idea how much energy I got from being in an office with people until WFH. I struggled at first, got back up to full productivity quite fast, but it’s all the little interactions I miss. What a lot of people on this thread consider to be interruptions to their busy day, I find it much more obtrusive now to be phoned, or see a chat bubble pop up with a question, than I ever did when it was a 1-2 minute chat with colleagues about an issue we were all dealing with. Everything has to be a meeting now.

I see the benefits of WFH with young children. But with no commute I don’t have that free time to listen to music or podcasts, idly scroll social media or read. My gym is near my office, there isn’t one near my house. No cafes out in the suburbs either. I miss travelling to the city.

Appreciate that everyone is different though and flexibility is key. There are some colleagues who I don’t think I’ll ever see in person again!