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?

Seriously, @Youngatheart00, do start checking out other jobs. I’ve spoken to recruiters recently and the vast majority of roles in my field are in the 2-3 days at home when we’re back in the office category. Some don’t mention it at all, so presumably not wanting promise something that may not be delivered. Only one was fully wfh - and when I had an interview with them they said they had vague plans for everyone to move to a European city at some point in the next few years, and did that interest me? So even that seemed to involve a longterm office plan.

As someone who would see full flexibility to wfh as a huge draw, I’ve mentioned this to recruiters, all of whom have implied these roles are relatively rare.

The only companies I know who have done this have had pre-existing issues with premises that wfh has solved. I think even they will end up finding somewhere suitable in time.

@Ellpellwood

Why would it? Lots of people.have WFH full time for years with no issues to their health.

Yes, because they applied for WFH positions. DH has done it for years.

It's a bit shit if you work partly to get out of the house (me).

But what's stopping you going out? Take a walk at lunch, meet a colleague. When restrictions lifted organise team meets for drinks or a meal. Can still socialise and WFH full time

I love it, want to stay working from home, cant bear the thought of being in an office, all that fake stuff and gossip, no thanks!

Tbh that would be my idea of heaven. No forced interaction with people I don't particularly like. No commute, less stress, although I probably wouldn't be as productive at home because theres so many far more interesting things I could be doing. However I completely get why you are upset about it, maybe time to look for a new job?

@RampantIvy

Why would it? Lots of people.have WFH full time for years with no issues to their health.

I fell that this is a bit of a disingenuous comment. Those who have worked from home for years will have chosen to do so. They probably have enough room for an office set up, good internet connection, have progressed sufficiently up the career ladder or are working for themselves.

The OP is talking about those of us where WFH happened unexpectedly, and who maybe don't have ideal working conditions at home. We aren't all introverts who dislike our workmates.

For a lot of people their only social interaction is at work.

I'm both social and outgoing but much prefer working from home, so WFH is not just for introverts

I definitely feel for you OP, and the posters making disparaging comments are really lacking in empathy. For me personally I am happy to wfh forever, however if this had happened 10 years ago when I was still into socialising with colleagues and meeting friends for drinks after work or even just lunch on a regular basis I would have been devastated too. As it is I think we'll be asked to go in one or two days a week which suits me fine now with school runs etc, but I am very aware that permanent wfh will be a real blow for a lot of people.
As has been mentioned already in this thread, peripheral workers will also be affected by office staff no longer commuting - cleaners, coffee shop/cafe/restaurant/bar workers, retailers within train stations etc etc. A real seismic shift in the fabric of society (if you'll excuse the hyperbole ).

@HalzTangz You can claim cost of desk, electric, heating back and get tax code changes to pay less tax whilst working from home

You can claim tax relief on £6 per week for WFH for the 2020/21 tax year (which is about £5 per month if you’re in the 20% tax bracket).

You really can’t easily claim for office furniture or electricity/heating.

To each their own but WFH has been wonderful for me. It really did improve my mental health but of course it's down to the individual.

But what's stopping you going out? Take a walk at lunch, meet a colleague. When restrictions lifted organise team meets for drinks or a meal. Can still socialise and WFH full time

As I have already said, I am now back in the office. However on my days off, I was in the living room with a toddler and a large pile of toys. On my days working I was in the same room at the dining table with the same pile of toys, 30 minutes lunch, no colleagues living in the same town, and I collected DS from nursery at 4.30 as DH works til 5.30. I couldn't have swanned off to Costa at lunch even if lockdown wasn't a thing.

Take a walk at lunch, meet a colleague. When restrictions lifted organise team meets for drinks or a meal. Can still socialise and WFH full time

You are assuming that people who work together live near each other. I live more than 20 miles away from most of the people I work with.

Apparently introverts are supposed to be loving it but this introvert is finding that sitting for 8 hours a day on my own in front of a screen at home is just no way to live life. It's utterly miserable and soul destroying.

I agree, I’m a total introvert but wfh has been really bad for me,

Instead of being forced to be stuck for hours with colleagues you did not chose, you will have the time and opportunity to be with friends you chose, or people you are meeting through shared interests or hobbies.

MN will lose all the threads about disgusting colleagues, rude ones, smelly ones, noisy idiots who scream on the phone all day, people eating stinky or noisy food at their desk, people fighting because they are too hot/too cold, the endless mind numbingly boring tea run, the time wasters interrupting your work too often...

while you will work where you want, how you want it, at your preferred temperature, with or without background music, without nearly any interruption, and free time to actually have a life with people you choose.

What's not to like!

I think it’s probably felt worse wfh this last 12 months, only because we’ve also not been able to socially interact with families and friends due to covid. I think once places open again, it wont feel as bad because we can go the gym after work, meet with friends for a drink or a meal. We will have a full social calendar outside of work, so I think wfh in those circumstances will work well for a lot of people.

They are justifying it by saying ‘most people’ want this despite me never seeing any such survey.

Have you told them that this is not your preference? You may find that you aren't the only one.

I cant think of anything worse than chatting over making coffee or lunch, these are people you work with, not friends, give me home working any day!

[quote HainaultViaNewburyPark]@HalzTangz You can claim cost of desk, electric, heating back and get tax code changes to pay less tax whilst working from home

You can claim tax relief on £6 per week for WFH for the 2020/21 tax year (which is about £5 per month if you’re in the 20% tax bracket).

You really can’t easily claim for office furniture or electricity/heating.[/quote]
You can also claim expenses for purchases such as a desk or laptop, I made my claim and my tax code significantly changed

The lockdown has been horrendous for me,
working from home the only small mercy in a really damaging year!

Yanbu. It’s really tough. I would hate it, I am going back onsite in May and I can’t wait. Can’t beat proper human interaction and I say that as an introvert. Working alone in front of a screen does nothing for my mental well being.

Think about it: weekends at the moment.. are stuck at home, with nowhere to go, no one to meet.

So are evenings, lunch. No sport, no hobby, no club.

It won't feel the same when we can finally get out of the house. I would find it horrifying to finally get out of lockdown to have to be locked up again in an office for 10 to 12 hours a day! One prison for another... it's too depressing to consider.

I prefer wfh. I like what I do and have enough interaction with colleagues on a daily basis to not feel lonely. In my previous job I'd have hated it though. I could go a week without speaking to anybody in that job. So depends on the job I guess.

Where was all this magical free time I gained WFH then? 10 minutes commute each way - I reckon it went on extra trips to the supermarket for milk and time spent trying to log onto the server remotely before 9am.

I am with you opener . Office now permanently closed WFH indefinitely. I too hate it I would have liked flexible one or two days a week in the office . WFH is never going to appeal to everyone especially when it is forced on you. I think it suits people who can easily detach from work. I am not one of those . I needed the physical distance and the daily commute to detach from work . I now feel like work is always in my thoughts and I have lost count of the times when I have just popped on the pc to check on something over the weekend and am still sat there 2 hours later . I know I am not alone as I have never received so many emails at random times in the evening and weekends (which also annoys me as I have my work emails on my iPad and phone so invariably read them!) I am hoping the previous poster is right and things will calm down when we are out of lockdown and there is more opportunity to escape my office (formerly my home)

Also, let's not forget that a lot of people have done a year. Not just lockdown 3. It's not that long since the government was paying for half a Nandos, the cinemas were reopened, and in some areas you could have 6 in your house. Plenty of people on this thread still hated it.

I cant think of anything worse than chatting over making coffee or lunch, these are people you work with, not friends, give me home working any day!

I obviously have more congenial workmates than you do. They have become friends, and when the rules relax we will definitely be socialising.

MN will lose all the threads about disgusting colleagues, rude ones, smelly ones, noisy idiots who scream on the phone all day, people eating stinky or noisy food at their desk, people fighting because they are too hot/too cold, the endless mind numbingly boring tea run, the time wasters interrupting your work too often...

Thankfully, I don't work with people like that thecatandthevicar

There are people I work with who I enjoy chatting to in the office but we all have busy lives with our own friends and families and don’t necessarily live near each other and with the best will in the world we’re not going to meet up and go for lunch. It’s those casual interactions I miss. Not close friends, because I am still and will continue to be in touch with them, but the wider network of acquaintances. People I would have a 5 minute chat to in the kitchen or waiting for the lift, who I only really knew because we happened to usually go and make my coffee at the same time. People I’d see on the commute.

I have no more time than I did before as a result of wfh so I don’t suddenly get to spend more time with people. The temperature and background noise were always fine because I’m not a total control freak. I’m not saving any money because I had an inexpensive commute which has been offset by higher costs resulting from being in my house all day.

The only thing that’s kept me hanging in there work wise is the knowledge that eventually, at some point, I won’t have to spend all day alone in front of a screen on yet another fucking Teams meeting.

In terms of productivity etc, we’re all doing what we need to do but it’s just like treading water. It feels like there’s been no development, service improvement or change, we’re just stagnant and there’s only so long that can continue. And I don’t work in a remotely creative field, it’s firmly back office stuff. I think companies who force everyone fully remote might find it comes back to bite them on the arse in the longer term.