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Original poster

SERIOUSLY??? People may quit if forced to work from home, Rishi Sunak warns ?

708 replies

R2221 · 26/03/2021 14:13

No Mr Sunak. Working from home saves me 2 FUCKING HOURS of daily commute + rush hour stress + travel costs.

I work from home now. I am more productive, less stressed and happier.

OP posts:
Moomin12345 · 26/03/2021 20:12

@IcedPurple far from it. Yet, you must admit that forcing people to be in the office 5 days a week and waste >10 h a week on a train in jobs that can be done well remotely is a bit... Odd? Unnecessary? Oppressive? You can also claim that feminism frames women as 'victims', and the other half of the world as 'oppressors'.

Gerla · 26/03/2021 20:12

@moomin12345 Not really, I don't live in the UK but I think there are a lot of people who don't qualify for social housing but equally don't earn enough to have spare rooms (or spare space) to set up an office at home. Good for you if you do but don't presume everyone is the same.

JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil · 26/03/2021 20:14

Lots of sweeping comments about people saving money on commutes. Not everyone commutes for hours a day. Many of my younger colleagues live near work. The office shouldn’t close permanently to suit people who made a conscious decision to move 2 hours away to rural Buckinghamshire to live in a massive house for example. They knew where the job was when they applied for it.

UrAWizHarry · 26/03/2021 20:14

[quote Moomin12345]@IcedPurple far from it. Yet, you must admit that forcing people to be in the office 5 days a week and waste >10 h a week on a train in jobs that can be done well remotely is a bit... Odd? Unnecessary? Oppressive? You can also claim that feminism frames women as 'victims', and the other half of the world as 'oppressors'.[/quote]
Is it really beyond your capacity to imagine that some people do actually prefer to be in the office, for any number of reasons?

Moomin12345 · 26/03/2021 20:15

@RampantIvy it's not. Neediness is needing something. 'antisocial' brings to mind the antisocial personality disorder, although it's now also used to describe reserved people.

BMW6 · 26/03/2021 20:15

Seriously OP?!?

Can you not conceive that not everyone likes WFH - some absolutely HATE it and will change jobs to a workplace situation if they can.

My sister is one who loathes WFH and it is having a really bad effect on her MH.

whetherpigshavewings · 26/03/2021 20:15

I am an extrovert

and I work in a sales environment Grin

Still see the huge progress for everybody (who can) to WFH!

WFh doesn't mean being stuck in a cave

Waxonwaxoff0 · 26/03/2021 20:16

@Moomin12345

That's precisely it. The extroverts have ruled the world and imposed their preferences on everyone for too long. Instead of labeling introverts 'antisocial', let's give them the option not to be smothered by extroverts' neediness.
Why is it OK to call extroverts "needy" but not OK to call introverts "antisocial"?
Moomin12345 · 26/03/2021 20:16

@UrAWizHarry. No. Is it beyond your capacity to admit that forcing everyone to be physically there is suboptimal too?

IcedPurple · 26/03/2021 20:17

[quote Moomin12345]@IcedPurple far from it. Yet, you must admit that forcing people to be in the office 5 days a week and waste >10 h a week on a train in jobs that can be done well remotely is a bit... Odd? Unnecessary? Oppressive? You can also claim that feminism frames women as 'victims', and the other half of the world as 'oppressors'.[/quote]
I doubt someone rounded you up on the street and made you work in an office. You presumably chose that job, knowing full well it would be office based. Some jobs can be done well from home, others can't, no matter how much some will insist they are 'so much more productive' from home. If your job is one of the former, great. But if employers feel they are getting more out of their employees by having them in the office, that is what they will do. Employees who don't like it can seek another job, just as those who dislike WFH can seek an office based job.

Employers' main obligation is to their business, not to an employee's dislike of being around other people.

N4ish · 26/03/2021 20:17

I would quit my current job if forced to work from home full time. And I’m definitely not an extrovert!

I’ve actually been surprised at how eager I am to get back to the office, thought I would have adjusted to WFH by now.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 26/03/2021 20:18

I think he's talking bollocks. I can't work from home in my job and absolutely wouldn't want to either, but I can see why loads of people would.

PaddingtonsSister · 26/03/2021 20:19

Most people i know love wfh It should be a legal right to choose if youwant to work from home Employees not emplyers to choose assuming you can do the same thing that you can do inthe office just as well you shouldn’t be forced to be in or not be in

whetherpigshavewings · 26/03/2021 20:19

@JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil

Lots of sweeping comments about people saving money on commutes. Not everyone commutes for hours a day. Many of my younger colleagues live near work. The office shouldn’t close permanently to suit people who made a conscious decision to move 2 hours away to rural Buckinghamshire to live in a massive house for example. They knew where the job was when they applied for it.
You can't see how HAVING to move to be able to afford a decent size house is wrong?

It's hardly a choice to have to relocate to find a decent home (and decent school).

yes they know where the job was, don't you think if people would apply for local jobs if they could find one? Very few workers make a point to look for jobs hours away - spending a fortune and wasting their time - to get there.

Moomin12345 · 26/03/2021 20:20

@Waxonwaxoff0 ah, good question. Perhaps seeing extroverts label introverts as 'antisocial' has made me hopelessly bitter and cynical?Grin Freud would have a field day! Ted Bundy WAS antisocial. As was Harold Shipman.

whetherpigshavewings · 26/03/2021 20:22

From my experience, the people who most enjoy the open plan office nightmare are the ones who keep wasting everyone's time with their inane chiński chats about weekend plans breakfast cereal and the weather

you do have a point.

If people miss the "social aspect" of the office, they are the ones who are making it less efficient for the rest of us to work. Confusing your workplace with your social life is not exactly what your employers signed you up for.

I suppose in some way I am actually paid to socialise but to a point!

FlyingPandas · 26/03/2021 20:23

@BMW6

Seriously OP?!?

Can you not conceive that not everyone likes WFH - some absolutely HATE it and will change jobs to a workplace situation if they can.

My sister is one who loathes WFH and it is having a really bad effect on her MH.

This, with bells on.

DH is far from an extrovert but is really struggling WFH full time.

I am far from an extrovert but am so much happier doing a job that requires me to go in to the office (school based so need to be in - can't do it from home).

It's the little things - proper adult human interaction, a quick chat whilst making a coffee, being able to actually sit down and chat face to face to sort out an issue (which feels so much artificial when done over conference call), just leaving the house to go to work which means workplace = work and home = a place to relax.

For so many people, WFH is ripping away much of what makes them enjoy their job - i.e. face to face interaction with real people.

I get that for some people they love WFH and feel much better.

I also get that for some people they hate WFH and feel much worse.

Why is that so hard to understand OP? The lack of empathy of some posters never fails to astound/depress me.

Orla44 · 26/03/2021 20:23

I’m young and just started a new job in November and I love working from home. I was in an office based role perviously and I just really do not miss the office chit chat or travelling to work. I genuinely do get more enjoyment out of my work when I am able to just sit in my room and get on with it.

Having said this, I recognise for many, working from home can be isolating, lonely and generally inconvenient.

I think the sensible way forward should be to have a blended approach. No one should be told they must work from home full time or work in the office full time but the option should be there to do both based on what you prefer.

Moomin12345 · 26/03/2021 20:24

@IcedPurple sure, nobody 'rounded me on the street'. My workplace has always been quite flexible about working from home. But I do have to pay my bills and I got used to having a comfortable lifestyle, so I'll just have to keep calm and carry on regardless of the surroundings Smile nobody forced anyone to have any job. They can always sleep under the stars, as there are few alternatives.

LakieLady · 26/03/2021 20:28

security reasons I can’t work in a local cafe to get some company even when lockdown ends

I couldn't do it because of lack of confidentiality. Imagine when helping someone with a PIP form and discussing how bad their incontinence is, or how rarely they have a bath or shower, in a crowded Costa?

FlyingPandas · 26/03/2021 20:28

"I work from home now. I am more productive, less stressed and happier."

DH would say: "I work from home now. I am less productive, more stressed and far less happy."

WFH is screwing the mental health of as many people as it is helping the mental health of others....

Moomin12345 · 26/03/2021 20:31

@FlyingPandas then surely the best answer is giving people real flexibility? Or just conceding that life isn't fair and half of the people will always be unhappy.

Ijustknowitstimetogo · 26/03/2021 20:32

Introverts versus extroverts wars. As though the world is divided neatly into two little groups, with poor 'introverts' the hapless victims of overbearing 'extroverts'.

The real world doesn't work like that.

Yes it does for many of us. Was sick of the office and the commute. Job is bearable and doable at home.

I’m sick of people going on about how important it is to get back to ‘office banter’ and ‘culture’ and ‘needing to see people’s body language’ and ‘water cooler networking’.

Bollocks. I just want to do my job and get paid. I don’t want to deal with you extroverts’ mindless chatter and messing around while waiting for meetings to start and (not) making polite conversation. If it needs to get done it will get done. Everything else is just noise.

User133847 · 26/03/2021 20:34

I’m young and just started a new job in November and I love working from home. I was in an office based role perviously and I just really do not miss the office chit chat or travelling to work. I genuinely do get more enjoyment out of my work when I am able to just sit in my room and get on with it.

I've worked in a lot of offices and it's just people getting on each other's nerves for the most part.

UrAWizHarry · 26/03/2021 20:35

[quote Moomin12345]@UrAWizHarry. No. Is it beyond your capacity to admit that forcing everyone to be physically there is suboptimal too?[/quote]
Could have fooled me based on what you've said. Wfh suits some people and some jobs, not all.

It's only in the last few years that the infrastructure to allow widespread wfh has been available. Change takes time.