To ask if you would want to wfh full time?

[LadyCatLover2]

The thought of going back to work 5 days a week seems excruciating, but I'm unsure I would want to wfh five days a week either.

I recently had a job opportunity, but turned it down as it was 100% remote and I thought that would be bad for my mental health. I don't have many friends so work is my main interaction. But maybe I'm mad - wfh has benefits like no commute, privacy, more time in the evening etc.

Would you want to wfh full time, permanently?

Yes I would love this! But I am lucky in that I have some nice friends from work that we still have a chat everyday so it’s like being in there but I get all the perks of not having to commute and also take breaks when I want ect rather than having to plan them
Around other staff and cover. The money I am saving on fares is great though!

No, I love that I don’t have a commute and would want to keep some working from home but I miss the team dynamics and company as well as learning from each other

Yes, and I am. I find being near most people highly disagreeable so I love it.

I would, but I have a very long commute and don't have work friends.

No. I did 2 months after Christmas and hated it. It was lonely, demotivating and frustrating. But then I only have a 10-minute commute and I like my colleagues.

No, I'm up to 3 days in the office now and I love it. 1 more to go and that's me back yeay!!

Gosh I do think you’re mad! I’ve always been part WFH and now will be fully WFH forever and am beyond delighted. My time and structure of my day is my own. My commute is gone. My house care and daily life admin can be woven into natural breaks in my work. I can work with colleagues from all over the business with ease not just the ones in my building and we don’t all have to drive around to meet up. Collaboration is easier. And for social time I can spend time with friends I choose or doing hobbies I prefer rather than boring work talk about tv shows with perfectly pleasant people I’ve not chosen to spend time with and then calling that a social life.

WFH is the future for many of us.

No way

I only work PT but would much rather it be from home (currently is but think I’ll be asked back to the office soon). It saves me so much time; kids have a shorter day at childcare, more time for exercise, less rushing about.

However, I’m not sure I would feel the same if I didn’t have small kids at home. If I was younger I think I’d find full time wfh really hard.

I would love to but don’t think it will be possible.
I work 4 days a week and I think 2 days WFH is the best I will get.

Yes please!

No, it's lovely for a while but there is so much lost from not seeing people face to face, as people leave and new people start the relationships will change and that will bring challenges for both remaining and new staff. There's a balance to be found if there is any kind of team working involved.

I’m currently working every other week from home. Other than having a bit of a lie in, I don’t like it. I’d much rather be in the office.
I just don’t feel productive at home. For me, there’s distractions. The dishwasher needs loaded. The washing needs hung out. The floor needs swept etc. I can’t overlook these things. Plus, I can’t do my whole job from home.

No. I enjoy lots of things about being in the office, including my commute (I cycle.) I don’t like being at home all day. We’ll be hybrid working from September onwards which will suit me.

Yes and I do. Saves so much time not commuting and IMO works better for my employer too because I am more willing to be flexible with my time.

I worked in an open plan office before and hated it as it was really not conducive to concentration.

Nope. I am so over it. I have been able to fully work from home (other than when working away) for the last 5 years. It sucks.

I can go back to the office in 2 weeks and I'm so bloody excited.

I’m enjoying wfh full time at the moment. My organisation is planning minimum 2 days a week in the office in future - the rest will be personal / team choice - and I find that a good balance.

No, I miss the office enormously, despite the commute. We’re going hybrid, which for me is ideal..2 or 3 days in the office and the rest WFH.

I have done for 12 years, but I do travel to other 'sites' in the course of my work so I do get to see other people - otherwise it can become very isolating and not mentally healthy

Yes, I got made redundant at the start of the pandemic and my “new” (9 months now) job is FT WFH as the office is 200 plus miles away. It’s good but then it’s a phone based job so I get to talk to people all day.

No way.
It might be different if you have space for a dedicated office space in your home. But the days DH works from home is really intrusive on family life.

I would like to wfh as the default but with a few days in the office as needed per week.

I am far more productive at home mainly because I don’t have a pointless commute either way and prefer being on hand for DD. But I like the option of being able to go in occasionally for the social side of things and for meetings.

But the pandemic has exposed the utter pointlessness of having to go in every day just for the sake of being seen to be there and good riddance. No way am I going back to five days a week in an office.

I have been thinking on this a lot. Before Covid, I worked one day from home but am now just over a year exculsively working from home. I really like it, I have more energy from not being around people all day, and its much quieter for concentrating. But I miss the interaction, coffee chats. Especially in winter when I could go a whole week without leaving the house other than the supermarket (though in normal times, there would be more to do - pool, gyms, cinema, meals etc)
I will probably move to Mon/Weds in the office and the rest from home.

Yes, and I am currently F/T WFH. I’m saving hours of travelling time, meaning my work/life balance has never been better. I’m also saving a small fortune on commuting costs, bought lunches & coffees, constant office collections & charity fundraising etc etc. It all really does mount up.

The company isn’t going back to F/T in the office, so I will probably be doing two days a week there and three at home in future. Fine by me.

I have always predominantly wfh and love it. Over the years I have found friends in similar positions and so arrange walks/ coffee etc with them or others on their days off. It helps that my job is based on completed tasks rather than time in front of computer screen so I have lots of flexibility in terms of when I see people.