WFH, suddenly taken away, are we really just going back to the old way?

[80caloriesofbiscuitplease]

Today my (public sector) employer announced we were all expected to be back in the office, full time from a months time, with home working only to be used in emergencies.
I know that response to WFH has been mixed from other professionals and some employees have frankly been less productive from home. I would have been happy with one day per week from home as a compromise.
My argument is that there should be a consultation period where we could put forward our rationale for being able to maintain an aspect of home working. Also are we really going to go back to the old way, packed buses, packed trains, traffic, pollution, all for presentism?
I feel that we've seen another way, with happier employees, healthier employees and an improvement in the environment. I work in a grey concrete wasteland where I regularly sit at my desk all day without a break. At home I can open my doors, hear the birds, stroke my cat. My mental health has improved so much and that makes me a better employee. Today two of us were in the office and four were working from home. They really want to go back to six of us coming to work all day, every day to answer emails and input data which we could do from home?
I know I could look for another role but I like my job and I'm quite good at it. I don't want a role which is completely home based, but I feel saddened by the whole world going back to the way we lived before.
And yes I know some have worked out the house the whole way through. It's not a 'my life is harder' competition.

[quote Yaykyay]@Douchebaggette
Thanks for sharing your experience re outsourcing. It's really interesting and backs up some on my points about it too

Honest it's making me cringe how confidenty people state well of you can work from home your job can be outsourced. It shows quite a significant lack of understanding of what many people do. As if all the people Wfh do admin or work in a call centre. Maybe because you have a simple job doesn't mean we all do. I know that's a bit mean, but the constant oversimplification of a huge population of the workforce does get annoying.[/quote]
I really agree with this

My husband can work from home full time luckily and only has to commute in twice a month, and its made so much of a difference to our lives. He is so much happier, works better, his hour lunch we take the kids out for a walk together so our relationship is even better, he's not so stressed from commute, and he uses our local amenities more, like, we'll go to the little cafe with the kids for half an hour, and if we take a bit longer feeding the ducks, he can then work a little later.
I love how much happier my husbands been.
I hope people are given more of a choice because from a family life pov (and we live in a tiny 2 bed with 6 of us lol) its been amazing.

@LittleMissPlant

Many of us have had to continue to attend our work places throughout the pandemic and haven’t had the luxury of feeling safe by remaining at home. I see lots of people complaining about having to attend work again and yet they’re out there living their best lives at the weekend - pubs, day trips, dinner out, people round for drinks and dinner etc.

What's any of that, got to do with What's being discussed?

Lots of employers indicated more WFH would be an option. Lots completely reneging on that. It is a great shame. Its been a revelation for me, so much better. Doing as much if not more, and clients getting a service every bit as good.

I highly doubt that if they had consulted you op it would have swayed them in the slightest

Your position is entirely personally led. It’s about what you like and worked for you
And lots of the old way was shit for “everyone”. When quite clearly - it wasn’t

As an employer I think people massively over estimated how productive they were wfh. Having said that, in my team, since we introduced completely open hybrid working, everyone has come in all the time anyway!

I don’t understand the anti WFH brigade’s ire at hybrid working.

Some of the most anti-hybrid people at my workplace are the disabled -- they need a consistent set up that meets their needs when they do arrive at the employer's building, not hot desking. And they may not want to "live at the office' otherwise.

Hybrid is being forced on us -- it won't be a choice what balance we get, we're going to be actively discouraged from going in so result is some forced WFH.

I made a long list of all the stuff I'd like to take into the office. MNers said my list was ridiculous. Only the disabled persons can park within 100m of most of our office buildings. If I wanted milk for a cuppa or spare shoes I'd have to bring them. Why spare shoes? because I'm used to cycling & my shoes might get soaked. Hybrid means I could be forced into driving, realistically. Nearest free parking is a mile from current office location. It's all a big change in lots of areas how I would do my job, get there, what clothes I need to wear or bring, what equipment I'd use, if I have to lug a laptop back and forth, etc.

i have a friend who is loving WFH. She said "I could easily get a lodger now, there will be so many more people who WFH"

I pointed out that the lodger's bedroom was only about 11'x11'. Not everyone wants to WFH alone, from their small lodger bedroom, all day. Friend regards her 3rd bedroom (her own home office) & her 4th bedroom (filled with her entire house clutter). "I guess they could rent the 4th bedroom as an office, too, then" she declares -- for as much as a small 1 bed flat rent would cost in combo , I'm thinking.

Maybe is right WFH set up for someone.

@Mayaspecialist it’s hypocritical.
You referred to packed buses etc but loads of people willing to go to unnecessary spaces when it’s what they want.

All these people that are very anti-WFH, have you been working out the home throughout the pandemic? Because I have and I don't feel that gives me the 'right' to demand everyone goes back to the office. If it works for him and if it's better for the environment then everyone wins.

We are just waiting to hear after a consultation.

I don't think our customers have suffered at all from us doing a mix of office working and WFH. Just depends how motivated your workforce is!

I hope they keep a blend. It will be good for almost everyone - I mean unless staff want to be back all the time in the office. Sure no one will object to that preference, which is totally valid. I like the mix myself.

Fingers crossed they will keep it.

Most people who have been able to WFH through Covid have been happier, healthier and more productive that before

Do you have data to back that up @Frances553 or is it anecdotal? I’ve personally found wfh extremely difficult over the last 18months and know many others in the same boat. I work in a small org of around 10 people that works on largely collaborative projects and we’ve all been raring to get back into the office. A lot of work has stalled simply because it’s impossible to bounce ideas around and move things forward when talking through a screen.

Not everyone has a long commute or finds being in the office stressful, nor does everyone have nice big houses with space for a decent sized desk, comfy chair and quiet place to work from. I’ve found it really isolating and have hated not being able to ‘get away’ from work.

FWIW I actually do favour a hybrid model, I’m not against home working full stop. I just don’t know if that sweeping statement holds true.

I think it’s not your choice or decision and YABU presenting this like it was ever discussed as being a permanent thing.

Bit rubbish. I’m public sector and we are moving to a 50/50 model

@Carriecakes80 totally agree.

We live in a smallish flat but WFH has allowed us to home ed DS between us for the last year and had a massive impact on our family life in a good way. I still go to work 2 days a week and enjoy it when I do.

We manage to work round each other even with limited space.

[quote LittleMissPlant]@Mayaspecialist it’s hypocritical.
You referred to packed buses etc but loads of people willing to go to unnecessary spaces when it’s what they want.[/quote]
But we are talking about working from home or hybrid, as an ongoing way of working. Post pandemic.

And honestly, other peoples jobs roles, have no impact on people in completely different roles.

That's like me saying that teachers shouldn't get 6 weeks holidays because I don't.

@Vegeetas

I have had literally zero time away from work (yay construction industry) and would have killed to stay home for a bit in any capacity and get paid.

Unless ALL of England forces a change individuals WILL lose.

Are you getting WFH mixed up with furlough? I'd also have killed to get paid for not working, but I worked throughout (at home) and harder than ever because lockdown caused extra work for us. So yes, I got paid

Another view.. While I completely see the lure of wfh, two of my four (who have all worked through out, teacher & film/tv) t have worked from home through out and I am soooo sick of it. I can't get on with my stuff, they have breakfast, I have just got dog walked, done swimming, and only been back a short while before they are down for lunch, more mess as they don't have time to clear up, well one really is like this, as they are working.... I would just love my house back in the day time.!!!! I get moaned at for hoovering or making noise/shouting, who hasn't cleaned the bathroom?? as they are on zoom or the phone!! Long for the day when they are out of the house, although for one it might be permanent wfh....

@MindatWork there are many big surveys coming out that are finding this. It really depends vey much on people’s individual circs though, whether it has worked for them in general the hybrid model seems to be what most want - best of both worlds, reducing commuting which most people dislike and giving more control over when and how people work. But of course it depends hugely on having enough space. Findings show people in overcrowded housing, incl the young, have (obviously) had a much tougher time

Oh dear
You actually have to leave your house and go to work ..
Commute
Not stay home chilling
Reality check
!!
Some of us worked the whole damn Time not staying home !!!

Some people have been quietly working from home for donkeys years. Acas conciliators, for example - completely set up for at least the last 10 years, so that nobody has had the first idea that they are nowhere near the office. There are plenty of other publicly funded roles that have been wfh for many years as a consequence of a shrinkage in the size of the estate. It’s a classic and well established cost saving measure. The difference between then and now is that safe and effective wfh needs to be planned for - not just fallen into by force of circumstance so that the temporary becomes permanent.

I think wfh is great - as long as people are properly cared for with decent IT, desks, no shaving of terms and conditions, proper breaks, decent line management and proper scope for social support from co-workers etc. Let’s not have a generation of people with all kinds of physio woes, poor mental health and/ or inadequate screen and computer equipment just because we fell into this way of working.

Also, how to make sure the extra time you gain belongs to you and not the employer, and you that still get up and move around etc. Etc.

I’m looking forward to continued home working but I’m conscious that as the temporary becomes permanent, I’m going to have to do more to ensure healthy working habits, so that I don’t just log on and then just sit there for hours and hours working.

@nannykatherine

Oh dear You actually have to leave your house and go to work .. Commute Not stay home chilling Reality check !! Some of us worked the whole damn Time not staying home !!!

Again, if you don't do the same job role, how is what you do for your work relevant?

Wfh/hybrid as always been in place for lots of people. Did that bother you as well?

Don't work from the office if you don't want to op. Leave. No way will I ever work from an office again. I am very employable so I am lucky but for most averagely skilled people who have been working from home there will be a lot of working from home jobs available. Take a chance. Leave. Life is too short. Tell your employer why you are doing it. They will find it very hard to recruit.

* I think wfh is great - as long as people are properly cared for with decent IT, desks, no shaving of terms and conditions, proper breaks, decent line management and proper scope for social support from co-workers etc. Let’s not have a generation of people with all kinds of physio woes, poor mental health and/ or inadequate screen and computer equipment just because we fell into this way of working. *

In any event. In any scenario whatsoever.
There will always always always be huge swathes if the workforce complaining about this, that and the other

The only reason why public servants are being forced back to their desks now is political - to ‘lead the way’. Who cares that thousands of civil servants have wfh effectively for many years pre covid. It’s ‘not fair’, so suck it up, basically.

two, not t 4 altogether!