To have completely changed my mind about WFH?

[MauvePinkRose]

I know there is a WFH thread but I mean this more generally than the specific things about it that are driving me to drink!

Pre pandemic, I would have said that WFH was a positive thing that employers should absolutely allow, reducing traffic and therefore pollution, allowing more quality time at home.

Now, I’ve changed my mind.

I think it’s having a negative impact on public transport, which in turn will lead to redundancies and reduced public transport, which is bad news for those who can’t drive. It is also having a knock on effect on things like coffee kiosks and sandwich bars.

Then, I’m not convinced that WFH is as productive as people think. I don’t know what’s going on with DVLA for instance but I am still waiting for a driving license I sent off for three months ago and you can’t get through on the phones.

It’s turned family homes into workplaces and thus impacts everyone. I’ve had some really stressful and unpleasant times because of it.

And I do think it’s not very healthy. Dp rarely leaves the house without me, has gained weight and falls ill all the time as I just feel he isn’t gaining any natural immunity.

I’ll probably be flamed by all the WFHers now

Personally I've found it to be a nightmare trying to contact any office based organisation. It isn't as productive because you're not mixing with others, therefore not as motivated, dynamic, on the ball etc. I have more than one job, one wfh and other in schools and hospitals. Believe me, wfh has been so much easier and less stressful to the point of lazy, ie not properly dressed, doing housework, playing with my dog during meetings . Defo not as efficient as being actively part of a team, for ourselves and our customers. X

I would much rather be in the office 4 days a week and l'm an introvert. I miss the structure and routine and l used to complain about those things. Talk about grass always being greener.

YANBU, but the idea of work from home has made it seem possible for me to actually get a job that will allow me to do school runs and take care of my mother as well as earn an income. Surely Flexi work could become more acceptable to employers now...?

I think what needs to happen is the hybrid model my own employers have implemented. I cannot imagine being in the office full time now. Having that flexibility has just completely changed my work life balance.

YANB entirely unreasonable.

I agree that getting out of the house more regularly is better for us all, physically and mentally. Working elsewhere means you’re forced to do that; otherwise, you have to make a much more conscious effort to build it in.

I also tend to agree that the people who think WFH is great already had fully-equipped office spaces. I work from the sofa; my husband works from the kitchen table. Occasionally one of us has to decamp to the bedroom if we’re both on calls simultaneously. Far from ideal. I’m returning to face to face work soon and couldn’t be more delighted. Husband has already returned to the office voluntarily. That physical separation between home and work spaces is so valuable and something we have both missed.

I agree, too, that Covid has just become an excuse for poor customer service now.

HOWEVER, I can’t agree with your initial point. Sandwich bars and coffee shops were unneeded luxuries to start with - not essential or high-skilled work. The people who worked in these places will find employment elsewhere. Public transport-wise, these services will before too long be replaced with self-driving vehicles. Cases such as the Paris metro (where many lines are automated/driverless) prove that this increases efficiency, decreases accidents and suicides, and does not result in a reduction in services.

I also tend to agree that the people who think WFH is great already had fully-equipped office spaces.

Worked from home for 5 years in a 500sq ft 2 bedroom flat with no garden. Still loved it.

@Rozziie do you work remotely? I don't understand why you are criticising others.

I think a flexible approach is good based on the job - we're about to return to the office, 1 day a week initially.
I don't think it can be left to the individual to 'decide', because it needs to be based on business needs too. But if the individual can demonstrate they can be as productive from home then businesses need to rethink the working from the office model. And targets to get everyone in 2/3 days a week are ridiculous if they're not assessing what works best for each role.

I think (hope) over the next few years we may see businesses move out of city centres, as if people are not having to travel in each day then the city centre location is not as vital. Cheaper premises outside of the city, smaller desk numbers needed. Hopefully better paid jobs outside of city centres!

As for coffee shops etc...these industries will be replaced with others that are now busier due to wfh.

I have no idea what absolute nonsense you're even banging on about now. Keep grasping at straws and making no sense. I'll be on a thread with more coherent posters.

Its not hard to grasp.

Remote worker telling people they are terribly selfish and horrible members of society, for wanting to wfh.

Remote worker, telling people they shouldn't do what suits them best and benefits their health. Shouldn't put society first. Then claims they simply must be a Remote worker, so the above doesn't apply to them

Person who likes to travel telling telling people they have to travel if they did prepandemic because you want cheap travel. But then says your aren't travelling yourself.

If you can't see the hypocrisy, there's not much people can do.

I don't think you are terribly selfish person. I think you are doing what's right for you and thinking about the things that impact you. Its only by your own standards you are selfish. But you can't even see it.

What I find odd is that wait times are getting longer and longer, the options getting more tedious, the options within options are scream- worthy and recorded messages on a loop offering a million ways we can contact them other than by ☎️ and how they're protecting their workforce. Add in dropped calls, bad connections and my patience is stretched beyond its limits.
What % of workforces are too ill to work, even from home? It seems that nowadays that workforces have shrunk and I base that assumption on the fact that they have HUGE queues but I doubt more customers are ringing in. So what is going on. Whether WFH or in the workplace, surely the wait times would not, almost 2 years down the line, still be at pandemic levels. Most have been double vaccinated and cases have gone down so why can't the phones be answered in a timely fashion?

I love WFH and will never go back.

The snarky office politics, gone
Creepy male co-workers hitting on me, gone
No more smelly food in the microwave
No more loud mouths on speaker phone.

As someone with mild autism who has spent the last 35 years masking, wfh is a gift from god. My stress levels have dropped by 90%. I'm far more productive, no longer exhausted. My CEO is very delighted.

I never ever want to go back to the office.

100% wfh is very unhealthy, I agree. Bad for your mental health and bad for physical health.

I'm a fan of hybrid working to be honest I think it is a good compromise.

However, what has surprised me about this thread is that the OP cites the DVLA as an example of wfh not working, and, apart from a couple of posters who've mentioned strikes no-one has pointed out that the DVLA have been making most of their staff in their Swansea contact centre attend the office throughout the pandemic. This has resulted in a massive COVID outbreak resulting in 600 cases (out of 6,000 staff, so 10%) and one death. Staff have alleged that COVID safety protocols were poor (and with a case rate like that I'd be inclined to agree). It has been reported that recent attempts to negotiate a resolution to this issue between the union and the government have failed and that is the reason for targeted industrial action. Really not a good example of the negative impacts of wfh.

@FantaCoke

I hope to see all the big chain coffee shops and high street shops to shut down by the end of this, and we go back to local businesses, run by local people so I feel I’m helping someone who needs the money. Buses are ridiculously expensive, so if they have to cut their fleet, so be it. Drivers are needed everywhere at the moment.

WFH is brilliant. I can walk to work but I still prefer WFH. I can watch TV whilst I work, and get things done in silence without my colleague pulling me away to chat and have a tea every 2 mins.

this must be the most idiotic comment yet , so your hoping to see all those poor fuckers that work in the big coffee shops and high street shops on the dole ,thus putting even more of a strain on a fragile economy , those people do actually need their bloody jobs you know , i rely on public transport i dont really want to see the buses cut thank you , most of these people are probably quite happy in their jobs and dont want to lose them to satisfy lazy arses who like sitting on their butts chilling away at home doing a bit of work inbetween other stuff , im hoping by this time next year all office workers will mostly be back in the office and those that dont want to go can be the ones on the dole

I think everyone should be given the choice tbh, and compromise is key. My office is reasonably close to my house so I tend to make a decision on the day as to whether I'm going to go in or not. We are a small team of adults and treat each other as such and always with respect.
I do love the days I'm in and other people are also there, however I also love the peace of just working at home by myself.
If you're WFH and not setting yourself clear rules and times then that's on the individual... I sit down at my desk at 9ish, and work through til 5ish. I will sometimes have a super slow day with no motivation so I'll do a bit of work into the evening.
I fully disapprove of coffee shops and the huge amounts of waste they create anyway, I am a bring tea from home person even if i do go to the office. I never understand the culture of sheer laziness of buying a cup of coffee 🤷‍♀️.
Public transport is a public service, its not going anywhere just because some commuters stop using it.
WFH does need some discipline, and a dedicated work area. If it is 'interrupting your entire home life', then you're doing it wrong! I also think this goes for putting on weight and not looking after yourself. It is up to you to get out the house and not put weight on etc. Unhealthy lifestyles can be found anywhere, I quite like that my partner isn't 'having a couple of beers' after work every day. I quite like that I am not eating biscuits at work all the time!

I guess each to their own, there are definitely arguments for both sides!

Gwenhwyfar
100% wfh is very unhealthy, I agree. Bad for your mental health and bad for physical health.

I am sorry but I simply don't agree.

It suits some people extremely well. You can't make a blanket statement like that- it is not true.

By those standards I should make sure to get cavities so dentists have a use.
Working from home has given many opportunities to buy property (further out),spend more time with kids and also has benefits to the planet as we don't travel us much

Saves a small fortune on the cost of commuting, stupidly expensive coffee and dreadful sandwiches. Not suck in traffic for two hours everyday which is good for the wear and tear on my jam-jar and good the environment. You can avoid office politics and and the office wankers. You're not interrupted and can focus on your job, like what they pay you for. When you finish for the day, you are done. You log-off and walk away. No shitty commute.

Flexible working patterns are here to stay.

this must be the most idiotic comment yet , so your hoping to see all those poor fuckers that work in the big coffee shops and high street shops on the dole ,thus putting even more of a strain on a fragile economy , those people do actually need their bloody jobs you know , i rely on public transport i dont really want to see the buses cut thank you ,
most of these people are probably quite happy in their jobs and dont want to lose them to satisfy lazy arses who like sitting on their butts chilling away at home doing a bit of work inbetween other stuff ,
im hoping by this time next year all office workers will mostly be back in the office and those that dont want to go can be the ones on the dole

I'm happy in my job, too, but you seem to think I should lose it because the universe owes you cheap bus fares and an endless supply of overpriced coffee.

WFH means hours less wasted commuting (I can’t believe OP is actually arguing we all ought to commute just for the sake of keeping crappy commuter trains going). It means less money spent on childcare, and more time spent with kids. It means companies can access a wider pool of talent than they ever could before. It means that people who work in overseas or away from the HQ no longer feel like second class citizens left out of information and decision making. It means less energy spent heating and running huge office buildings, and less time and money wasted travelling within and between buildings. I could go on.

Little bakery shops and independant coffee shops have seen a boom in my local small town.
People working from home can stroll up the road to buy a sandwich or a coffee if they need a break or to stretch their legs at lunch time.
My little local bakery has a queue from 10am until 2pm - this wasn;t the case pre-covid.
WFH has given a boost to our local economy and litle small businesses.

DH has worked predominantly from home for years, so it's the norm for him. I do think it's detrimental to DS though. He's only 19 and an apprentice. He's been WFH since March 2020 - he spends 99% of his life in his very small bedroom. I just don't think it's good for him socially, although he is now in the office once a week, it's only with one other member of staff. I'm hoping they'll go back to office working, but who knows.

Completely agree on all points.

For me I think that although WFH has had a negative impact on city centres, a lot of local shops have really benefitted. Previously I would have done most of my shopping at supermarkets in the city where I work but now am able to shop in the town I live in during my lunch break or during the time I would usually be commuting - when I work in the office they are closed by the time I get home. So although some big chains have lost money by me, my local economy is doing much better which in general I am really happy about.