Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Original poster

Am I the only one who actually LOVES WFH?!

149 replies

Battleoftheislands · 23/09/2021 08:13

I genuinely feel like a bit of a freak as I have seen so, many posts about WFH over the last 18 months on here and an overwhelming number of posts on those threads are stating that they hate it. I’ve started to feel a bit weird about it all and am genuinely thinking, is there something wrong with me socially because I’m honestly okay with not seeing many people?

I will pre-face this by saying I am extremely fortunate to have a nice house and a designated study to work in so I appreciate that this plays a huge, huge part, but I really don’t want this thread to be derailed and turned into a bloody class debate.

Is there anyone else on here that enjoys WFH and doesn’t wish to go back to the office? My colleagues and I all meet up every 5-6 weeks for a ‘social’ event so that’s working well in keeping us all ‘bonded’ if you like and I speak to them a lot during the day day on Teams meetings etc.

Honestly, I used to do so much travelling, I’d cover 450 miles a week in my car and I was completely burnt out. I don’t miss that part at all.

I love being able to walk my dog every lunchtime, I have more time for exercise now so have taken up running 3-4 times a week. I see my husband more, I can whip the hoover around or hang a wash up if I get a spare 10 mins etc which means my weekends have been freed up.

I also try and ensure I have a social life and meet up with friends or family every weekend to do something. I have a hobby that I do 2 evenings a week too so see people then. I see the odd person out when I’m walking the dog at lunch and as it’s a small village, mostly know them so have a chat.

Can we have a bit of a WFH appreciation thread for those that enjoy it?

OP posts:

Justbecauseofit · 23/09/2021 10:16

Me 💯.

Although we are made to come in two days a week to lock and lock a room up - which I HATE due to the fact it’s purposeless. My manager asked me to come in for an hour yesterday to sit and mind someone else’s phone that hardly rings and feeds back to the person in question anyway. An hour drive there, an hour back I kindly refused for the sake of sense. She lives 20 minutes away and has not bothered to show her face herself at work for almost 18 months now.

NatashaRf · 23/09/2021 11:11

@Frequency

I don't have a home office, we have no spare rooms but before I worked in an office I freelanced from home so I have a "home corner" which is my office and had already spent three years training people that when I'm "at work" I'm work, not available to give you a quick trim, take your dog to the vet or pop to Tesco for you.

I genuinely don't understand why anyone would not work in their PJs all day with on tap biscuits and coffee, no commute, total control over the heating and music and the option to walk the dogs on their lunch break.

Ah now see I'm strict with myself for WFH.

I won't do it in PJs and make sure I'm up and dressed for a proper start time. But that's mainly so I can truly feel like my days are are really my days off.

I work for myself so don't need to be logged on at a certain time or put certain hours in.

So for me the flexibility to work when I want is unbeatable. I used to rent a joint warehouse and office space with meeting room etc.

But now just have a storage unit a mile from home and for meetings we go to a coffee shop (or zoom)

The joint place was only a 10 minute drive but this is such a nicer balance. And also having my work PC at home means it's so easy to check emails etc quickly (I'm a bit of a gaming nerd anyway so often on the computer of an evening so if I see an email ping in while I'm using it then it's one less thing to sort at 9am the next day.)

Plus a point I didn't cover earlier. I get to cuddle my dog and cats whenever I like - they're the best colleagues. DDog used to come in to the old place often but it's nice to have the cats about too.

fungussingstheblues · 23/09/2021 12:30

Love wfh, and when I dropped into the office the other day, everyone in there was sitting on individual zoom calls on their laptops. I just thought, what's the point coming all the way into work for that, when you could zoom sitting on your own couch with tea and biscuits?!

RubyFowler · 23/09/2021 12:33

There's been loads of threads of people loving WFH.
I've noticed when there's been one with an AIBU poll its usually roughly 50:50 those who love it to hate it.

I'm a hater, and to me it seems like there's waaaaay more threads from those who love it! Its most likely I just notice them more.

RedskyThisNight · 23/09/2021 12:38

In my department of around 300, there's only 7 people that want to be full time back in the office. And at least 70 that want to wfh all the time.
Which is my view of MN threads as well, so not sure what OP has been reading.

I will say that people who want to wfh tend to

have a dedicated work space
previously have had a long commute
have a job that doesn't involve much collaboration with colleagues
don't have the sort of personality that sinks into depression with so much time spent on their own.

I don't see why anyone would want to spend such a large proportion of their day stuck at home not seeing anyone (in response to a PP).

gannett · 23/09/2021 13:13

I don't see why anyone would want to spend such a large proportion of their day stuck at home not seeing anyone

Because I'm trying to work? As much as I'm content with my own company all day I do like seeing people, I do like socialising, but it's not conducive to getting on with actual work. WFH means I'm not too knackered to then socialise properly out of work hours.

LST · 23/09/2021 13:19

@Sunshineandflipflops

I've noticed too that those who love WFH mostly have home offices, which does make a huge difference to comfort, productivity and concentration. Other than make a kid leave home I will never have that!

I don't. I work off the sofa. I love it. I am disabled and no set up of office chair and desk will be more comfortable than I am now.

SirChenjins · 23/09/2021 13:22

I love it too - I have a better, quieter office at home, I have somewhere nice to walk at lunchtime as opposed to the pavement beside a dual carriageway, I can adjust the temperature as I need it as opposed to being freezing hot or cold, I don't have the ridiculous commute 5 days a week, I don't have to lug my lunch in and try and fit it in a shared fridge, I dip in and out of Teams meetings with colleagues across the country as and when I need them as opposed to driving to endless meetings, I'm not knackered after a long day...the list is endless.

I go into the office 2 days a week as I'm part of a rota, but really have no need to. I say hello to the people in offices on either side of me and that's about it - no 'water cooler moments', no 'collaborating' (which seems to mean a chat across the desk), it's pointless me being here. I'm really hoping it continues long term - I'll be really pissed off if I have to drive long distances to sit in an office to do the same job I can do well/better with less interruptions at home.

LukeEvansWife · 23/09/2021 13:23

I don't see why anyone would want to spend such a large proportion of their day stuck at home not seeing anyone (in response to a PP)

Because it's a working day. And actually I prefer to see nobody during my working day

Sunshineandflipflops · 23/09/2021 13:23

@LST Great if that works for you but I would end up with a bad back from working from the sofa and I don't think my manager would be too impressed at me conducting Teams meetings from it either! My living room and sofa are for relaxation and family time, not work. Justy as my kitchen table should be for eating family meals, but it's become my office too through no choice of my own.

Hardbackwriter · 23/09/2021 13:28

I genuinely feel like a bit of a freak as I have seen so, many posts about WFH over the last 18 months on here and an overwhelming number of posts on those threads are stating that they hate it.

This is such a good example of confirmation bias - I feel like 95% of MN posts about WFH are about how amazing it is and how pathetic anyone who likes an office must be. But then I don't like WFH. Presumably we're both oversensitive to the posts that make us feel like the odd ones out, OP, and the true balance of pro vs anti WFH posts is somewhere in the middle!

gannett · 23/09/2021 13:30

I can adjust the temperature as I need it as opposed to being freezing hot or cold

Such a big thing for me. I really thought it was just me - when I worked in offices I seemed to either need to wear full hat, coat and gloves, OR be dripping with sweat and in danger of heatstroke. Rarely a comfortable temperature. At home I can sit with two fans in my face in the summer, and plenty of ice in the freezer, and cool off with a shower if I need to. Or wear my warmest onesie and big slippers in the winter.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 23/09/2021 13:30

Love it!

duckiemonster · 23/09/2021 13:33

I'm now back in the office part time (no choice), and I fucking hate it. It's either too hot or too cold, there's no fresh air or natural light, there are too many people in too small a space for my liking, we are hotdesking so the first 20 mins of every morning is spent trying to get the IT kit sorted on whatever desk I'm at / find a comfy chair, our catering facilities have been pretty much removed apart from basic tea and coffee so there isn't anywhere to heat up food, or get lunch / decent coffee / snacks and it's a 10 min walk to the nearest shop. I don't actually work with anyone in the office as my internal clients are all over the world, so there is absolutely zero advantage to my employer in terms of me being here for teamworking / bonding etc.

I'm so cross about it I'm thinking of looking for a permanent WFH job.

Lndnmummy · 23/09/2021 13:33

I love it now. I didn’t when my two sons and husband was also at home, as well as our nanny at the time.
We live in a flat and it was really challenging for all of us. Now my boys are back at school nursery and my husband is mainly in the office (he prefers it) so it’s easier now. We don’t have a spare office but I’m set up in one of the boys bedrooms which is fine as he is at nursery. I can prep the evening dinner on my lunch break, do a load of washing or simply just go for a walk. I can pick the boys up around 5ish rather than 6:30 and that hour and abit makes so much difference to both me and the young boys. The company I work for will do a hybrid model starting October with 1-2 days in the office which is totally fine but I’m really treasuring the extra time with my family. I feel more in control, better organised and life feels calmed and less fraught.

Hardbackwriter · 23/09/2021 13:38

I also feel like I may be the only person on MN who gave any consideration to commute time in choosing both my job and my house. More fool me, I could have had a much cheaper house if I'd just chosen a nightmare commute and then waited for a pandemic to come and save me!

Redwinestillfine · 23/09/2021 13:39

I love it. If I never had to go onto the office again I would be happy.

Kljnmw3459 · 23/09/2021 13:41

I love it as does everyone else in my team! And I am someone in a small flat but I have managed to squeeze a little space for myself in the living room now that the kids are at school/preschool. We know we're due to go back to the office at some point as the company wants the office to be the hub of activity it used to be but now they're open to flexible working so we'll be part time home, part time at the office. As much as I enjoy WFH I think a hybrid approach is the best compromise.

Ilikewinter · 23/09/2021 13:44

I work in retail and am totally over dealing with people face to face! . Id give my right arm to have a WFH role and Im looking everyday for something to apply for. DH is WFH and loves it.

SirChenjins · 23/09/2021 13:46

@Hardbackwriter

Well that's all well and good...providing that your employer doesn't relocate as mine did.

Availableforbaking · 23/09/2021 13:47

I love love love wfh

But acknowledge I am lucky as have a suitable working environment.

I would have hated it when I was in my 20s living in a crappy house share with piss-head flatmates!

dementedma · 23/09/2021 13:52

I hate it because I dont have a seperate room etc. I find it hard to believe people are more productive when so many posts talk about putting the washing out, popping to the shops, chatting to partner, walking the dogs etc.
Personally am more productive without all that stuff to distract me ie in an office environment.

SirChenjins · 23/09/2021 14:32

@dementedma

I hate it because I dont have a seperate room etc. I find it hard to believe people are more productive when so many posts talk about putting the washing out, popping to the shops, chatting to partner, walking the dogs etc. Personally am more productive without all that stuff to distract me ie in an office environment.

I find it hard to believe people are more productive when so many posts talk about putting the washing out, popping to the shops, chatting to partner, walking the dogs etc

Yes - at walking the dog at lunchtime or hanging out the washing when they're waiting for the kettle to boil for a coffee that you'd have at the same time in the office. I don't notice lots of people saying they pop to the shops, and talking to their husband rather than their work colleagues perhaps?

My experience of an office environment - esp large open plan ones - is there are plenty of distractions, far more than there are at home when your head is down and you're working.

RedskyThisNight · 23/09/2021 14:35

@gannett

I don't see why anyone would want to spend such a large proportion of their day stuck at home not seeing anyone

I take it your work doesn't involve interacting with other people? 6 hours a day on teleconferences leaves me too shattered to socialise in the evenings.

PartyPotato · 23/09/2021 14:55

I loved WFH. Sadly it’s back to the office in 2 weeks for me. Wish I could stay at home!

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Swipe left for the next trending thread