Working from home - what has been the benefit to you?

[Rainydays55]

If you work from home full time or have hybrid working arrangement do you prefer this to full time office? What have been the main benefits to you?
If you had two job options -

1. 45 /50 minute commute, full time office working, pretty generous holidays
2. 10/15 minute commute, hybrid working , better pay, low annual leave entitlement

Which would you go for?

I basically have option 2 except my commute is an hour on the 2 days a week I go into the office.
I love wfh personally and would never take a job that was full time in the office. My work life balance is so much better. Plus I save money on the commute.

We currently live in zone 2 and are looking to buy this year. It’s opened up our potential areas so much more because we can afford to be much more flexible on location if I only need to go into the office 2 days a week rather than 5.

I really enjoying working from home. I like not commuting and saving money from not commuting. I like that lack of commute means I can sleep in a bit more. I eat better at home, I can cook healthy lunches from scratch with my oven/hob etc and not spend ages queuing for the microwave in the work canteen or end up buying a sandwich elsewhere on days I forgot/didn’t have time to make a lunch.

Things like being able to nip out for a doctors appointment (rather than having to book first thing or last thing and leave work early to attend) are convenient. Also things like being able to put a wash on during a quieter period or be in for a delivery are good for my work/life balance.

Also often as part of my role I get a lot of questions and found colleagues used to come to my desk to ask me things or chat things through. That’s fine of course and I’m happy to help but it meant I couldn’t always focus on one thing which was tricky when I had a deadline or a difficult piece of work to concentrate on. At home I’m on Teams so mostly always available if needed but can also put on do not disturb mode if I need focus, and people can’t come over to my desk and interrupt that when WFH.

I think it’s a very personal thing and depends on your role too. I know some people hate WFH and feel isolated or cooped up with difficult home/work boundaries.

Before the government guidance switched to ‘WFH if you can’ in December I used to go into the office once a week or so which was also nice as I could connect with colleagues and have meetings which don’t work as well virtually. Commute is still a pain but feels easier when you’re not doing it every day. A balance works for a lot of people I think.

I had my annual review this week and told my boss that if work decide we are all to go back to the office full time I would leave, no hesitation.

Our office is all hot desks and there are not enough proper desks for people (in pre COVID times) so if you were later in than normal you wouldn’t get a desk with a monitor but be stuck on a shared table with just your laptop. This was a nightmare as my job involves reviewing multiple sets of data and graphics that are hard to read on a laptop.

There weren’t enough meeting rooms so your meetings were dictated by room availability rather than the length of time you actually needed. There was a lot of wasted time travelling between offices or waiting for people who were running late due to traffic etc.

My role involves lots of discussions with different clients. I work on projects but am often the only person in my organisation working on that project, so I used to commute to the office and then spend all day working on my own or on teams calls with clients.

Office working just didn’t suit my role but was seen as the only option, because that’s how it was always done. I am so much more efficient now, I work longer hours as no commute, but smarter. I quite often take Friday afternoons off as I have done what I need to do and can afford some down time, but if I need to work on there’s not the annoying commute to work in to the evening.

I still go to the office when I need to, been in 3 days this week, but they were for a reason, not just so I can sit at a random desk surrounded with by people who I don’t need to be around!

Well I have a 20 min commute that once we are back in the office is going to be hybrid (2 days in a week, can do more if i want) and has 25 days holiday with option to buy up to 30, is paid 43k Mon to Friday 9-5 with option for flexibility as required, annual bonus, private health care, prospects for promotion, good pension etc

I don't know why you are presenting the 2 options in the way you are unless these are 2 jobs you are looking at? Otherwise why would the hybrid be better paid but have naff hols? With the larger commute you could also move house and make it smaller? Full time in the office does not always come with a big commute, unless this is only in London?

As far as what I like, don't need before school club as I can get back from the school (driving 3.5 miles) in 7 minutes to start at 9, less petrol, even with a relatively short commute anyway, when I finish i am home so I can work longer with no impact to family time etc easier to work my time around being at home. If ds is off sick there is no impact to work as he is 10 and able to lie on the sofa etc. Trips to the loo are more pleasant and quicker than in the office. I always did spend a lot of time on webex/on line calls with stakeholders, so those are easier at home with no background noise, did not realise how loud offices are until we had a few days back in (before the more recent wfh). I enjoy a bit of both though so more than happy with hybrid.

WFH pros:
No commute
Lie ins if needed!
Comfy clothes
Flexible hours within reason, no set lunch break etc.
Available for school/parcels etc
Stick the washer/dishwasher on any time!
No popping out to buy a sandwich/coffee and impulse buying other stuff
No need to see that one annoying colleague for 8 hours a day
Cons:
Not dressing nice!
Need a clear area for work with a suitable chair
No office banter/less social interaction
Things go out of context on email sometimes...
You need a supportive or at the very least, a trusting manager
You live at work if you WFH. Hybrid is my preference personally

Oh my god yes no more office toilets! I can’t believe I forgot how awful those were. Our office is freezing cold to the extent we all sit in our coats in winter. Being at home full time for the moment is lovely in comparison

I hate working at home but I had minimal commute and I don't have a dedicated office space, which seem to be the reasons that people say they prefer it. I really dislike the lack of home/work separation and the fact that everything is so much harder to do over the phone. Plus I find it incredibly isolating and my mental health has plummeted.

Though with your options I'd go for 2, just for the shorter commute.

I think it depends whether the working from home is flexible hours wise. I wfh and basically as long as my work is done and I'm available for scheduled meetings, my hours can be flexible. Because of this I find I use less leave. For example, if I had to take MIL to an appointment, I would have previously taken a day or at least half a day leave. Now I can fit it in around work usually. I would take this any day over a commute and traffic/parking/public transport that I had previously.

MY DB works from home but he has to be at his laptop and by his phone from 9-5 every day (with a lunch break at a set time). He can't deviate from that so no flex to fit things in throughout the day.

Number 2, no hesitation

I work a hybrid schedule, DH's org transitioned to fully remote so he is home full time.

Our DC are 11, 8 and 2.

We have been able to completely do away with the after school club as DH is home when the older DC get in and they are self-sufficient enough to be home and not get in the way while he works. So that is an enormous expense saved. With our youngest we have been able to keep a part-time nursery schedule and split the difference on days when we are both WFH and flexing hours in theory we could do this every day but it is only really workable when you have a project-based schedule and can adjust meetings and due dates so they don't fall on a day when your schedule at home is tight and that has allowed us to keep her at a slightly nicer private nursery.

Once work is done for the day there's no evening commute; I can switch off and then do whatever with my evening. I love this.

It's freed up a LOT of time, not just in the commute but then in the subsequent faffing around with collecting from after school clubs before needing to go home, etc. I have some non-work time at home with no DC where it's possible to run into town and do the shopping, get basic self-care in, and occasionally even grab lunch with DH. I didn't have that before.

I don't think I'd pick a fully remote role again. I've had them in the past and I like being able to go to work on occasion. I like my colleagues though I've allowed for the majority of my direct reports to WFH full time as they choose and I like being in the office. As I'm in marketing, being present in the company culture is fairly essential to my role so I don't think I'd be as successful at bringing in money for the company if I was home full time. Hybrid works for me, though -- the concessions it has allowed me to take have made me a more relaxed person and that translates into better job performance.

DH has always bargained for additional holiday time; maybe that's a possibility for you, too?

@Rainydays55

Annual leave minimum entitlement is 20 days I think

5.6 weeks according to ACAS - 28 days, so 20 + bank holidays

The additional commute is a minimum additional hour every day, more if hybrid working means only going in a couple of times weekly.
Plus the cost of itm and unless your super organised with packed lunches, the cosy of lunch/sandwiches

Hybrid working is my preferred option. I hate wfh full time.

My and DH Wfh 3 days a week has been so beneficial for DS(7). DH has a long commute and previously only saw DS for about 15 mins a day, so was effectively a weekend parent. Whereas I was always rushing to get/collect DS from childminder before/after school. Now DS sees a lot more of his Dad and mornings are a lot less hurried. I can pick him up from the childminder at 5pm instead of nearly 6. Lots of little wins that all mean a better quality of life for us all.

I don't think I will ever go back to full time working in the office.

Option 2.

My current role was originally travel Hampshire to Whitehall twice a week, wfh 3 days. Since lockdown I've wfh full time.

• Saved £480 a month train/parking,
• Work more hours, waste less time travelling/driving
• Better interaction with the sales team because we aren't all packed in one room annoying each other.
• Complete lack of stress around school run,
• Evenings are easier because I put supper in the slow cooker at lunchtime and it's done by the time we need it.
• Leading to less stressful/better homework from ds.

I started WFH long before Covid

Flexibility with school
Doing school runs, picking up if they are sick, attending the odd school event in the middle of the day

Illness
I get sick less often and can more easily work through illness

Time
Not wasting time on a commute is huge

Mental health
This is the biggest one for me. Not having the stress associated with being in an office just makes me a happier person. I’m not spending all day with that awful feeling that comes with being in a building full of people knowing that at any moment one of them might pop into my private office. Yes, that was even with having a private office. I hated working on-site.

Efficiency
Because I am not in constant fight or flight mode, my work efficiency is much higher. I have an incredibly mentally intensive job. Having a place I can really focus makes it much easier to do my work.

I'm WFH permanently now . Haven't been in an office since March 2020.

Benefits:
No commute - was a 40min journey each way on a good day
Changed my hours so can collect kids from school every day - this is the big benefit for me
That means no childcare costs
Lower petrol costs
No office politics
Can wear what I like (waist down!!)
Can cook healthy/varied breakfasts and lunches
Get housework done on breaks
Can nip out easily, available if kids school phones to say they're I'll etc

Negatives
I just miss people really and the social element really. I'd enjoy hybrid working if my office was easier to get to, but I'm happy overall.

Of those options I'd go for 2.

I also think it very much depends on what your role is. If you’re in a data heavy role with minimal interaction from other people, you might find working from home isolating. Whereas I work in sales so my day is full of phone calls and zoom meetings so I’ve never felt lonely even when I was at home full time during lockdown. I also have quite a large sociable team so there’s always loads of virtual chat/drinks/quizzes etc. Sometimes I crave a few hours without someone wanting to speak to me!

WFH.
Remember if you have kids you can take unpaid leave under statutory provisions to help with childcare.

I'd take number 2 every time.

I've love working from home. So much more flexible. If I wake up early I can sometimes get an hour in before everyone else wakes up, giving me more flexibility later in the week. I can throw washes in the machine/tumbler on my way past, load the dishwasher whilst making a cuppa etc. Just little things that keep the housework ticking over. I also eat much better when I'm working from home.

Also, if I'm having a bad day, or we've had a bad night with DD then I don't have to worry about being presentable for the office first thing.

My DH works from home too so I'm not alone all day. Maybe I'd be less keen if I literally didn't see anyone all day but as it is I love it and hope/intend to never go back to the office!

Hybrid is the best, if only I could pick what colleagues I would have to see!

Option 2 definitely.

I'm currently WFH, but it's not going to last forever. I'll have to rethink my job situation then because I will have a 90 min-2 hr commute each way and I can't face doing that every day (4 days actually). It will also cost me a fortune (train).

I really like WFH - I am more relaxed and actually get a lot more work done. I was doing hybrid for a few months until mid-December and I couldn't believe the amount of time wasted by people interrupting.
It made me realise how antisocial I have become during the pandemic.

Number 2 for me, all the way! You could potentially negotiate better annual leave, and at worst you're still getting at minimum 5.6 weeks leave a year. Unless you go on a lottttt of holidays and can afford to do that even on the lower-paid salary, it'd be a no-brainer.

I love WFH (well, hybrid-ish, but mostly WFH the last 2 years) because:

1. No commute (I live an hour from my work)

1. Can get in the zone and concentrate

1. House seems tidier now I can put a wash on while waiting for the kettle to boil, do a quick clean of the bathroom at lunchtime etc. I've got a tendency to tidy my kitchen and living room while I take calls, too

1. Can wear what I like - our office is v relaxed anyway, but I think even there pyjamas and an Oodie might be pushing it.

1. Always in for parcels/trade/food delivery

1. Forces me to be more organised as I have to be to stay in sync with my team (I am naturally v disorganised, so this is genuinely helpful)

1. Can Zoom with cat on my knee

1. Can hang out with my cat all day generally

1. No parking fees for commute, no petrol costs - makes up for increased energy bills

Downsides:

1. Can get lonely if you're on a solo project for ages (but I don't get lonely easily - some colleagues hate it and have gone back to almost fulltime in the office for this reason)

1. Have to make your own coffees, no shared brew runs!

1. Would get cabin fever if you didn't make sure you left the house occasionally

1. Not quite as easy to say "Hey, X, did you mention Y the other day?" across a desk - Slack is almost perfect, but you'll never have that direct face-to-face unless you all had Zoom on the entire working day haha

1. My home office chair is shit and I can't get a new one just yet - my back's in ruins. Get a GOOD, proper chair with lumbar support, no matter how ugly it makes your spare room look.

Hybrid is perfect, I think. In an ideal world I'd alternate between 2 days in, 3 days WFH and the opposite way round, with flexibility both ways - i.e. busy weeks, in the office more/full time, and quiet weeks or solo projects I WFH the whole time.

2 no doubt

The dog children and husband have benefited. I have not

What person would choose 1?

Wfh is so much better. You don't get sick from your colleagues who are usually disgusting despite thinking they aren't. You can do chores at home on your lunch break so you then don't have to do them at night. Can eat better meals during the day and have more variety so if you don't actually want a sandwich and want soup instead you can change your mind. Can wear what you want and have the heating at what you like, not what the whiniest person in the room wants. No commuting, you get to spend your time after work immediately doing what you want, not having to travel first and get stuck behind idiots who manage to forget how a roundabout works after 8 hours.

I've been WFH for the past month due to pregnancy (my employer has you WFH in third trimester). I'm doing a very different role with a different team so hard to compare directly but some clear benefits that mean I will likely seek out a WFH/Hybrid role after mat leave!

• Housework gets done in little bursts/breaks away from laptop, so I don't have to spend my weekends and evenings cleaning and doing laundry
• Cosy clothes, cosy lighting, cosy atmosphere. I work between a small folding desk in the spare room and my dining table to mix up my surroundings through the day. If it was warmer I would do some work from my garden too.
• I spend my breaks being productive or truly restful rather than sat in an uncomfortable staff room. I can go outside for a walk, do a 20 minute stretch/yoga video, make healthy food, read a book, meditate etc.
• I have saved SO much money by not commuting and not buying food at work. I always took packed food but would get hungry on long shifts and end up buying hot meals from the canteen/at least one take out coffee a day which easily adds up to £150 a month + £100 on travel
• Not spending 2 hours a day commuting, and getting to wake up an hour and a half later!