To want to know when WFH will end ?

[fizzypop100]

Because this has dragged on for so long

I'm in my twenties and apart from around 3 years of non wfh work beforehand I will never return to the full in office style of working and will actively seek out wfh, I will only consider hybrid working if it is within a 40 minute drive from where I live, My job currently is well paid and entirely remote 9-4.30 or 9.30-5 or 8.30-4

If you live in a bed sit or shared flat, you probably can’t afford a coworking hub. You can’t afford lots of things.

@JuergenSchwarzwald
Why not go to your local library, a cafe, a hotel, a co-working hub?
Dd home from uni for Christmas tried finding somewhere to study outside our home - not so easy as you think, not many cafe owners want someone sitting in their cafe working all day. Co working hubs are at least £25 a day - who’s paying for that - not all these employers wanting to save money on office costs, And you need a proper desk and chair, the number of people with back problems caused by inappropriate working arrangements has rocketed.

Our office building has been sold- new premises is minuscule- some people will never go back.

@Silverswirl

How on Earth are people who live in small spaces with multiple kids able to WFH? Just extremely difficult and frustrating. Many people will be hating it

This is exactly why I hate it!

Will you all still be saving money wfh when energy prices rise in April?
Or will you sit there freezing all day?

And how are you saving money on childcare? You can't work and look after your children at the same time.

I love my husband being home, I get to focus more on my business as it used to make more sense for me to do school runs etc (geographically). Husband now does every school run and gets so much more time with the kids. Great set up for us but appreciate its not for everyone. Not gonna lie tho, wouldn't mind one day a month the place to myself for a day 🤣

My company are saving millions on office space!

They will continue with hybrid but have reduced desk space by 75%, the expectation is that most people will only go in once or twice a week.

We were always quite flexible though. Had lots of home/hybrid workers long before Covid.

The first opportunity will be the 26th when the WFH order us due to be renewed. Politically Boris knows he is weak so won't extend unless he has support to do so amd the figures are irrefutable.

I love WFH! I'm autistic and really suffer in offices, so it has been an absolute game changer for me.

Despite that, my total guess of an opinion is that I think it will slowly drift in the other direction in a few years.

People will feel safe in an office again. They'll like saving electricity costs. They'll get a bit bored of the same old place all the time.

Most of all; I think in time there will be a clear difference in the knowledge, influence and relationships of those who work in person with other people, vs those like me.

I'd be very happy to be proved wrong on this, but I have noticed the difference in my relationships with people I've known in person vs people I've known through a screen. It's fine for short-term task-based stuff, but not for deeper relationship and friendship building - and it can't just be me noticing this.

Those that hate WFH or have poor facilities can go back to an office, those that don't should have an option for flexible working. Those who perform poorly should also go back to the office to be physically monitored. I know Mrs. HR has refused certain colleagues who have requested WFH.
In any case, the Pareto principle applies across the workforce. So across all productivity measures, most of the work is being done by only 20% of staff. I think people need to stop complaining about WFH colleagues and break into that 20%.

As for energy cost, ours is fixed, plus I get tax relief via my business for energy costs, this offsets any rise.

One of the problems for those without space to work is that they will tend to be the lower earners. Saying they can just go back to the office while all the people with nice big houses continue to work from home will widen the wealth divide further if those who earn less are then the ones paying out for commuting etc.

@Whichcatthatcat

And how are you saving money on childcare? You can't work and look after your children at the same time.

DS is 9. Old enough to walk home from school alone and get himself a snack/chill for 2 hours if I have a quick chat when I put the kettle on.

Not old enough to be alone in the house for 3 hours while I am an hour’s commute away. HTH

@MrsJBaptiste

Why not go to your local library, a cafe, a hotel, a co-working hub?

How can you work in a library when you have Teams meetings every hour? Sometimes it's constant, nobody wants to hear me in meetings and due to GDPR, I do not want random people listening in to what I'm talking about!

My recent jobs would not be OK for a hub /Co working environment....

Eg Discussing that you think your dad/husband /neighbour has an unhealthy interest in children?

Or an environment where at least 50 per cent of working day is on the phone?

Or is there some Co working space that would be OK for this?

It won't for my husband, he works for a local authority and he's been told that he can work from anywhere.

I can't wait for people to be back in offices, I know people claim to be more productive and I agree I get more done but mentally I find it very draining
I think those in customer service roles need to be back in, service levels are shocking now
I had real issues getting help from the council for my mum, nobody could answer questions and I'd be told I'll call you back, if they were in an office they could instantly ask a colleague for help. Very frustrating at a difficult time

How do new people in jobs learn anything from home?

@twominutesmore

BBC has just reported that the government directive to WFH will end at the next review, end of Jan.

That doesn't mean everyone back in the office though. Many companies are keeping some element of wfh, including my husbands. It suits us very well.

@Ohshitiveturnedintomymother

One of the problems for those without space to work is that they will tend to be the lower earners. Saying they can just go back to the office while all the people with nice big houses continue to work from home will widen the wealth divide further if those who earn less are then the ones paying out for commuting etc.

I'm sorry that's not a valid argument, you have no evidence for those claims. How does making everyone go back to the office affect income equality? Everyone is paying for commuting anyway-those with the nice big houses as you put it must surely be earning more. On balance, there is no change in income disparities. There are too many variables for that scenario to be a valid argument. Some have quite clearly got issues with others not joining them back in corporate land. Maybe companies could offer those back in the office extra Perkbox incentives. That might quell the resentment a little.

My employer won't go back to everyone in the office. They have refurbished all their offices so there's now only 30% desk capacity (on pre covid levels) then the rest of the space is "break out"/collaborative seating areas.

They anticipate that most people will wfh all week, a few desks for those that cant/won't, and that people will only come in when they plan to meet someone for a face to face catch up

@FredaFox

I can't wait for people to be back in offices, I know people claim to be more productive and I agree I get more done but mentally I find it very draining I think those in customer service roles need to be back in, service levels are shocking now I had real issues getting help from the council for my mum, nobody could answer questions and I'd be told I'll call you back, if they were in an office they could instantly ask a colleague for help. Very frustrating at a difficult time

How do new people in jobs learn anything from home?

Started my job from home in September 2020. Absolutely no issue learning how to do it remotely. I have moved teams in that time, again was totally fine.

I have 2 assistants
1 WFH
I do intend to split the work equally but it's a fast moving job and so often it's more efficient to give the urgent ,and more interesting work to the one in the office
So I think WFH can be risky

@user1487194234

I have 2 assistants 1 WFH I do intend to split the work equally but it's a fast moving job and so often it's more efficient to give the urgent ,and more interesting work to the one in the office So I think WFH can be risky

In fairness to the wfh staff here you appear to be choosing to send better work to the office based employee

My new role is remote working, so I'll be working from home permanently now. I like that, only thing I miss is banter.

Yes I admit that
I try not to but often it's just easier