Working from home

[PigFaceForever]

We've been told we're able to work back from the office now in line with government guidelines, but we can work from home if there's no need to go into the office for face-to-face meetings. In my job, most meetings are by Teams/Zoom so I have been WFH for all of last week apart from one day and this week it's looking like it'll be the same. My friend/colleague said that it might look like I'm taking the piss though. I do prefer to be in the office, without a doubt, but I have had health problems the past few weeks so WFH has been the sensible option. Am I missing something and should be in the office?

Well once health issues are cleared up, I would try to get into the office 2 or 3 times a week. As I think you miss out on certain things with WFH.

when you work from home, you miss the chance encounters and chat over a cup of tea and that kind of little bits of socializing that makes office work more human. and if you need to network & know people to advance your career, or if you just want to be more than an email address to your colleagues, then that stuff is important.

I can do 70% of my work from home but try to go in 3-4 days per week to see other people & mentor junior colleagues in a way that can't be done on zoom.

Yanbu.
There's no reason to be in the office, so why be there.
The chance encounters above have to be shared with all, so you shouldn't be missing anything of significance beyond the gossip and bitching that goes on!
I've not been in our offices since 2019 and like hell I will be in 2022 unless soemthing pretty sensational requires it! And I'm not missing out on anything as we have a positive work culture where we share information.
If the workplaces refer to aren't like this, so require random presenteeism, they need to review their information sharing processes and ethos

Thank you for your lovely replies.

My manager doesn't know I'm unwell at the moment and I don't want to mention anything, so I'm anxious he'll just think I'm being lazy working from home. I'll go in a few days this week I think to show willing.

I don't get it. Presenteeism for the sake of it is a nonsense. Unless your boss says something, just carry on as you are

Not sure how anyone can put Yabu tbh

You’ve been told you can come back if you have f2f meeting, you haven’t had to so haven’t gone in. End of discussion surely.

YANBU at all

WFH isn't lazy at all. You're still working. I'd be very happy to WFH permanently. I can't see any benefit in being in an office.