Boris Johnson's comments on WFH

[username39583]

Sorry if this has already been done I have had a look expecting some threads on it.
I just get more angry the more I think about his comments about WFH not working and how people spend it going to fridge every 5 minutes.
From my experience of my team who I work this is extremely insulting and very untrue. For a start we are ridiculously busy and anyone slacking would quickly be noticed. It makes me wonder what he actually does day to day if he has time to keep going to the fridge.
For me and most of my team we actually get through more work at home. We actually did hybrid working with us all coming in twice a week. This was quickly reduced to once a week as many colleagues and I felt we were getting alot less work done. To many distractions/meetings running over/people late due to transport etc.
AIBU to say WFH does work? And would also like to know if other feel they are more productive in the office or at home?

Most of the posts were posted at the weekend.

Even do, even very senior people do take breaks during their work day. That’s totally reasonable. Maybe loading about on MN helps them to divert their attention or relax.

You have no idea about when or how they are actually working.

I’m in a mid-level role that requires regular context switching. Sometimes 10 minutes pissing about online here and there can help. It’s lunchtime now too. I’m WFH so pissing about on MN is fair game, surely. It doesn’t mean that I won’t be working hard when I’m back at my desk.

Maybe his portfolio of Brexit Benefits isn't filling his day? 😛

I think I am right in saying that Boris normally works from about 9.05 to 9.11 before he stops to have a party, cake, wine and so on.

I’m in a mid-level role that requires regular context switching. Sometimes 10 minutes pissing about online here and there can help. It’s lunchtime now too. I’m WFH so pissing about on MN is fair game, surely. It doesn’t mean that I won’t be working hard when I’m back at my desk.

I'm the same, though don't work FT. The flexibility to take those few minute piss about breaks to clear my head is something I didn't have when I was more junior.

That is a good point.

It can be hard for people in junior types of roles to have flexibility. But, equally, they may not really understand what more senior people actually do all day. It can be difficult to figure it out.

My (estranged) husband is in a very senior role and he managed to fit in regular bouts of guitar playing throughout the day while WFH. And lunchtime games of FIFA. But also an awful lot of meetings, with early starts and late finishes. Not because of the 10 minutes on the guitar here and there; just the realities of the job. Meetings with Australia start early by necessity. Meetings with the US tend to finish late, especially if it’s west coast.

You did notice that my post was sent just before 11 pm, didn't you?

Working from home, at least for part of the week, does work for many people. It depends on the job, the home and work environment, and in part how they are managed.

As for Mr Johnson, perhaps if he travelled from Downing Street to somewhere five days a week, even if just an office in a neighbouring street, and actually worked full time, maybe then he could claim some grounds for his comment.

The actual problem for Boris with people working from home is the lack of spending on lunches, coffee shops and impulse buys while in the city centre!

Has Boris worked 5 days in a row at any point in his life, never mind a full day on any of those?

Now I think about it, was the reason he needed so many parties during lockdown because he couldn't go on holiday (at someone else's expense) after every half hour's work he had done.

Also lack of purchases of suitcases and wine.

I work in a job that involves meetings, online-based admin, and community visits. Throughout Covid, the visits have continued, while meetings have all moved to Teams while working from home.
Although worrying to begin with we've found Teams meetings have become more productive, can be arranged more quickly with better attendance, as you don't need people to be traveling between offices and the actual process of our work has become more efficient too.
On top of that my job now involves far less driving, meaning, although I get some mileage costs back, I'm better off - additionally it's better for the environment.
As a team, we've decided that we do need to be face to face a little more, so are planning for our weekly team meeting to be face to face. but that's it.
I would really hate to go back to being forced into full-time office work, no one wins. I'm also probably better off as I'm not buying expensive. not particularly healthy food, as I dash between offices and visits in a rush.
So I think WFH, at least in a hybrid way, is the future of many teams, all those knocking it either work in a profession that it just doesn't suit, or are just assuming others would be as lazy as they would/are.

I think this comment may be directed at me😂.

yes I am in a senior role and yes I spend time on the internet: too much this weekend because the weather was rubbish and I lay on the sofa watching Netflix scrolling! I also did a few hours of reading work papers.

I worked from home today and have just stopped for tea and to watch the news. I’ll do another couple of hours of work later tonight. I think that is okay.

but I will also watch some tv and read some stories on mumsnet.

people in senior roles have lives outside work - they watch tv, scroll on the internet, spend time with their families, sleep, eat, shop etc! So I won’t be shamed for posting on mumsnet because someone thinks I should be working every minute!

im not the ceo of a multi national with every minute from 5am to midnight scheduled for work!

I have worked from home for years and am a big fan.

However, I could relate to his comments - I do raid the fridge for cheese too often that doesn't mean I don't do my work though, it just means I have to do more exercise!

I love the irony of people claiming to be so very senior but also have the time to be fannying about on mumsnet

Well I work part-time so I have time to faff about on MN. Although actually I've been away from MN for two weeks, but I've missed you all so much I am back

Ultimately staff have performance targets. If they aren't performing then that's what line managers are for.

@User135644 I agree but some weak managers are more likely to have people back in an office than deal with the poor performers.

I work from home 4 days per week.My job involves a lot of travel and I live 30 miles closer to the county where I do most of my work.If I travel to the office in the morning then go out on calls my employer pays an extra £20 per day to me in travel.Strangely enough they're very keen for me to work from home.

What suits different people will vary.

DH loves WFH, he is working with people all over the world on zoom so he'd rather be at home than at work.

I, on the other hand, hate WFH. All the things I love about work disappear when WFH, there's no buzz, no corridor conversations with a colleague that spark an idea, no social connection except with your project team and even that's hard over zoom when everyone is a disembodied voice. It's much better walking to someone's office to stretch my legs (big site!) and having a face to face conversation that then gets interrupted by someone else walking into the office who then tells you than actually Emma had a similar issue on her project and was able to sort it with this new piece of kit so you should really go and have a chat with her about that. I did what I had to do when WFH but felt completely demotivated. Everyone who works for me has been in most of the time over the pandemic, it's mainly been the senior people or support staff WFH and it creates a distance between you and your team. So since I've started going back into work I am much happier and so much more productive. Seeing my team and building connections is so important and even when I'm doing quiet work (I was writing a report today) being surrounded by my colleagues makes such a difference because I'm hearing about different issues and a 5 minutes interruption to talk about someone else's project is much more energising than staring at smaller screen to 'have a break'.

Hancock did so well working at he office he didn't get distracted at all
if he had of been at home with his unfortunate wife (unfortunate that she was married to him)...

These are the same scumbags who are trying to say that everyone else in the public sector was pissing around and partying during the lockdowns like they were! Says it all about Boris Johnson's work ethic. I WFH and have barely had time for a toilet break today. My employer gets much more output from me on the days I WFH rather than my office days.

Very true!