To think WFH has gone too far now?

[FlairBand]

I am very lucky to have a fully flexible role in a very understanding organisation. My colleagues come from a range of backgrounds and have various reasons for appreciating the level of flexibility we have - not all are parents.

We are now almost entirely home based, which in principle is fine but in practise becoming frustrating. Our work is desk based and requires quite a lot of collaboration.

My issue is that people are becoming so much harder to talk to in the day because it’s as if work fits in around their home life when it suits. Almost everything has to be booked in as a meeting, rarely is anyone available for a spontaneous call / chat on teams as you would have done in the office. We are supposed to be available core hours 10-4 for a 35 hr week, and either side of that as you see best.

Recent examples when I’ve sent a message to ask if people have five mins for a chat - sorry I’m making bread / feeding the horses / talking to the plumber etc etc. I’ve also noticed people are booking in more and more non-work appts in the working day yet still expect to clock off by 4.30. They are things which could easily be done before / after work day. We have a colleague (who does some important work for me) coming back from mat leave in summer who is planning to have her baby at home with her on at least a couple of her work days because flexibility.

AIBU to think that people are becoming less and less available and that it’s affecting our work and working relationships? I’m quite a collaborative person and I like exchanging ideas with colleagues (but I don’t overdepend on them before anyone starts!).

Starting to wonder if this is the right place for me but before I decide what to do I wanted to see what other peoples experiences are. This is not a large corporate company, it’s a small design firm where we work to super tight deadlines but we do lots of client facing work too eg pitches.

Definitely some people are taking full advantage of doing as little as possible while WFH. Some of my colleagues are unavailable for hours at a time, one of them appeared in the office after almost eighteen months of WFH and had completely transformed his body (admitted to practically living in the gym these days) another goes AWOL after 2pm everyday, so you can never get a response after this time. Neither has been picked up on it.

I prefer being in the office as I know I get distracted when I am at home and don't produce half as much work.

Best of luck with that one.

Agree with others this is a your colleague problem rather than a WFH problem.

They need to prioritise work during core hours and it should be clear that they do that.
However it might also be a phrasing issue - if you just say I want a chat it may be interpreted as informal and not work related rather than a request to collaborate / discuss work and may be dismissed as social.

I work alone from my home studio and would always try to prioritise work in my core hours even if I may do other things and offset them. My phone is always there and is answered in core hours unless with a client /contractor.

You’re literally describing the perfect work/life balance, I don’t understand your problem with it at all. Just organise yourself better and you won’t be demanding catch-ups with people at short notice? Have you considered how inconvenient and stressful that is for them?

This makes me laugh OP.
Either your workplace needs core hours so it is a management issue. Most workplaces with flexi-time have core hours.
Or you need to organise your work better. And flexi-time operates for those who work in the office as well. So if your work allows flexi-time to walk your dog for people working from home, it allows flexi-time for Christmas shopping for those working in the office.

Definitely sounds like a company culture problem tbh, nothing to do with WFH in principle. Sounds like people in your company are being allowed to take the mick, there's balance in everything.

My company has always been remote-based, since it was founded 15 years ago, and it was set up by my boss who was a working parent and thoroughly believes in trust and flexibility as core values at the company etc.

We aren't at each other's beck and call no - if I miss a call it's no big deal, I can ring back when I'm free. Appointments in the work day are fine - if you make up the time later. Childcare during working hours however is banned - as PPs have said, you can't look after a newborn and work at full capacity at the same time. That shouldn't be allowed and your colleague should need to make other arrangements.

Putting a wash on, quickly putting some bread in the oven or feeding the dog are ridiculous things to get annoyed at people for IMO - it takes two minutes and isn't going to disrupt things massively.

One more thing too - I'm autistic and having the option to work fully remote is a godsend! I really struggle with switching my focus between tasks and the constant interruptions you get in an office drive me insane and I get nothing done when I have to work in the presence of other people. The option to say 'no sorry, can I call you when I'm free' is a huge bonus- as opposed to having to entertain every tom dick and harry who comes over to my desk.

Ok Jacob, calm down.

They should be available during core working hours. And nobody can WFH with a baby!

I agree constant interruptions in the office are difficult. I do a lot of financial work and even when working from home was rare remember saying to the boss I needed to do so for some financial stuff as it was taking me two or three times longer than it should have due to interruptions. And usually being interrupted by questions that would take a colleague two minutes to look up for themselves.

That is hilarious.
I work hybrid. At home today. Relieved not to be in the office with a lazy younger colleague who constantly interrupts me. Not my job to manage his laziness.

Everyone saying they're being interrupted by calls when WFH we are actively encouraged to block our diaries to busy so we can't be contacted if we are working on something that needs focus.

To be honest I think it’s about time work started fitting around our lives instead of the other way around (where realistically possible).

It is very successful at my husbands several thousand strong organisation, productivity up and costs down.

It's not necessarily a case of organising yourself better! What are you supposed to do when an email comes in and it needs dealing with ASAP (happens a lot in my job) and I can't always wait until someone can be bothered to speak to me. Have you considered how inconvenient and stressful it is for the person who is waiting to speak, needs advice etc?

WFH where possible or wanted is an absolute no-brainer and I think people who can't see its obvious benefits have limited imaginations when it comes to both work and life beyond work.

However it's still very new in the scheme of things. All kinds of companies are going to have growing pains. It's kind of insane how quickly it became normal. But it would be awful if, 10 years from now, we were just all back in the office by default like covid had never happened.

Surely in pre-covid times there would have been times when colleagues were in meetings and not able to respond immediately to a call or email? Or on a lunch break or with a client or at a medical appt, etc

The people working from home are loving it, the customers are not

I love WFH, but we are all fully contactable just like if we were in the office. We are flexible to a point but that's an absolute piss take.

The thing is the people who never come in ruin it for those who do come in. We’ve gone from a relaxed company trusting staff to come in 2/3 days per week, to one where we track our attendance. All because of one or two shirkers.

If WFH doesn't work then it's a management problem

People shouldn't skive off to do home things

Any more than people in offices shouldn't chat loudly about their weekend, spend hours over coffee and lunch , read the online newspaper and order their Christmas shopping instead of getting on with their work ... all of which is commonplace

How a customer knows where an employee is located is beyond me

Which customers?

I changed jobs shortly before the pandemic and have recently returned to a previous employer post-pandemic. What I’ve found interesting is I have much more direct contact with senior officers than before - they would never think to take a stroll to my desk to ask me something or to pick up the phone (they have PAs for that kind of thing!) but will happily Teams call me.

It wouldn't have been a call or an email though, if it was that urgent I would have been able to see if they were available and put a note on their desk and got their attention. Obviously it's not something I would do very often but it does happen, especially with the way things are in my industry at the moment.

@FartOutLoudDay That is what I find! The very senior people contact me more and I contact them more. I much prefer it. In the office they have a secretary literally blocking access and he never goes to low paid employees desks like mine.

Yes this. Sounds like you have lazy staff and lazier management, as they aren;t doing anything about it.
I get more work done at home.