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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder about your WFH jobs?

70 replies

rhaenyra01 · 26/04/2023 11:08

I have a 2 month old daughter and I'm currently on mat leave. At the moment I work in the NHS in a clinical role, while I've been on mat leave I've been thinking about the benefits of looking for a new WFH job so that I can be with my daughter more. I've worked in lots of different jobs over the years and although I like my job at the moment, my daughter is more important to me than having a "dream job". As long as it doesn't make me miserable, and pays the bills, I'd be happy!

Those of you who WFH - what is your job? Do you enjoy it? Does it enable you to spend more time with your kids?

OP posts:
Lcb123 · 26/04/2023 11:49

I work at a university, applying for research funding. With your background, you could look at a clinical researcher role at a university - it probably wouldn't be full WFH but likely hybrid.

Ginmonkeyagain · 26/04/2023 11:52

I am a regualtory policy manager. I WFH two days a week but was full time WFH in lockdown. There is no way it could be done whilst looking after young children - therea re a lot of meetings (often discussing sensitive or confidential information) and a lot of intense deadlines. When I WFH work inevitably drags on and my working day often doesn't finsh until 7pm.

Wiennetta · 26/04/2023 11:52

Wiennetta · 26/04/2023 11:47

Wow. So many snippy replies!

The OP didn’t say she wasn’t going to have childcare….!

For many people with long commutes, WFH saves a lot of time. Plus it’s not just the commute, it’s getting ready and up and out to get to the office - making lunch to take or ironing clothes for a smart office etc.

I don’t live in London any more but I was commuting an hour each way at least, which is pretty normal for London. Often trains were delayed and it could take me a couple of hours to get home.

So yes not commuting saves a massive amount of time for many people, and it also saves a lot of stress - I finish work at home and am ready to do other stuff like make dinner/chores, I’m not exhausted from a crappy commute where I have to stand in a cramped train carriage. So many parents worry and stress about getting back to nursery in time before it closes when the transport is playing up.

Anyway @Secondsop as a healthcare professional you may be interested in working for a healthcare regulator or professional body. There will be general roles available where your experience is useful but also some roles which require professional registration (eg case examiners).

Sorry tagged the wrong person @rhaenyra01

Yuja · 26/04/2023 12:05

I have wfh job as an assessor of professional qualifications. I do not love it but I don't hate it either, and wfh makes my life a thousand times easier now my DC are at school for drop offs/pick ups/hobbies etc.

NeedToChangeName · 26/04/2023 12:09

WFH with a child in the house is really difficult. It's hard for them to understand how you can be in the house but not available for them

Generally, best if child is at nursery / childminder if you're WFH

But ditching the commute does give more time at home, and you can quickly put on a load of washing while making a cuppa etc

wherediditgo80 · 26/04/2023 12:10

Im a PA who works from home and we have flexibility with our work hours so I will drop DD off at 9 at nursery and start work at 9.30. DH will collect DD at 5 and be home for 5.30 which is when I stop work. I do normally do extra bits later in the evening if needed.

If I didn't have that flexibility, DD would probably need to be dropped off at 8am and I wouldnt see her until I got home around 7. I lvoe having the extra time with her in the mornings and evenings.

Epli · 26/04/2023 12:14

I work from home 4 of out 5 days. Apart from commute I save a bit of time by being able to do some small tasks like laundry, packing dishwasher etc. when I have a coffee break. However it's a busy role and I often have to work once my daughter is in bed.

Hugasauras · 26/04/2023 12:15

I work in the newspaper industry and WFH although I can choose to go into office if I wish and do so occasionally just to see people. It makes childcare easier in the sense we don't need wraparound care due to no commuting and also because I work afternoons/evenings, so between my husband (who WFH and has very flexible hours) and me, we can easily handle any childcare requirements outside of the nursery and school day and don't need any before or after school care to bridge the gap, which we would probably need if we were driving into offices, etc.

Definitely wouldn't work with either of them at home though! It does mean they get slightly shorter nursery days I suppose. My husband occasionally has my older daughter for an hour or so while he's working if he's just doing admin stuff and she's happy watching TV or engaged in something.

Noshowlomo · 26/04/2023 12:18

I work for a local council and go in office two times a month. Perfect with no commute and love having that extra time for school drop off/pick up but you deffo need childcare. I can’t do my job if my child is home.

SchoolShenanigans · 26/04/2023 12:20

I WFH 80% of the week.

I have a lot more time for the kids. I do one school run a day and always around for dinner and bedtime.

But it's boring as hell. I miss working physically with a team.

Is it worth it? For now, yes. But in a few years I intend to go back to working at least part of the week with a team. I miss the social aspect.

Norma27 · 26/04/2023 12:30

You will still need childcare wfh. My youngest I could just about do the odd day if required. She is almost 9 and will pretty much look after herself. I generally have my 16 yr old here too if I need to look after her at home though. I also work in tax like pp above which can be done mainly wfh but not at same time as looking after toddlers. Your toddler will then be much better off in a nursery setting rather than having your half attention. Which is what you can give at best if working at the same time.

Hugasauras · 26/04/2023 12:31

Oh and I also get chores and stuff done when WFH so that means less time having to do those when the kids are around. I'll stick a wash on/out clothes away when making a cup of tea, having a stand-up break from
desk, etc.

Nordicrain · 26/04/2023 12:33

You can't wfh with a child there, which I hope you know. But of course no commute can easily help with more time. I am an inhouse lawyer and wfh. Now my kids are older it means that I can do all the school runs and some afternoons they are just home while I work. But when they were younger we definitely needed childcare to cover my working hours. Lockdown proved that anyhting else was just not feasible!

Bafflingpineapplecow · 26/04/2023 12:38

I WFH full time in a consultant type role for a software start up and have done so for 5 years now. I'd not go back to commuting and love my job. TBH the biggest difference is flexi-time which doesn't automatically come with every WFH job and the culture of the business. If you have a mental wellbeing and people first type of culture with flexi working then I'd say you can defo spend more time with friends/family/kids as for some companies like mine it doesn't matter when the work gets done as long as deadlines and targets get hit. If you're looking for jobs on linkedin some will advertise flexi and remote and you can filter for those keywords too.

thebestbirtheraccordingtoDD · 26/04/2023 12:43

I've WFH since March 2020 in insurance.
DD was 9 then so didn't require childcare only feeding which I did on my breaks anyway. I do get more time with her as I'm not doing 90 minutes of commuting every day so it's great

restisall · 26/04/2023 12:44

I wfh for a software company but in a non technical role. I can and do go in occasionally but I don’t have to.

foxychox · 26/04/2023 12:47

If you're in a clinical role now you could maybe look for work in a clinical research organisation - they run clinical trials on behalf of pharma companies. Plenty of roles are home based - in house CRA, data management etc, and pays quite well with potential for development/promotion....

SpringleDingle · 26/04/2023 12:50

I have a senior role managing a scientific team. I have wfh since before DD12 was born. I had childcare until Covid. I still have school taxi to do school run. WFH avoided me spending time commuting but otherwise didn’t change the time I spent with DD. Now it’s lovely, she gets dropped home at 4pm and I get a cuddle at my desk!

Pinkea · 26/04/2023 12:51

Systems analyst. WFH is life changing for work/life balance and yes my children are in childcare. I don’t know why you are getting such arsey replies!

chillih · 26/04/2023 12:55

I WFH for a university coaching (not teaching) apprentices in the field of my former profession. Very flexible and relaxed job, which means I can move my hours around to suit me and e.g. pick my 17mo son up from MIL's early. I definitely see much more of him now compared to when I worked in an office.

Hubblebubble · 26/04/2023 12:57

I'm a copywriter and wfh. It has flexitime with core hours 10am to 2pm, so I'm able clock off, pick my DC up from school, spend time with him and start working again when he's asleep.

TippingTree · 26/04/2023 12:58

I WFH, one day a month in the office (if that). If I commuted into London (where the office is) daily, it wouldn’t be sustainable as it’s too far and too much to juggle when DH is travelling. I also do two long days and two short days so I can do a few school pick ups and play taxi for after school clubs. I couldn’t do that if I was in the office and had to commute. I think it definitely gives us as a family a good balance.

But I do miss the social side, chatting to colleagues etc. We make an effort to have non-work chat on some of our calls but it’s not quite the same. Weirdly I also miss the commute, I find it quite jarring to switch from mum to work and straight back again. The commute was my switch off time.

Lindy2 · 26/04/2023 13:05

After my maternity leave I became a childminder. I did my training and qualifications while pregnant.

That's pretty much the only way to work while being with your own children.

I was a very successful childminder for 10 years. However, after having to close due to the pandemic I decided that it was time to try something new. This was mainly because my children were now older and looking after babies and toddlers no longer suited as well.

I still work from home and I'm now a PA for a service company.

I don't need childcare but that's only because my children are Secondary school age now.

sparklelikeadiamond · 26/04/2023 13:10

I WFH now but my children are in childcare just as much as they were when I didn’t WFH.

BarbedButterfly · 26/04/2023 13:11

NHS admin though you are not allowed to wfh with children. You must have childcare, though obviously they abandoned that rule during the pandemic