Does anybody feel happier WFH?

[Spanakopitas]

I've never done it before, but I've got a new job which is 60% WFH 40% office based, and I've no idea what to expect.
I am just ready for a change. I've always worked in education and social care which involve being around others constantly, I've never had an office sort of role.
I'm fed up of toxic workplaces, cliques, bullying and so on. Not saying the new role will be perfect but I'm hoping that being at home most of the time will help things.
Just wondered if anybody else feels happier now they WFH?

I went self employed a few years ago and worked from home. I was a very big fan of :

not sharing a stinky toilet with people who leave skid marks, of teaspoons always being clean and available, if not having to justify what food I had for lunch (seriously, why does anyone care?), and no discussion of TV shows I hate, no CONSTANT inverse snobbery if anyone wanted to know what I'd done at the weekend and it didn't match what they liked, no stun-levels of perfume at the next desk, no rain, no holding in my own farts or dealing with other people's, no being told off for bare feet, no dress code (below the waist, at least), and I could work with the cat on my lap.

The only problem was making new friends, but if you're doing two days in the office that's not a problem for you.

Loved it. I'd never work f/t in an office now, if I could avoid it.

It does depend on your stage in life, when i had young DC I couldn't have done it, I had several failed businesses because i couldn't concentrate for long enough to get them off the ground whilst juggling the DC.
Now the kids are much older I wouldn't entertain a job that required presenteeism. I log off at 5.30 on the dot. And do exactly the hours i'm paid for, not a moment more.

Yes. I'm much happier WFH.

Im currently job hunting and that's my specification, WFH with travel to clients. I won't work in an office again.

No. I thought I'd love it but I actually find it really isolating. I go into the office and that's worse because everyone is WFH! I've ended up applying for jobs that are 60%+ in the office as I need to be around people.

Absolutely!

WFH here, in the office every six weeks or so. It’s amazing! I am so much more productive and I have such a good balance. I put the washing on the line in my lunch break and I am out the door for a walk the second I clock off…no commute is lovely

If I had to go back to working in the office all week rather than 50/50 hybrid working I would probably consider retiring pretty soon. It’s so much better wfh for 1/2 the week

Exactly, it’s the only good thing to come out of the lockdowns

Absolutely love it. Good to go in now and again but yes it's great.

Living rurally miles from my workplace and with no wrap around care it has made my life so much easier.

My work is project based with a pronounced ebb and flow of intensity.

I love the days in the office, they have a different kind of productivity to WFH, which is great for getting deliveries and the odd load of washing.

I tend to use commuting time to work when WFH and keep meaning to use it for more outdoor exercise....

Any day now.

I’m now WFH 95% of the time.
Pros - I get an extra hour in bed every night. I can do flexi hours so now do 8-4 with a 30 min lunch-break.
I can do household stuff (hang washing out/take in/prep dinner before I start and set an Alexa for the slow cooker. Can have the radio on all day.
I wear more casual clothes (including special work slippers!!!).
If I’m unwell, it’s easier to wfh.

Cons - it can be lonely, I miss my work friends. I also feel a bit invisible to the company now.

If this was predominantly a mens forum I bet they wouldn’t be raving about putting out washing in their break, prepping meals and picking up DC

Me and my partner have both wfh since covid and much prefer it.

Between us we save over 20 hours a week in travel time. It’s nice spending more time together and being around for our kids more. Our employers are happy and theres no negatives for us at all.

I completely agree. My commute is a 15 minute drive and I love that's it's my transition time. Cup of coffee, NPR on the radio...I'm easing into the world (home commute - trashy audiobook😀) I work for a large multinational in our HQ and it's lovely. My desk overlooks a small pond and my immediate work environment is light and airy, and my tech setup is great. The best part of my job is my colleagues - no cliques or bitchiness where I am. What's not to like? Unless there's something going on with my kids I work on the office.

Yes, extreme weather has kept me at home occasionally but otherwise I'm glad to be in. I have complete flexibility and could leave early for school pickup, etc. but I rarely choose to.

Yes. You wouldn’t get me back in an office now. I go into the office for a monthly meeting, but even then I’m home just after lunchtime. I love the peace and quiet, being with my dog, beung able to concentrate, being able to get the slow cooker on in the morning, keeping the kitchen tidy through the day, being able to fart freely (I have ibs and I used to suffer horribly with stomach ache in the office because nobody wants to sit next to the trumpy woman do they?) not having to spend time commuting and just the sense of having my own space and independence.

It’s important to have somewhere to keep your work crap out of sight when you’re not at work
I think to maintain the separation. Mine’s in a cupboard shut out of sight. I see loads of homes on Rightmove now with a homeworking area set up in the lounge or whatever and that would do my head in, once I log off I’m done and I wouldn’t want to be looking at my laptop all weekend. Another potential disadvantage with meeting virtually all the time means you lose the chat you used to enjoy with random colleagues when you were waiting for a meeting to start, but I make an effort to ring people for quick questions and my team meets weekly online and it’s very informal.

But yeah, I’m 50 and done with office politics; is it too hot/too cold, that woman in accounts who shouts on the phone and the man in the next cubicle who enjoys tuna salad at his desk at lunchtime. Just, no.

I love it, it's been brilliant for my mental health

I’ve worked from home for 12 years now, and will never go back to an office again.

Love it I'm also 60% WFH. I was a teacher and the quietness of working at home and the hum of adult voices in the office is bliss. I get so much more work done during my 3 days at home. I have young children so just being able to sit at home for 6 hours is amazing even when I'm working. After teaching it really doesn't feel like work!

Hybrid here so in office two or three days a week. It's perfect. Full time wfh would be too isolating and full time office with the smells, bells, screeches and small talk that go with it, unbearable. Even something as dull as having the laundry done during the day so it doesn't waste an evening makes life much nicer. No commute, no bra, no packed lunch to make, no ironing an office shirt, no one looking over your shoulder and it's cosy on rainy days or if you've period pain and generally don't want to people. I could never be full time in office again.

I never fancied wfh before Covid but after being required to I found I loved it and I will never go back to working in an office again.

I love it, I will never work 5 days a week in an office again.

Yep, fully remote and love it. Saving almost £300 a month on travel and have great work life balance. It’s nice being able to get chores done quickly during the day and having time to prep dinner etc. Been remote for a while now and never want to go back to the office.

I’ve worked from home for 10 years. I used to travel one full week a month, but post pandemic it’s more like a few days every second month. It absolutely kills me as I end up in bed for a couple of weeks after from the exhaustion but I can work from bed so it’s not that bad.

as a single parent with no family close by, it’s meant I’m here for kids coming home, if I need the doctor or whatever I can go over lunch time and I despise working in an office completely.

i cannot cope with music, or talking or whatever when I’m trying to work, it always gets my figures wrong, and totally drives me nuts, so honestly it’s in everyone’s best interests for me to stay at home 😂

if they wanted me in the office I’d quit