To think that employer shouldn't be so prescriptive about wfh

[fedupofnightshifts]

I've just got a new part time role as a reservations administrator for a major hotel group, which fits in with my main nursing job and is a step up from the part time hotel work role which I was doing to make up hours and increase my single parent income. The role will entail some 'onsite' working at one of their hotels which is reasonably local to me, but there is the option of some home working too given that it's mainly an administrative rather than public facing position. Because it's a global chain the role entails some shift working, a mixture of earlies, lates, days and overnights, which is fine for me because it fits around my nursing commitments and also childcare/school hours.

I haven't done home working before so I'm not totally au fait with what is/isn't allowed by other employers, but to me, some of the requirements of the role seem to be overly prescriptive and unreasonable, and although would be expected if I were working on the premises, I would have thought there would be more flexibility if not.

For example, if I'm working a day shift which is 8am-8pm, I have to take breaks at prescribed times, so morning break at 10am for 15 mins, lunch at 1pm for 30 mins, and then 2 afternoon breaks of 10 mins each at 3pm and 5pm. I would have expected more flexibility with breaks tbh.

If it's an anti-social hours shift, I have to be 'at my desk' for the duration of the time, as opposed to just being logged on and going and doing some thing else. But I guess that because it's an international company there will be loads to do from outside the UK?

And what would you expect regarding work wear? If I'm working in the hotel then it's uniform as I would expect like I've worn before which is a corporate skirt suit with a tie. But I wasn't expecting to have to wear it for home working, but the guidlelines/rules state that because of the nature of the role I could receive a Teams/video call at any time so I need to be properly presented, plus they state that it's important for being in a working frame of mind. So even at 2am I've got to be sat there tie done up and jacket on.

I guess it's the job, I don't know? What guidelines/rules does anyone else have to work to for home working?

So long as you can go to the loo when needed I don’t think it’s unreasonable no. The uniform would annoy me though.

have to be 'at my desk' for the duration of the time, as opposed to just being logged on and going and doing some thing else.

well, yes. You’re being paid to work so it’s a reasonable expectation that you’d be at your desk working/available to take a call, not swanning around doing some housework or such.

Strictly during my lunch breaks. Yes.

Absolutely.

I wear my Bluetooth running headphones at home all day so I can hear if a call comes in. They have better sound than my laptop - I would find myself leaning right into the screen to hear so God knows what people thought getting a close up of my face 😂

It does mean I can nip to put some washing on or load the dishwasher without worrying about missing a call.

You have to treat WFH as if you were actually in the office. So yes - you can empty the WM/DW in your break but not make pack lunches in the middle of the afternoon. When the first lock down started DH drove me bananas over fiddling with DW and otherwise tidying the kitchen. I had to be really firm with him that it just shouldn't happen.

To answer your question it appears that their policies may be a little more rigid than others, but it also sounds like a role where the on-site policies are a little more rigid. So in that sense they don’t sound out of the ordinary.

My office role wfh rules align pretty closely with our in office rules in the same way.

This is exactly why customer service has crumbled.
The ‘ I do whatever hours that suits me’ ethos is a complete myth

it also explains why shops, cafes, restaurants are rammed every single day … everyone seems to be working from home!

This is surely a piss take?

The huge hint here is "working", and the location is irrelevant. If your main "on- site" job allows you to hang out washing or make the kids packed lunches, that is fairly unusual.

Oddly when I book a hotel I don't care where the person handling the booking is sitting, but I don't expect them to be cooking tea, hanging out the washing, or watching TV. If those things are more important than answering me, there's another hotel...

It's not a piss take, I am genuinely asking how home working works for people in reality not having done it before.
FWIW I'm not customer facing, it's more of a back office admin job so I won't be dealing with any clients either at the hotel base or online

I am so tired of my colleagues clearly dealing with phone calls and emails while doing their housework
errands etc at home.

I have set hours and set breaks and can and do get calls at anytime. I have my phone set to my Fitbit do if I am doing something else, answering the door, boiling the kettle I vpcan run back and answer it. But there is also online chat, whats app, emails, zoom chat, teams chat Google meet, LinkedIn FACEBOOK INstagram twitter honestly it never lets up and i work for a small firm

I'm a bit confused about if you are, or aren't customer facing - you have said a couple of times that you aren't, but then I thought you said that you might get Teams calls ?
If people taking Teams calls in the office are expected to wear a uniform, then I can see why the same is expected wherever you are if you are taking video calls. Obviously, if you never do, then it falls under the category of "who is going to know?" Same as whether you have a skirt or smart trousers on, or your PJ bottoms.

Re the 'making my childrens lunches' and 'hanging out the washing' - if you are being paid to do X hours work, then it is easier to monitor people if there are fixed breaks. They presumably have had people taking the mick, so they manage it strictly.
In my job, I can choose to take a 10min break to do something like that at any point that I'm not in a meeting or delivering training and that is fine, because we are all experienced managers in our team who will get the work that needs to be done, done, and we all work more hours than we are supposed to to do so. So, if we do take a short break in the day, it is fine. It probably means we won't take a lunch break or will still be working long after we are supposed to. However, in a role that is more of an 'hourly paid' role, then it is normal to expect people to be working for all the o=hours they are paid, yes.

I used to manage a hotel reservations team/call centre - albeit in person. Speedy response rates and sales conversions were KPIs. We would regularly do mystery shops/listen ins to monitor efficiency, friendliness, upselling, explaining T&Cs, customer service, and conversion rates. Even though we were in a back office, the uniform code was absolutely part of the company culture. I am not at all surprised by the expectation of the role you describe. The hotel brand/image is so important.

The advantage of such a role is you have intense periods of sales activity, and can then forget about it until your next shift.

Dress for your day - if you are likely to be speaking to someone where uniform or dress code is expected then you do it.

I WFH in communications and other than my alloted breaks I also have to be at my desk and ready to receive calls that may occur.

The thing about these types of job is that you learn to make sure you've got everything you need to hand and also things to do in quiet periods.

Like I will do some Xmas present wrapping when there is no other work to do but I will do it in my room so I'm ready to take a call as it comes through as my work is my priority while ever I am being paid.

It's also nice having snacks/drinks at hand so on my actual breaks I can get other things done or just enjoy a break without rushing a snack or sandwich.

And you can get also apps that make it look like you're active or put something on your space bar

space bar is the best one as IT can't see what apps you have installed 😉

CAN see

Maybe a different kind of wfh role would suit you?

Mine basically has no interest apart from work being done. I have to provide x by x date. That’s it. I work a lot in the early hours and send stuff on schedules emails.

I do formal meetings but have no dress code or direct rules. I guess they just presume I’m sensible. I often have something like a plain black top- seeing just head and shoulders it’s non descript. There’s a few clients I take to informally in a hoodie- their CEOs often are too if outside the office that day.

No I'm not customer facing, but I will be on Teams/video calls with hotel staff/managers, etc. That's why I've got to be in uniform as if I were actually working at one of the bases in person, which will also be required. But I was just questioning why the rules/guidelines state that I will have to be in full uniform (including skirt and tights) even if I'm home working

It just depends on the role doesn't it. I WFH and work really hard (and well, I have a huge job). Things I do when working from home:
School run
Tidy up
Hang out the washing
Go for a run
Start dinner
Dishes
Wear whatever I please
Listen to music really loudly

I don't work in a customer facing role. That's the difference

You will be able to get away with a lot more once you start. All new jobs are the same like that aren't they?

When I first started WFH I was dressing in office clothes and sat at my desk every minute of thes shift, until I went in the office and remembered that in reality the working shift is not just 100% work but in reality is work interspersed with lots of doing a tea run, small talk with colleagues, walking to photocopier, playing stupid online quizzes when your boss is out the room etc.

I WFH a lot with a couple days in the office and/ or on site. My company is international but are very good at being strict with working times and suggest that we put it in our signature to manage expectations so no one is calling us at 9pm expecting an answer. However, I am in an advisory role and unless internal, video calls are always scheduled so we can dress accordingly if needs be, but the nature of my work means that a suit and tie would be odd and dresses/skirts/heels totally impractical so I live in smart/casual jumpers and leggings. It’s not unusual to see someone in an hoodie or fleece. Other sectors of the business would be expected to be smartly dressed though and have stricter working times. I think the rules you have been given are a reflection of the business you are in unfortunately.

The uniform is a bit silly I think. Other than that it's all fair enough though it would annoy the hell out of me, and I don't think I'd have the self discipline for it!

On the days I work from home, I keep almost the same hours, do not have tv or radio on, and have a lunch break just as when in the office. What is different is that I don't wear what I would to go in the office, though it is what I would wear to leave the house (other than no coat and scarf). No slobbing about in pyjamas or sportswear.