To WANT to office work and not WFH?!

[TikkaChance]

I'm applying for jobs, and can't help but notice how many are now hybrid remote, as in work from the office for a couple of days a week and the others you're at home with your headset on and presumably creating your own call environment from your spare bedroom or something.
Is this a new thing since lockdown?
If I'm at work, I want to physically go into work and feel like I'm at work, as opposed to being at home and getting distracted by shiny things nobhead kids and DH 😁 (love em really)

I think most companies are doing it since covid because a lot of people prefer to be hybrid and they are trying to be accessible. My work is 50/50 but they wouldn’t have an issue with me doing full-time in office.

I agree with you completely. I don't want two monitors at home, fgs, where would I put them. I work from work, I home from home. I do live near my work but even so, if I change jobs I'll maybe work one day from home but I will just feel my heckles rising if they start trying to give me a load of office equipment!

Yes you could go in five days a week, but the office may be empty some if those days

Which isn't the environment I think you're after?

Although it can be a great chance to get tons done

@TheQueenMakersDaughter

This conversation about hybrid vs WFH vs full time at the office has been going on for at least 3 years now!

Maybe so, but it's the first time I'm really noticing it as I haven't applied to any office based jobs for over 10 years now as I've been a SAHM for years.

Do check it out.

My workplace is entirely choice and the office is empty on a Monday and Friday and only really used on other days if there are team meetings.

Someone could chose to be there 5 days a week but would be pretty lonely most of the time.

@ChanelNo19EDT
Yes, that's my beef too - where the fuck am.I supposed to put a load of office equipment?!
Headset would probably end up getting buried under a pile of clothes or going down the back of the settee knowing this place! 🙄😂

YANBU at all. WFH doesn’t suit everyone, I don’t even really think it suits many people and roles that well, people have just had their heads turned by being able to retain their salaries without paying for their previous commutes.

My organisation has a hybrid policy but within that there are plenty of people who choose to work 5 days a week in the office.

Companies seem to be slowly pushing back now that the latest studies are showing that people that wfh are less productive.

Companies seem to be slowly pushing back now that the latest studies are showing that people that wfh are less productive

Exactly, surely it'd be too tempting to log out for half an hour or so to go sit and watch Friends with a cup of tea 😁

Exactly, surely it'd be too tempting to log out for half an hour or so to go sit and watch Friends with a cup of tea

I do exactly that, why shouldn't I on my half hour break? My company get a lot more work out of me as I don't have to log off for the hour drive home, I'll often work at 10pm at night for an extra hour or 2 to finish a piece of work. The flexibility is incredible but I'm a worker not a piss taker. I hear horror stories on here of what people get up to, I'm always at my desk, always online when I should be and always working when I should be as I don't want to ruin my opportunity of working from home like some other knobheads have.

When I worked in an office and had finished all my work I tended to make myself useful in another way/found something to do. Because well why not? Otherwise you're just sitting watching the clock. I might've done something like reorganise the content library my team used or review my last bid to see if there were any useful excerpts I could contribute - examples of executive summaries, case studies, etc.

Like fuck I'd be doing any of that at 4pm if I was at home and had finished my usual workload!

Well it seems the majority aren't as conscientious as you judging by the latest studies.

@RiaLia

I do exactly that, why shouldn't I on my half hour break?

No, don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with doing that in your break - my point was more self motivating yourself to get back on it work wise after your break is up 😬

My last role was 100% wfh and I hated it. Absolutley didn't work as much as when in thr office and didn't build as good a relationship with colleagues. I'll never wfh again

I do much better going into the office. I’d never take a fully remote job.

Even working from home three days a week is too much working from home for me.

Yeah I don't doubt that, there's some utter lazy bastards out there I hear some horror stories that are embarrassing. But I have a clear conscious that I know I work better at home left to it and my results show that.

I would at least give it a try OP. I didn’t think I’d like wfh but I end up loving it. It’s so wonderful being able to do chores around the house on my lunch break. When it’s quiet, I can turn the TV on and relax unlike in the office where you’re just twiddling your thumbs. I save £200 a month in fuel and can have proper dinners as I usually start prepping on my lunch break!

All I can suggest is, have a separate space to work in from the rest of your home and make at as inviting as possible.

I love WFH, so much less stressful. There must be a happy balance of letting employees that want to be in office do so, and those that don’t, wfh.

My job is hybrid. We can work up to 3 days at home, but if you want to go into the office every day you can. There's a booking system though.

I prefer being in the office but I do wfh 3 days because it means teen DS isn't coming home to an empty house every day.

The most recent best evidence we have is that there's been no significant change in remote working rates since covid regulations ended. The organisations 'pushing back' are evidently being balanced out elsewhere.

That being said, no OP YANBU at all. You're totally entitled to your preference. Agree with the advice that you should check you'll be able to come in every day, as not all organisations have reduced office space. Hopefully you're able to find something suitable.

I’ve taken a completely new job because after 7 years of mainly working from home with 1-2-1 clients coming to visit me, I’m desperate to be in a workplace with team members & colleagues and have a separate workplace to my house.
I’m naturally an introvert but the solitary existence has frankly driven me stir crazy.
Ideally I’d have one day WFH a week to take pressure off during school runs, but I’m totally enjoying being in a workplace.
Go for it, OP - employers will welcome you with open arms if they have the physical space.

I know WFH suits some people for various reasons and I do actually believe that people can be as productive at home - BUT…. I worry we’re damaging our own social skills in the process. Humans are designed to be sociable and work together.

As people say, check it out. I've been working 'hybrid' since 2008 when I was self-employed. I started a full-time job a couple of years ago in a tiny charity. It's hybrid but realistically everyone is only in one day a week. I'm the only person in my 'team' (adjacent to another but still separate) and I'm more isolated than when I was self-employed.

Started job hunting again this week. It's driving me nuts.