If you WFH do you feel lonely?

[Notmeagainn]

Im in the process of handing my notice in weighing out the pros and cons. My current role is extremely lonely the only person I talk to is my manager and some of the managers I support. We are all WFH so never really see anyone.

The company I am about to join seem more of a “team” it’s not that I’m desperate for a friend it would just be nice to have someone else to talk to apart from my manager. This role is also WFH.

Im trying to figure out whether it’s the company/team I work for or is it just me and I’m not particularly out there and I’m going to end up in the same situation.

Which makes me question if you WFH do you feel lonely? Or whether you have a certain setup to avoid this?

I did. I loved my job but started to really struggle with the lack of human contact so quit for a job which has no WFH option. Definitely the best thing I could have done, I'm much happier and have a much better work/life balance.

I definitely felt lonely when WFH despite regular Teams catch ups. Was part of the reason I quit.

I work much better with hybrid

I can only cope with WFH if it's a job with a lot of people contact. If it is just dealing with information, then I can't cope with it. I have direct experience of each.

I did. I now work in a shared office and Lo ve it

Even with a great team and many many calls everyday I’m still really lonely.

I WFH full time and don't find it lonely - but our company is fully remote and they have put in lots of wellbeing and social events to make sure people don't feel this. We also meet in person once a quarter

However, I am not sure I would have felt much less lonely if everyone had come to the office all the time… everyone in the team (including me) was older, nice people but no interest in socialising particularly, just wanted to get on with the job. I think it might be a symptom of starting a new job post kids, rather than having a job where you’ve been there for ages and have friends you made in younger more social days.

I think you need a job where you get a balance of office time and work from home.

I can see it being lonely if you live alone but if you have family around you might enjoy the peace.

I do a bit even though I talk to people all day. I feel my life has shrunk a bit since wfh. Overall, I still love it though more than commuting

Not me - I bloody love WFH, I don't feel lonely at all and I don't need contrived social events either.
But that's me - you've got to do what's best for you OP and it doesn't sound like minimal contact WFH is for you.

Never lonely. I have been self-employed WFH for nearly 8 years. Occasionally, it would be good to talk an issue through, but I can do this through my professional network and forums. I'm possibly quite anti-social...

I did but I’m a lone parent so most of my evenings/weekends are spent with little adult company, so it was too much sitting working at home alone all day despite teams. I now do hybrid. I like the flexible approach, and it benefits me to work from home sometimes.

Not in the slightest, it’s amazing to be able to get on with my work in peace.

Well I have lots of contact with my team on teams but we are an operational team so as well as lots of meetings each day can involve lots of adhoc calls. But I still don’t find it the same as being face to face but we have a hybrid working arrangement - currently 40% in office, soon to be 60%. I guess it depends too if you’re a people person or more happy to have less conversations etc. I just enjoy the office banter - being in a busier environment. That has downsides too, trying to get work done on days when everyone wants 5 mins with me, but that’s part of my role as an operations manager so I get that.

I wfh. Meet up every couple of months with my team. I also have online contact with them each day.
The work I do also entails regular engagement with stakeholders both online and in person. I live out in the sticks so wfh is much better than previous jobs where I had to commute.

Hybrid suits me; at our place it’s 3 days in the office and 2 from home. The only thing that would make it better would be to have total flexibility of choice as to which days I could go in/wfh; but we have to ensure adequate office cover and that a manager is in the office each day.

I do. But I think the problem goes beyond work as I have few friends and DH isn’t the chatty sort.

I couldn't wfh full time. Too lonely 🙁

No definitely not. Appreciate its different for some people.

I prefer it, can get more work done with less chit chat distraction.
It's not that I'm not sociable... but work is exactly that, work. I'm there to achieve stuff, earn money, build networks. It's not a hobby.
But then I've never been one for blurring my work and social circles I guess, never saw the point right from my first job.

WFH in a team environment. We meet once a day to discuss business for 15-30 minutes, about 6 of us of different experience.
We also have wider team meetings perhaps once a week, maybe one training session a week (all over Teams) and are encouraged to contact teammates initially via Teams message then video call.

Overall, I'd say that it is a touch lonely (I'm an introvert so not awful for me) but we do have the feel of a team and the extroverts chat amongst themselves I'm sure.

If you're lonely, I'd look for hybrid personally. Virtual is good but it definitely isn't the same. Do we chat about holidays and what was on TV? Yes, course, but it's still not the same kind of chatter really.

I find it really lonely and I think remote working really affects our work in a negative way.
Manager doesn’t care as it suits him just fine.

I do hybrid wfh 2 days 3 days in, although this isn’t ridged, I do enjoy the balance and get a lot done on wfh days without distractions