WFH - do you ever just relax?

[ringoffiire]

I love working from home, and when I do, I will quite often do half a day's work and then put my feet up.

I do everything I need to do, and I do it to a good standard. My manager praises me and has no concerns at all about my work. I'm not behind at all.

But if I've done all my work, I simply leave Teams active so that I hear if anyone wants to contact me, and then I get on with whatever I want to do.

If I was in the office, I would still be sat there doing nothing, but just feeling frustrated that I had to look like I was busy until 5.

Right now I'm sipping a delicious beverage at 4pm and browsing mumsnet, because I've finished all my work.

Anyone else? And do you think it's OK?

My job was really busy 1 or 2 weeks of the month when I worked 3 days a week in the office. When I had nothing to do, I was clock watching to go home.

I'm now working 5 days but wfh, I'm even less busy at work now but more available should my boss/ colleagues need me for queries/ reports. I have loads of downtime, run errands, watch TV, MNing etc, all my work is completed promptly. I love it.

Hmm, I think you should be putting your hand up and saying you've finished and is there anything else you can do. Not so you're working stupid hours but more than you are working.

There are 8 of us in the team and we get work portioned out to us by an admin team who deal with enquiries. So we all get around an equal amount of work.

If I finish my portion of that then surely I have earned my salary.

Why should I ask for more just because I work quicker than my colleagues?

(NB There isn't a large backlog to deal with - the service isn't overrun or anything).

URBU for typing this:

Right now I'm sipping a delicious beverage

The cringe factor is high
sipping?
delicious?
beverage?

What does that mean? drinking a cup of tea? having a glass of wine?

Beverage?!?!?

Because you're being paid for a days work! So you should do a days work. I bet if you asked for more they'd have more.

This!

I'd be really pissed off if I knew someone who worked for me was doing this. It's work shy and immoral. And this is why companies want people back in the office, because of people taking the piss like this.

I do household things when wfh, such as putting washing in, or cleaning the sink, for example. The time which when in an office was a walk to make a cuppa and having a chat.

It sounds like your job should be part time OP. Bad management that the lack if work hasn't been spotted.

So no, I don't think it's ok. I also don't think people who WFH should be flat out all day, every day, not at all. But doing a half day because you're WFH and can take the piss is, well, taking the piss.

Bet someone spots it at some point, they'll work out that you're not busy and either cut the number of people down or hand out more work.

Yes. My work definitely has peaks and troughs, and there'll be weeks where there's no way I could do this, and I'm working through lunch every day. And then there are other weeks where I can have a free hour or two. It probably more or less balances out in terms of my total hours over a year.

Me too.

This is why all the coffee shops, gyms, pubs etc.. are absolutely rammed on weekdays.

This is also why many employers are asking for returns to offices and it also explains why there was a really daft post from someone recently about fretting about having to source work clothes and being very annoyed about it.

I'm pretty sure that hospital/hospitality staff/ retail/factory workers, to name but a few, will be absolutely fuming at this self indulgent, sanctimonious and entitled thread.

If I was in the office I wouldn't be doing more work. I'd be pretending I was working and waiting to go home.

If you can do it then I guess why not. However, if you are in a situation where you were part of a team and your work was done but others are struggling (with stuff you could help with) my view would be that that is unfair.

Umm, because you’re not working your contracted hours? I assume your contract stipulates number of hours?

I am admittedly envious as I can’t imagine ever finishing all my work, but it seems dishonest to not at least raise it with your manager.

100% correct. I WFH and the company absolutely gets it's moneys worth out of me. They did when I was in the office and they do when WFH and they know it. That's why they allowed me to change my contract to WFH full time.
They know I put in the hours, do the work and they know that sometimes you might fit in other personal things. So long as you are doing a good job that is what they want. If I'm away from my desk I have my phone on me which as well as my email had Teams on it, so I am never uncontactable.

Which is more than I can say for some of the people in the office who are often unavailable as they are rarely at their desk but out hobnobbing somewhere in the building with their phone languishing on their desks. When I do my 'in office' days what I see is lots of people wasting time and larking about.

Let’s be honest if you ever tell your team you’re quiet you just end up with all the shit that they’ve been putting off ! Never once have I been given anything interesting, it’s just been hassle and headaches. Enjoy your quiet afternoon OP!

Same! Very jealous in fact lol

So long as you are doing a good job that is what they want.

Exactly. My manager is more than happy with my work and frequently tells me so. And I agree I often see people in the office wasting time and being no more productive than I am sat at home on mumsnet.

Yes. My workload peaks and troughs with volume and I work for a company that’s very much trusting you to get the job done rather than having to work 9-5. So sometimes yep I have a nice bath without being bothered by my three year old, I watch tv, have a nap, sort housework. Also go swimming in the morning.

It depends on the nature of your job obviously. I can’t imagine getting to the end of my work - I can and do fill a full day every day.

If your job is something more task oriented/reactive then it’s reasonable but personally in that position I’d be looking for more work.

I think you'll find most of us are in "bill paying" jobs.

"sipping a delicious beverage" lol
Classic MN line 😂

Hmmm and someone would probably notice and give you more work to do. So IMO you should have been pointing it out when you were in the office as well.