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?

Yes, my work is like this at the moment. It has peaks and troughs and at the moment it's a trough.

This time last year I was switching on the laptop at 7am and switching it off at 11pm, for weeks on end. In a week's time I'll be much busier than I am right now.

Workloads shift and flex, and I'm paid for my expertise, not the number of hours I have my arse sat at a desk.

😅You're the second person to comment on that phrase. And a very delicious beverage it was!

I'm.very lucky to WFH and wouldn't take the piss like this.

There are always things to do.

No they wouldn't. I work in a single office on my own, and my manager works from home and pops in about once a fortnight. No one is monitoring me either way.

I don't do this as I never run out of things to do nor do most people in my team as far as I'm aware. I'd everyone else like you in terms of workload? I would think it's unfair if you stop working and others still have things to do but I suppose it depends on the role.

I definitely take breaks and time out to do things like laundry but I have autism and adhd so can't sit and concentrate for long anyway.

God no. I wfh for a contact centre, and my day is absolutely full on, from the second I log on, to the second I log off. Barely even have time to drink a cup of tea while it's hot. I am so jealous I could cry 😂

WtF are you talking about? Not every business is the same.

In my organisation, I'm the busiest and I'm at 50% work capacity. The owner wants everyone FT even if they have no active work. He is happy for us to have a good work/ life balance as long as the work is done efficiently.

very Hyacinth Bucket lolz

What sector do you work in? I really would have thought someone would have noticed or worked it out by now. But hey, you don't care so I don't suppose it matters!

That being said - if I had great swathes of time where there was nothing to do, I'd be bored out of my mind, so...

I have plenty of personal passions/ goals so I don't really get bored. I can listen to a podcast, do some e-learning, watch something or whatever I fancy.

I'm meeting all my goals and completing all my allocated work so why would anyone 'notice'?

I just think it's not really my problem if I can do in 18 hours what takes other people 35 hours.

OP, you're entitled to your opinion. I still think you're taking the piss!

It ebbs and flows for me, sometimes I’ve done what I can by half 3 and other days I work late into the evening.

If you’re hitting your KPIs then why not? Go above and beyond if you want to advance but if you’re efficient enough to get your work done quicker than others enjoy!

Same
If there's no calls (ha!) I can MN/read a book/anything at my desk
I do refuse to do more than my fair share of any other allocated work because I was doing it all and nobody else was, so it's now allocated out. If I've done my allocation, I'm doing no more

We work on a 4 weekly schedule, with the tail end of that schedule being quiet and really just about tying up loose ends.

Do I push myself during that time? No, not massively. Everything still gets done, just maybe not as quickly as it could - although still within deadline.

This is when the dishes hanging around from breakfast might get done whilst I'm waiting for the kettle to boil/tea to brew.

I don't feel bad about this, as it's the same in the office - except I'd be having a chat rather than washing a few mugs.

I also listen to podcasts throughout my whole working day, which would probably be frowned upon in the office.

Why, though? She's doing her job, boss is happy. Now and again when things slow down she does bits and bobs at home and just keeps an eye on Teams etc.

If she was needed, she'd respond, I'm sure. And she's probably happier and more productive in the busy periods because employees who are trusted to be autonomous in this way generally are!

What's the issue here, really?

I WFH (8-4 with 30 mins lunch) and often do a few bits during the ‘working’ day, this morning I marinaded some pork for tea, hung out some towels to dry and put the bins out, oh and I phoned the vets. I also watched Masterchef from Monday. All during work time - Masterchef was on my iPad next to my desk. The other bits I did took about 20 mins spread over the entire morning.

I still got everything I needed to done.

Do I feel guilty, nope. There will be other days I’ll start an hour early (unpaid)and don’t even take a break.

Swings and Roundabouts.

You can definitely tell who are the managers on this thread. Do some cpd? Ask for more work? Suggest you only need a part time contract? Give over.

Enjoy your delicious beverage OP, I'm incredibly envious (teacher so no wfh opportunity) and wondering if your employer is hiring?....

This thread explains why so many people are furious about being asked to go back to the office.

I do too but I do those in my own time. I'd feel weird doing them when I'm being paid to work.

No. Because I have to do a set amount of chargeable work and, unless I over-egg how long things take me, I won't get to that amount of hours until at least mid-late afternoon.

But I wouldn't be doing any more work if I were in the office more. I would just be more frustrated/ unhappy.