To ask how often you’d go to the office if it wasn’t a requirement?

[Orangegreen]

I work in quite a small team where people are rarely in the office all at once unless of a training day or larger meeting which is infrequent.

I’ve fallen into a pattern of working from home a bit more lately. Nobody has said anything about it. Nowhere is it mandated or discussed how much we actually should. For instance, some people go in for the morning and go home at lunchtime to work from home. Nobody bats an eyelid.

I haven’t been in a while so I am considering going in early next week. It will be ironic that if I go, everyone else will have probably chosen to stay at home though.

Commuting in is quite expensive and I don’t have a good reason to work from there other than to be visible. Would you go, or WFH until requested to do otherwise? As I say nobody has said anything and it is usually our choice but I don’t know if you stand out by not going in as often as others.

I agree 100% I could easily do my job if I wfh every day but having 2-3 days a week in the office is hugely valuable for all the reasons you state. Tje collaboration and the incidentals are a massive pro. Just yesterday I was asked to go to a meeting with the CEO, huge organisation, which would never have happened if I didn’t go into the office as it wouldn’t have come up in conversation. That’s great for my profile, it helped me understand some of the strategic priories better and I’ll do a better job. Nobody would have invited me to that meeting if I was at home as I’d only discuss my tiny piece in the organisation.

Management are pushing for 3 days together and 2 days wherever per week. They have stated they have data that shows people who work from the office more often have a higher score in employee satisfaction returns. Although, they have shied away from sharing how they are correlating this data!
The company has said it will report annonomously to team managers the percentage of time employees spend in the office.

I work on a distributed team across the UK, Europe and India. Nearest colleague is couple of hundred miles away... and nearest office is 1.5 hours commute (with no colleagues based there). My manager is very sensible about the practicalities of the impact on real work and personal wellbeing if we all start to comply.

We can go in as much as we like but have to aim for a minimum of 60% of our time in the office. It isn't strictly enforced but I know serial non office attendance is noted.

I do at least 3 days a week in the office and would do so even if it wasn't required as I find time in the office valuable for my health and career.

I go in once a month. I benefit from wfh in many ways but I do find it lonely and would go in 2x per week if it was an option.

Depends how easy it is to get to the office.

My current office is 8 miles away but is a 3 hour minimum round trip on public transport because the transport in my area is shit. As a result, I go in on average twice a month.

If the office was reasonably accessible (e.g a 20-30 min commute) then I would probably go in for the mornings 4 times a week. I enjoy a change of scenery.

I'm about to leave a job with 3 days per week in the office for one that allows me to WFH full time. Cannot wait.

Does that not depend on how its tracked, over 2 weeks or 4 weeks, or 48 weeks would make more sense. Then you could alternate 2 days/3 days.

I work 3 days a week and go in two days a week. I'd stick to this. Works well.

I go in twice a week now but I'd only go in 1 if I could.

Twice is too often and on one of the days the office is dead and too quiet. I don't like working like that.

At home I listen to music or podcasts and talk to the pets.

5 days if it wasn't so far away. As it is I do 3 in the office with a 3-hour commute. I really dislike working from home too much, the balance feels off to me.

2 or 3 days a week which is what i do now. Most of the team are in on various days so theres always one person to chat to. But i also go in on some fridays when no one else does as i like the office and i don't go in just to see people.

I've been working from home for over 10 years - suits me well. I go to the office twice a year for the summer party and Christmas party 🥳 we do have a virtual check in once a quarter. Speak to people within the company via zoom/google chat but I have total flexibility and that suit me.

We have to go in on Wednesdays, but I currently go in at least one other day, sometimes 2 (I only work 4 days). The office is nice and quiet on other days and I find it easier to focus. I don't live that far from our office though, so it's not a major pain for me.

Never unless a face to face meeting booked if it’s not required.

We have to go in once a week and I like this. I also go in one other day to focus on work, print scan etc. I am in town at lunch so can get jobs done.

I would choose to go in once or twice a week to break up the monotony. I work 5 days.

Work is 30 min drive but parking is dear. Also it is harder to make collection of dcs, cooking dinner etc. I would still go in once a week even if the office was empty for a change of scene.

Well not at all if I could help it, I've wrangled quite a number of international jollies since I started this job in October and I've got a few more planned. Mind you I'm going to have hurry up a bit to squeeze them all in before my 'go' is up later this year.

In the meantime I will pop in to the office (luckily it's just next door) when needs be - there are those free biccies, I've mentioned before, so it's not a total waste of time.

When we moved over 2 years ago, I switched jobs to a new company when WFH was still very much "on trend". Even though I've worked in tech area for many many years I expected there would be a mandated return to the office for at least a few days per week. And yes, that has indeed happened.

I'd prefer to go to the office once or twice a week, instead it is 3 or 4 days per week. Our office is great, free food and all that but my commute is long and busy. On the other hand I enjoy my job (most of the time) and am well paid. I also expected this to happen so was not depending on WFH scenario to continue.

We have to go in once a month and then whenever there is something that required us to be there. I think the max for me would be twice a week. Current once a month feels about right.

Never. It irks me somewhat considering my job can 100% be done from home.

If I had the choice I'd be in once a month for the team meeting.

We don't have an office. If I got one, then I think our trustees would expect us to use it a lot. Commute, child and dog care costs aside, I'd love a day or 2 a week, but you pay rent for 7, so we'll stay remote.

4 days a week. I'm required to do 3, and I do 4 by choice. Absolutely hate WFH - bad for my step count and general wellbeing, I'm sociable so like to see people during the day, like to read/decompress on my commute rather than being thrown straight from work to childcare. And in terms of work, all the reasons other people have given - good for raising profile/making contacts, collaboration and incidental conversations etc.

1 or 2 days depending on what I have going on.

Never

We're encouraged (but not yet required) to go in one day a week. In reality, I go in about once a fortnight.