Sorry, not sorry, but wfh really is much easier

[Jeannie88]

I know it's become the norm, especially post covid, but do those who wfh realise how much easier their lives are?

Sorry, but I have found it a bit pathetic and embarrassing that there has been a big defiance of 'going into office' once a fortnight to be such an horrific ordeal?

Don't you all realise how fortunate you are? No commute, time at home to do things those of us have to do after a day of being on our feet, all frontline and retail etc then look after our children?

Sp my point from.personal experience. We are a group of 6 friends (f) and go out regularly together. When we have been to midweek gigs, comedy nights, meal, the 4 who wfh joke how they can roll out of bed and be online within minutes to show present, then have breakfast and just work at their own pace and even during teams meeting they can sit back and contribute what they have to.

Then, the 2 of us who have to get up at 6am, dress for work, ready to drive so sensible of alcohol intake the night before and buy ourselves soft drinks in rounds or even drive and give lifts. Then do a full intensive day with full on human interaction and check e mails on the evening when we get the time to do so.

Of course childcare issues come into this. We who don't wfh have to take our DC to breakfast club or childminder then go on to work, the 3 of the 4 who have DC drop them off at school and rush back having been seen to log on early but not really working as getting them ready.

Ok so my observation and opinions based on this. I guess all the moaning on MN about having to go into the office (which really isn't so hard is it?) had incited me to raise this point.

Oh and I do have DP who wfh and he totally agrees with me. He's hardworking and doesn't do the slob thing, but agrees, in his own words. 'It's a piece of piss compared to going to the office and even that was so easy compared to your job'.

So please those who have the privilege of wfh stop moaning! Honestly, how would the world work if everyone wfh? It wouldn't.

I'd love to work from home.

Who's moaning though?

Depends on the job surely?

I work from home as a childminder and I certainly don't recognise that lazy view of WFH that you describe. I'm knackered, still have housework to do in the evenings and don't drink on a work night....

I totally realise how fortunate I am

It's why when someone emails me or teams calls me or messages, unless I'm in a meeting or eating my lunch, I answer pretty much straightaway.

It's the trade off for me - it's a privilege to WFH (I'm the only one in my organisation who WFH every day) therefore I put in maximum effort to be available all the time

It does mean that taska which require periods of concentration are real pita because I just don't get the long stretches of uninterrupted time I need. But I would rather get up at 5am and spend 2 hours on those critical tasks before my work day than go back to the office!!!!

I'm not moaning, I'm bloody lucky and am grateful for it. Without remote work I wouldn't have a career. I'll probably work in offices more in future when my circumstances change, but for now I don't take it for granted how much the flexibility allows me to cope with daily life.

There. Have I shown enough humility, op?

I would hate to work from home, I would find it lonely and get cabin fever, I hated it during covid for the brief period my school was closed and I had to wfh. My mental health would be much worse if I didn’t have the social interaction of going to work, I don’t think you can say everybody who wfh has the better deal.

Loads do on here, to be fair.

I work hybrid and my days at home are definitely easier and less frenetic! I easily get as much if not more done too as I can focus better and of course find myself not chatting!

I agree. I feel like I have to demonstrate how I'm not slacking, unloading the dishwasher. Some days I don't even use the loo or get a drink. Not deliberately, just because I am working.

It's quite a lonely existence.

But I do prefer it and I recognise the time at home is preferable to being in the office with the commute.

I wfh and hate it, but have no choice now really.

I don’t think I understand the point of this post though - do you not enjoy your ‘in person’ job? If so, perhaps you need a new one?

It can be very lonely working from home. Even when I'm on teams video calls most of the day! Also I feel a bit trapped into doing all the school runs, dog walks, washing, food decision making and cooking, as I'm at home and dh is in the office every day. But overall it works much better for family life. A balance is best, as with everything. I like office days.

I have the best of both worlds- I WFH most of the time, and go into the office 2 days a week (ish), but that's my choice- no one monitors my presence.

I appreciate that I'm fortunate. Haven't seen or heard anyone moaning about WFH to be honest.

Being a childminder definitely isn’t WFH in the way the OP means though.

I wfh and people who wfh (and like it - not everybody does) do realise how privileged they are. They also don't moan about going in once a fortnight.

What they moan about is their employer suddenly wanting them in the office again for three days a week, with no good reason when they are infinitely more productive at home.

I go into the office twice a week - out of choice - and the days I go in I do a third of what I do at home. Teams meetings still happen on Teams and it can be difficult to find a quiet space to take calls, there are rarely enough desks, the office smells etc etc I go in because I like to build rapport with people and getting out the house does me good.

But the reality is a lot of companies have reduced their spaces and the office is just not equipped for everyone like it used to be.

I can't tolerate the office. Im very lucky the WFH revolution happened. Life is bliss now.

I do appreciated it and that not everyone can do it but 1. some people prefer to travel into work and hate WFH so we all can find something that suits us and 2. The commute is easier if people like me aren't clogging up transport.

I agree it's easier for all of the reasons you listed. But it's also boring and isolating. I enjoy it in summer when I can sit outside or go for walks at lunch. But generally I feel being in the office is a lot better for my mental health.

I love WFH - but have done, from 1976 to 2020, working 5 days a week in the office, prior to 2020 WFH wasn’t a “thing”.
From my point of view, WFH is easy and I love it, but as a 20/30 year old WFH will wreck your career. In the early days, you need to go in to the office and learn, and talk, and interact, and get noticed.

I love WFH 4 days a week, & get my social interaction outside of working hours / on office day.

When I’ve got a big project on I might go offline for a few hours to concentrate, which is encouraged because our team manager knows she can trust us.

Whose moaning ?
Your OP doesn't really make sense.
Those of us who wfh very much appreciate not having to commute, and (for some) having more flexibility.
The people I read about on here being unhappy, tend to be those who still have to commute.

^However* I completely refute the 'logging on then going off to have breakfast' claims and the 'taking it easy' claims.

Yes, there will be some people that take the mick, just as there are some people that don't pull their weight in the office. Equally, there are lots of people who work very hard when wfh.

People know how lucky they are, it’s generally why people fight return to the office policies tooth and nail.

It’s better in a lot of ways, for work life balance and flexibility but it can also be lonely and boring.

WFH is a game changer. I can get far more done in far less time as no commute and far
more flexibility.

I receive a very high salary but would hate to have to go and sit in an office every day to earn it. I’d find it demoralising as there’s no upside to it.

Im just glad that I ended up with a career that supports this way of working as I had no way of knowing at the outset that tech advances would make it so easy.

The only difference it makes to me is no commute
The job is exactly the same and I have to be at my desk for my full shift, answering calls
If I go in the office it's the same, and we don't really talk/socialise/network as there's no time between calls

Yeah of course it's easier, that's why we don't want to go into the office. Duh.

No-one likes a martyr.

It really depends on the role & the type of person you are.

I have a hybrid working arrangement, and I do value the flexibility WFH days afford me. (I can prep a dinner or collect a DC during a break)

But I prefer my on-site days, I like the in-person meetings & human interaction & like being away from home.

Days at home can be very intense, I'm usually working in-depth on projects / management tasks, no casual interaction to break up the day & I'm always squeezing in tasks to my breaks.

Not moaning, I'm very glad of the set up but it's not the kind of set up you describe, rolling out of bed etc, I could not work like that.