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 do realise wfh can be intense but not all day, every day?
wfh jobs are as varied as office jobs, some people will have very intense jobs, some won’t, same as an office. Some people will have jobs wfh that are very regimented and some won’t.

'Well yeah duh', really?

Yes, they have complained about having to go back to the office for one day a month as they have been used to not getting dressed etc and no need to brush your teeth either!

Sorry but this really is my experience with most people know who wfh and all I was asking if they realise it is easier than a commute, dressing appropriately etc, fair enough?

I'm out in the community, often have to get up at 6am and travel, love my job, the rewards of helping others, so no I'm not jealous. What has made me a bit incensed is the oh woe is me at having to do a teams meeting, yes having a coffee with friends on my day off. Xx

Im not fully understanding the point of your post. It seems you have an issue with your friends behaviour and are assuming this is the case for everyone who works from home.

Yes wfh is easier in regards to commuting but thats the main benefit. I work in a high up role and my days in the office im in such demand i get zero done because im being pulled from pillar to post. I wfh one day a week, suppose to log off at 5pm usually log off around 10pm as its the only day i get to catch up on my work load.

My partner work from the office three days a week with an hour and a half commute each way, leaving the house at 5.30am and he doesnt get home until 8pm. He wfh two days a week which does help his commute but he often doesnt have lunch as hes high up in his role and doesnt have time to eat, he also logs on an hour and a half early each morning due to his work load. Apart from fridays where he logs on even earlier again as he has to do the school run in the afternoon.

I would love to work from home. I've actually applied for a new job where I could.
I have to work in office full time atm in the role I'm in, but I sprained my foot two weeks ago and had to two days wfh as it was too painful to walk on during that time and it was honestly glorious. No 5.30 wake up, no commute, no time wasted getting home after, healthy meals made during the day, time spent with DH who wfh and more time with the ddogs.

Thank you, yes you have! You're not complaining about wfh and I get the sarcasm. I'm not saying anyone who is diligent at their job and wfh is taking the piss, just some are. Xx

Thank you, these are the insights I'm hoping for. I love that you value your on site days, this is the problem of so many who wfh who cut off from the world who are not willing to go into an office occasionally. It really does worry me working in a keyboard all day, every day, is so unhealthy. Xx

Yes it's always been the case, making yourself visible and personable. This is definitely difficult wfh and just being an anonymous part of the team. Thank you for your response, all learning experience for me. Xx

Those who wfh still use childcare though.

I also don’t understand who’s moaning? Apart from you?

I agree

I WFH FT and life is so much easier and I am way more productive because no one is engaging me in idle chitchat

I have had surgery last week and it also means that, whilst I won’t be going back to work any day soon, I can go back to work sooner than the advised 6 week recovery. My recovery is painful and unpleasant and messy bodily fluid wise, and I’m on laxatives too, I wouldn’t dream of going into an office on that stage but as long as I’m pain free I don’t mind having the squits and bleeding onto my clothes whilst WFH

Oh so many who have take a teams call at 9am ime. X

As for the lecturing post from the OP, it’s as much beneficial for the organisation - both financially and productively - as it is for me to WFH.

If you are so envious find a WFH job. There are oodles going about. I always keep an eye out for a new roles and I actually struggle to find an office based one that isn’t WFH

I can’t see anyone moaning

Maybe OP means people who have been told to go back to the office.

Which I understand - companies were happy to upend the lives of employees and insist they work from home on their terms, but an employee thinking they quite like this set up and have learned to do it well should not be shut down and told to do as they’re told

I think what OP wants is for all to thank her

The problem I find is that no one sees when you go on your lunch hour so if someone wants something done quickly and I’m out on my lunchtime walk I do wonder if they think I’m skiving rather than taking my lunch hour. Not that I care especially! Because if we were in the office they’d have to wait until I was back

You are the type of person who gives wfh a good name. Thank you. 😊

You talk about how wfh is so much easier than customer facing....why dont you get a hybrid job?

I'll venture a guess as someone who has loved working on the front line and in a wfh job....because actually working a desk job is slow, dull work. Time flies working in a vibrant team with great clients.

Pros and cons to each so you choose your poison.

Well yes there will always be frontline and some other jobs that can't be done from home, but for everything else or when you want to meet team/ social it should be the norm.

What's not to love about...
Less driving and commuting
Less pollution
Less consumption
Less exhaustion
Less stress and rush to drop kids and work to the bone

Finally, what you may not see, and they may not talk about because they are generally so happy is output and crunch times.
I'm measured on my output which after some years is better and quicker than colleagues. Additionally, if it's a bad month or something goes wrong, or something extra needed....I can generally juggle and stay on as I'm at home.

I sit in front of my keyboard - why do you think that means people aren’t “actively working”?

If I went back to bed then people would start to notice by about 10am that I haven’t done any work as a lot of my work involves crisis comms and I have to churn out a press statement in about 10 minutes. Best tell my boss this isn’t real work 🤣🤣

It really does worry me working in a keyboard all day, every day, is so unhealthy. Xx

My job would be in front of a keyboard regardless of where I worked, it’s the nature of my job which involves a lot of reading, research and writing. I’m well connected to my team, lots of collaborative working and ad hoc discussions about work and life.

It’s only unhealthy if that’s all you do in life - I have other interests that keep me active, connected and sociable. While folk bleat on about how unhealthy it is and how WFH is such a park, they don’t consider needing a discrete place to work from in the house, the increase in utility costs, the potential blurring of work/life boundaries. It takes a particular personality to work from home well, it’s not for everyone, and that’s ok. I don’t need your faux concern about my health thanks.

Not everyone who works in an office has that experience though. I live within walking distance to my office (at a sacrifice of space and school choice/living conditions) so the drinking and driving issues don't affect me at all. My office conditions are pleasant and relaxed (casual dress, free cooked breakfast and lunch on site, free gym and exercise classes on site, aircon/heating) so I go into the office on 5 days even though I'm able to wfh 2 days. I work hard through the day, but don't deal with any clients or customers, and I get home by 5.30pm every day, and I almost never work or reply to emails after getting home. I drop off DD at school before I head off to work and DP picks them up, so no wraparound care needed.

I would love a WFH job but I'm a teacher so would have to start something new- probably with a big pay cut. I know I don't see the whole reality of course, but friends who work from home have so much flexibility. They do school pick ups and drop offs, can often go to events at school, sort some laundry, male appointments. My DD needs a GP appointment and I just can't get anyone to cover my class so I can call the surgery, let alone get out for an actual appointment.

See I think the opposite. Promotions are decided on output and not on who is Bessie’s with the boss

I think that's part of being a teacher though and not wholly working from home

When I worked in an office several years ago, before my accident, there were many people doing school drop offs or pick ups. It was normal to, for example go to your child's nativity play and then make the time back up.

I used to work in a call centre and still be able to pop out of the office to make a call to make a GP appointment. It wasn't ideal, but the managers knew that sometimes these things had to happen

Teaching seems to exist in this wierd place where teachers are only supposed to get ill or have events in holiday time which is made really. Although Im not sure what the solution is given the schools budgets!

I'm confused by your post and responses. In one breath you're saying it's much easier and in another saying they are cut off from the world and lack social interaction.

Obviously whether it is easier or not depends on a variety of factors such as role, personality traits and home situations.

E.g WFH for someone single and living in a noisy house share with no space for a desk/office may not be as easy as someone married with their own office and no noise.

Maybe it's best not to make assumptions, your original post is extremely judgemental and narrow-minded.

What you moaning for then

Do you think you have the monopoly on ‘making a difference’?