To think people who work from home don’t get it?

[Wfhwhat]

It’s not just the reduced stress as no travel, but it’s also the reduced sick days as it’s easier to wfh than go in if unwell. It’s being able to have a contractor at your home instead of booking a day off. It’s cheaper. You have more time with family.

I work in the nhs so there is literally no scope for me to work from home. I do love my job but had I known office jobs would turn in to work from home, I wouldn’t have gone into the nhs. I know I could change if I wanted to… but it’s not exactly realistic. I’m 48, two kids, trained in what I do.

just having a moan really after seeing so many wfh photos on Instagram out in the garden today.

It makes me laugh how some people think WFH staff have it easy. My husband is WFH he started at 8.30am this morning and is still working now, he's had a 15 min lunch break. This is a standard for him. His local office is a 2½ hr commute each way. His main office is in Milan, he has to travel there for a week every month. He also does international calls that he has to do during the night. His colleagues that office work are at home sat in the sun he is most definitely not. Hes certainly not taking pics for insta. There are perks to both wfh and office.

I do get it, because I worked in an office pre-pandemic. I also used to work for the NHS. I then chose not to because I hated it. Are you saying I should quit my WFH job that allows me a good work life balance and to pick up my child from nursery on time, and go and apply for an NHS job so I can feel like you do now?

Of course we get it, that's why we do it.
If you add in disability as in my case, its the only way I can work

Life isn’t fair? Surely you know that at your big age.

I WFH pretty much all of the time. I would love to get out in the garden sometimes but let me tell you my reality.
I am supposed to work a 7 hour day and in the office I have to factor in the 45 minute commute each way so I would stick to 7 hours, at home I end up doing 9 hour days, so effectively working my commute. I don't get paid extra or get TOIL. I rarely have a lunch break.
It's almost expected that because you do the extra, people can pile work on because I always end up delivering by hook or by crook.
Yes I can have workmen in or could work if I felt a bit off but I don't spend half my day doing house jobs, the washing up is piled up by 5pm.
If I was in the office people would realise I probably need some support or else I wouldn't be,able to deliver half of what I do.

Although there are some definite positives for working from home there is also a lot of negatives to, iv never done it as I don't have the motivation but I assume, poorer mental health, stress on relationships and family, higher utility bills, weight gain, alcohol problems (That one probably more personal to me but I would drink all day if I was working from home.

People that work from home still need to pay for childcare!

of course we get it! WFH has only been a common thing for the masses since covid .
I'm a lone parent to a teen, I was made redundant during covid and now have a purely WFH role.
Before that I was always dashing round trying to do school runs, assemblies, plays, sports days, navigate awful public transport , get in and out of the office on time and a million other stressors.

Oh plenty of people get it !!! I've worked in retail call centres and offices. I now get to work hybrid which is ideal. I don't get as fatigued by having to travel in every day but can still catch up with colleagues. As for the garden...wifi is a great thing and I'm lucky some of my work is hard copy based so I can do that outside !

Both my DH and I WFH on a hybrid basis. Our energy and water bills are higher as a result but we also have fuel bills to keep the cars running due to commuting. So swings and roundabouts isn't it?

Of course we get it. I’m 55 and worked full time in an office up until 2020 and now do hybrid.

I appreciate it’s made life so much easier for those of us who have the option to wfh part time and I can’t ever imagine doing 5 days a week commuting again at my age.

What you don't see is the people who are still working into the night to make it up if they did spend time out in the garden without their laptop.
Employers expect the work to be done. If the work isn't done, just like in an office, it's bye-bye job.
I did a hybrid type job and found it so hard to be 'off'. Husband would threaten to switch the router off because, as I had all the access, I just couldn't leave the emails alone. I worked many more than I was paid for. Of course, it doesn't help that there was a culture of being expected to answer emails outside of working hours, regardless of whether you'd been in the office or not.
I now have a 'go in to work, leave the job behind at the end of the day' job and that suits me better.
I am also somewhat puzzled by the 'middle class perk' comment. I'm working class. Worked on the factory floor for 10 years. Working class people can get office jobs you know. Do you really think, in this day and age, we're all still tilling the land or in the factories? Office work isn't 'middle class' any more, and hasn't been for years. In case those of you making that comment hadn't noticed, there aren't quite as many factory jobs as there were.
Working class women have worked in offices for decades, years ago it would have been in the typing pool.

Yanbu but wfh isn't always idyllic

Many people find it really lonely and difficult.

Can people not concentrate on their job while sat at an outdoor table?

In my workplace, people who are able to work from home at least some of the time are paid an extra amount to cover the cost of electric, etc.

I don't have the option of working from home. Do you think they pay me an extra amount for the cost I incur going in every day? Nope

Exactly. I went into the office every day for about 20 years, even while being a single parent and raising a young DC. I only started WFH about 9 years ago and only a few days a week. I didn't become fully remote until two years ago, and I was 50 years old. If I or DC was sick I had to take the day off. DC had to be in care from 6AM til 5PM (thankfully she loved it) until my DM was able to pick her up about an hour earlier. I had to take half days for appointments, etc. So I understand the pains and disadvantages of going into the office all to well.

Should force everyone WFH back into an office becuase it's not an option for you OP?

Maybe we should ban permanent contracts since some people are only on temporary ones, or reduce the public sector pension contribution since those in the private sector tend to be lower.

Since we're having a race to the bottom might as well go all in.

On a related note, there sure has been a lot of WFH bashing threads this week. I take it the venture capitalists are still having trouble divesting from commercial propert, and are trying to gauge how much opposition there is to pushing for forced returns to the office?

You do know that Insta is not real life, right?

I WFH fully, am at my desk at 7 and usually until 4/5 pm with time in the evening often.

Yes, I get to have a very occasional coffee in the garden but really, how judgemental you come across.

By the way I've done 35 years office based, I know I am lucky now to not commute. But I still work very hard.

I work for the NHS - 1 day in office per week - I live in a flat so not ideal - no garden etc - I have a nice view of the road! I enjoy going into work but on hot days glad I dont have to go in!

I don’t work from home and couldn’t with my job. Some days I think I would love to work from home but some days I think I would be isolated/ lonely. There are downsides too.

I love WFH. A company would have to pay me a hell of a lot more to be on site x 5 days a week. I get more done, my output is greater, I don’t have to physically be present alongside annoying colleagues and I can be comfortable in my space with my things around me. I don’t have to share a desk with a colleague who is ill & who wants to pass on their minging illness to me. Whatever the fuck it is.

I can put a wash on whilst I’m on Teams calls and hang it out over my lunch break, which I spend sitting in my lovely garden, in peace, away from other people.

I get to close my laptop at 5pm and hey presto - I’m home, no annoying long commute, no politely having to tag along to the pub or decline invites to go out for meals with people who are just co-workers as a pose to friends. I get to see my children for a good amount of time before I put them to bed.

What’s not to like? The work/life balance is awesome. I spent 20+ years dragging my bones into an office every working day of the week and so I’ve done my shift. I wouldn’t go back to that setup ever again. My productivity was actually probably less than it is now.

Obviously wfh is a massive perk.

I'm in the NHS in a hybrid role, usually at home 3/5 days. Can you look for a different job that fits with your preference? Training, safeguarding and research might be good options.

I’ve been saying this for years… bit like a London weighting or a tax benefit…or more holidays so they can stay at home & be there for parcel deliveries!

Tell this to a surgeon, physio, estates staff, lab scientists, housekeeping staff, domestics, pharmacists, electronic engineers, canteen workers, cssd, tssu, materials management, etc etc etc….im sure they’d all love to work from home & be there to answer the door to the Amazon delivery guys!

But are they all complaining that they can’t work from home?