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.

Of course we get it! Most of us worked out the home first. I left a customer facing career to have the opportunity to partially WFH, then Covid hit and I've been predominantly WFH since. I won't go for a job without at least some WFH, and intend to stay put until at least my youngest is in high school. I'm
in a sector where that shouldn't be too limiting, but think I would take the hit right now anyway if needed.

We get it. Not all office jobs were WFH pre pandemic. We've done the commutes. We've done the sick days. The days off with the kids.

There might be photos of lunches in gardens. But that's doesn't mean we aren't grateful we can do that now. It doesn't mean we don't appreciate it.

Also, thank you for working in the NHS. Those jobs, and many others that require being on site full time are important and we also appreciate those who do them.

On the other hand, it's not a race to the bottom. Some jobs can't be done from home. Others can. Why should we be putting more people into commutes and ruining their mental/physical health, which in turn puts more strain on your roles?

This can come as a detriment though. I recently had two bouts of illness where I was really unwell but felt because I was at home I should just plough on and not the days off sick. I ended up making some mistakes during that week at work (nothing I couldn't fix, but still caused some issues), and I actually ended up more unwell as I hadn't rested. If I was office based I wouldn't have gone in that unwell, and would have rested.

Why would we not get it?

I have been WFH since I started my current job almost 11 years ago, because it’s a field based role.

Prior to that I worked in offices so had to do the daily commute, book time off for appointments, take physical time off sick etc

Whilst I do WFH, because my role is field based I do also have to attend meetings 100+ miles away and can end up doing 14+ hour days with the travel included. I also end up working more hours, because it’s far harder to switch off at 5pm. Unlike my previous office work, I’d switch off the computer at 5pm and go home. However now, as I’m already at home, I often end up working longer hours.

It’s not the half a job, glam lifestyle you think it might be.

This is a very good point.

I’ve often ended up working when ill because I work from home and feel I should just push through it.

Everything you've said is correct but there are negatives,

• losing a room/space for an office or having work papers out in your living room/bedroom/dining room
• never being away from work
• lonely
• HUGE heating costs during the winter

There are pros and cons to everything!

We get it
I worked out of the home for 25 years - shift work, childcare all that stuff - that’s why at the age of 52 I changed and got a wfh job. I love it! I was ready to retire 2 years ago, stressed and exhausted, I feel like I can keep going for another 10 years now

I work from home 40% and in the office 60%. I'm not stupid so I completely understand the advantages of wfh in the scenarios you describe. I'm fairly sure most people with average intelligence could grasp it too.

"had I known office jobs would turn in to work from home"

But you chose a career that meant you would never wfh? How is that people who work office jobs fault? At 48 of course you can change your career, you just have to want to.

That's what the customer service industry has evolved into. Whether it's Amazon and other stores, credit card companies, IT, or telecommunications, there is a very good, very high chance, that your call will be answered by people from countries where they can pay pennies on the dollar compared to the US, GBR, CAN, AUS and much of Europe. Just as factories, clothing companies and so much else have moved to cheaper places to produce.
In reality, these days, nothing is really safe.

Weirdly the novelty of wfh has completely worn off for me. Whilst it's easier and lazier, it's isolating, bad for MH and my physical heakth has also gone rapidly downhill due to the lack of activity.

There are NHS wfh jobs. I have worked as a virtual ward nurse and there are more different ones

A lot of your points are very good and to an extent you are right. However, it would be very possible to write the opposite post:

To think that people who are able to work in the office don’t get it -

The second I go out the door at the end of work, the kids and dog mob me before I’ve gone for a pee and got a can of pop from the fridge (while you bought a cold bottle of coke at the train station and are sipping it dozing on the train)
If I’m unwell, I feel under pressure to work because I can drag my self to my desk with my box of tissues and don’t pass my lurgy round, whereas I might be better taking a sick day, but it feels a bit selfish.
I could book a contractor, but I couldn’t deal with them making noise or needing things while I’m in a work meeting, so in practice maybe if it was an emergency like no water or a leak I would, but in common practice no.
Overall you probably do an amazing busy job and I salute you for your service, Your job may well be harder than mine. I don’t think just because I can work from home, I have a better time though.

Absolutely I get it. Blanket taxation does not work.

People who work key manual roles should not have tax applied to them.

Legions of people sitting at home leveraging automation and contributing little in tangible societal value while our key services fall apart should be highly taxed.

Whilst it's easier and lazier, it's isolating, bad for MH and my physical heakth has also gone rapidly downhill due to the lack of activity.

That's your choice. I am more active now than I've ever been due to having more physical and mental energy. I go for a walk at lunch time meaning I get over 10,000 steps a day. I joined a sport which I now do 2 evenings a week which I have the energy for due to no commute, and even go to the gym a couple of times at the end of the day when I would usually be commuting.

It's not "very unfair". The people in those professions can look for a WFH job if that's what they'd prefer to do.

Yes, they get it.
Yes, many work more productively and efficiently.
Yes, there is a welcome opportunity to create a better work life balance.
Yes, companies can save money on office space.
Yes, far too many take the absolute piss, and are being paid to look after their own children at the expense of their colleagues, and consider it an entitlement.

It's not that great. I could WFH almost full time and for a year over covid but go to office now and only work from home a couple of days a year. I mostly hated not having a work/home separation.

I get it. I commuted for 20 years, had jobs where my alarm went off at 4am, had jobs where I got the bus home at midnight.
I know the slog.

I WFH home now and it’s fucking amazing. My job is flexible. I’m here to help with homework, make dinner, pick up groceries, get to appointments, dropping to activities etc. Some days I work at 8pm, some weekends I log in. Difference is that I’m not bound to a 9-5.
I get to the gym most days and I’m way healthier than when I was stuck to an office chair eating a soggy sandwich for lunch.

Could I earn more? Yes. Is it worth it to give up WFH? No way.

Oh and I haven’t had a sick day for five years. I had Covid twice and worked through it both times.

This! Being in the office every day is brutal

I get it and appreciate my WFH set up every single day. It has other challenges but they are far less then working out of the home.

@Corrag but a lot can’t. Nurses for example, people in the medical or teaching field. It’s not that easy to transition into another area or find a wfh job. For some professions it’s very hard. Bricklayer? Trade? Realistically office workers can wfh easier than others

If you want wfh get a wfh job. At 48 you still have 20 years to work. Lots of people retrain or move areas, I completely changed tack at 46.

Nurses can be in demand for clinical negligence or PI legal work, reviewing notes etc.