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.

I don't know what we're supposed to "get"

I'm at home today and have been on calls pretty much straight through. This is me having a lunch break

Of course we get the those advantages, that's why we do it.

I've worked ft in the office, umpteen retail jobs as a student etc, of course I get the benefits of WFH.

I also miss the collegiality of my ft in the open plan office job - not always a healthy thing but I learned by doing and chatting with more experienced colleagues and also made some true friends. I don't think that will ever happen for me again.

Every job has pluses and minuses. It's not just WFH Vs not, there's loads of other aspects to consider such as PT Vs FT, shift work or regular hours, public facing or not, salaried or hourly wages etc etc etc.

The weird fixation on here about WFH is a bit much.

I think WFH has loads of benefits.

That's why I specifically trained and studied for the current WFH position I have.

The options are out there....

I agree

This makes sense

Of course they get it. It's why they do it rather than purposely look for an office-based job.

I did 20 years office working before we moved to being 100% wfh. To be honest quite a lot of people used to say in a slightly sneery way ‘oh I could never do a desk job, I need more interaction/excitement/movement etc’. Those same people are now visibly jealous of me even though I still have a boring desk job 😂 and they moan about how unfair it is that I get to wfh! I see it as my pay off after decades of driving to an office to sit at a desk - I’ve earned the benefits of wfh

I've had remote contracts my entire career. I've done it on purpose and it's been great for me. I chose this lifestyle, so yes, I get it.

In the garden? In their lunch break? Shoot the buggers.

Seriously, though, DH works from home sometimes, but not that often, because he finds he ends up doing way more hours than he's actually paid for if he can't drive away from it. But it's handy to have the option if, for instance, he wants to avoid commute-doubling roadworks or a tricky weather conditions.

Hardly anyone has only ever worked exclusively from home. I'm sure most people get it.

I think most of us get it! Anyone who has never worked out of the house won't have had the fun of work mates, tea point chats, silliness in quiet moments (I remember playing a game of 'guess what piece of office equipment I'm being' with my boss once), camaraderie, awkward birthday gatherings, it actually having a life separate from home life. I don't dispute there are many advantages to working from home but office work is great sometimes too.

I left the NHS for a mostly WFH job.
No regrets.

Also, there are downsides. My neighbour had some building work done which was pretty disruptive, but all carried out during normal hours and necessary noise, so I could either pay for temporary office space or put up with it. I put up with it and made up some hours at night.

I think most people are well aware of the perks as we used to have to go into the office!

Not sure why people are anti work from the garden though? If the work gets done surely it doesn’t matter where you do it? I often work in the garden.

@Spirallingdownwards

🙄

Working from home isn’t always a saving. I used to commute on foot or by free (university) bus. I’m hybrid now and it’s a good balance. Freezing in winter and an expectation that I will have time to do chores on my breaks. It’s convenient but it’s not very glamorous.

I know exactly what it’s like woh full time so
I wouldn’t do it again. I also don’t want a long commute so live centrally and pay a premium for it. We all have choices. Jobs aren’t foisted on us by someone else.

I wfh (not my choice) and I have to use my own WiFI and electricity so why should people the office be paid more?!

If I take a day off sick my work doesn't stop, I just have one day less to complete it in.

I career changed nearly ten years ago to a more flexible job that allows WFH. Now when I feel a cold starting I go to ground, crank the heating up and so don't get a chest infection (asthmatic). I'm healthier and I miss less work. Win win.

Are these pics of people actually working from their gardens? Because if not, they may just have taken the day off or have an early finish on Fridays? (as is the case for my job in the summer)

I wasn't able to work from home, not travel much, but when I worked in an open plan office I was sick all the time. Coughs, colds, agonising costocondritis that lasted upto 8 weeks 3x a year. Endless dental infections. Chronic migraines. Really bad asthma and eczema all over my body.
Being around so many other people makes you unwell. I think WFH people don't realise how ill they'd be if they were in a room with 50 plus others every day for 8 hours plus.
Of course in your case you're around sick people a lot as well by nature of the job. I've so much respect for NHS staff.

People seem to forget that most people WFH, particularly call centre staff, are measured to targets and their employers would know if they were slacking off. I did sit out on my lunch break though, it was nice and I value it. That’s why I chose this sort of job even though the work is relentless and the customers can be vile.

Of course we get it. I wouldn’t and could never go back to an office job after having the freedom of WFH.

Feel free to moan, I left teaching for a WFH job. I enjoy the perks and have enjoyed being on instant access to the freezer for ice jubblies today but it is also isolating I've gone from talking to 150+ people a day, to only talking to DD. She doesn't need to be taken on a school run so it's quite easy for me to not leave the house and not talk to anyone all week which I don't think is particularly healthy. My step count is less than 1000 without actually planning on going for a walk etc which isn't great.

Teaching meant I was always ill, the only time I've been ill this year is after a work trip to London where I assumed I picked it up on the tube, I'm like a bubble person now and my immune system must be rubbish.

Yep agree however lots of us who wfh had it shit before, not only did we commute but we have jobs that we’re required to do outside of our contractual hours.

I deliberately chose a full time WFH role and get paid handsomely for it. Love being able to work in the garden or even a coffee shop if I’ve got a no meeting day. My company just wants the work done. Not to chain you to a desk.

Swings and roundabouts.

I’m more on the periphery and obviously not invited on nights out, miss out on office lunches, birthday cake, networking and socialising etc.

My heating bills are extortionate in the winter.

I’ve had to fork out quite a bit to kit out my home office. Yes employer will provide basics but tbh, I wanted luxury and comfort so I paid for my own chair, new desk, soundproofing etc.

Some days I do feel a bit stir crazy! Particularly when I just want to run an idea past someone, or break up my day by chatting 😂

But the flexibility and saving it provides is incredible so I take the downsides happily.

also the PP who said WFH means our jobs will be taken by workers abroad. Well works both ways. I currently work for an overseas company which obviously I’d not be able to do if I was required in office!

I work full time from home. I pre Covid worked 30 years internationally averaging 65 hours per week. I am now chronically ill and my medication means I have no working adrenal glands, no working immune system, I’m in constant pain, I cannot assume on a daily basis that my limbs will work. My company have decided because of this they cannot guarantee my safety in the office and I therefore work from home 100%.
I love it.
Would I swop back to being healthy, not scared, no more pain, no more specialists, no weekly gp appts, no more scans, weekly blood tests, etc in exchange for office working? Too damn right I would. It ain’t all roses.

I like going in to work. Getting dressed for the day, driving to work listening to the radio, and chatting with colleagues in work. It gives a clear separation between work and home life. My husband is the same and he can work from home but chooses not to. WFH is not all it's cracked up to be.