Be honest… what do you really do if working from home?

[Wffhh]

Just that really.

I often have a bath at lunchtime. Go to shops. Clean. Last Friday watched a Christmas film in the background in bed while doing some online training. Made a pie.

Sometimes I have to work very late. Sometimes on a weekend. So I think it balances out. Anyone else be honest? Do you ever have almost a day off doing life admin?

Most days I barely have time to have lunch and put a wash on. I usually have at least 4 or 5 scheduled calls every day, a x my Teams messages never stop...if I buggered off for a bath or to watch a film someone would definitely notice! 😭

I work. The hours that I am contracted for. Doing the work that needs doing.

There aren't enough eye rolls in the world for this post.

I'm a teacher, highly academic but need not to be "on" all day. I need breaks.

My father was a teacher. We lived close enough to the school that he could walk home for a quick lunch and a 15-20 min nap, then walk back refreshed for the afternoon. He was usually home not too long after 'hometime' - so a break for 'tea'(northern ) before marking.

Quite a lot of the difference between wfh and office is simply not wasting time on getting to and from work, of course.

I often have a bath at lunchtime. Go to shops. Clean. Last Friday watched a Christmas film in the background in bed while doing some online training. Made a pie.

And this is why employers are requesting that employees go back to the office.

I tend to break my neck on a on site day and then finish off small mindless tasks on my wfh day to make it joyful

I work. Pretty much just that. I might stick a wash in before nine and hang it out while the kettle boils later on but I don’t even go for a lunch time at walk (tend to do my walk before work).

Depends on the day, sometimes I’m on back to back calls and don’t get chance to eat or make a cup of tea between 8:30 and 6pm.

Other days I’m more leisurely reviewing documents and can do that on my iPad in front of the television.

Some days all of my live projects are waiting for team members to action and I spend a lot of my day scrolling Mumsnet.

Every day I work from home is more ‘productive’ in terms of output than a day in the office, as I spend my office days having coffee with contacts, or travelling to face to face meetings, or having catch ups with the team. Unless absolutely necessary I actively try not to do ‘work’ when I’m in the office.

I’m an employee but the structure of our team means I’m largely my own boss. Provided I win enough work in the year and oversee the teams delivering that work, then no one cares what I do. Sometimes I work evenings and weekends. Sometimes I barely do 2 hours work in my 7 hour working day. I don’t think I do any more or less than when I was full time in the office though, but it’s hard to gauge as my role has changed significantly through 2 promotions since 2020.

On the very rare occasions i work from home(as in once or twice a year) I just work, don’t really take a break and i try to put the washing machine on. Im not very good at working from home because I dont take a break or stop working at a good time.

Get way more done at home than I do in the office as no distractions or people talking away to me.
I prefer to work with background noise so always have an easy watch series on the tv.

If anything the downfall to wfh for me is that I sometimes don't know when to switch off. If im sat not doing anything later at night I will often grab my laptop and finish something for work whereas I wouldn't do that in the office

I had a wfh day today, logged on at 7.25, had a shower during my 30 min lunch break, worked until 4.30 then took the dog out then back home and finished up a bit of work before partner and my DD got home

Do school run.
Put a load of washing on.
Start work at 8am, work until 12, then put supper in the slow cooker, hang the washing out, put another load in, make a sandwich. Eat.

Start work again at 1pm. work until 5.15, then collect ds off the school bus.
Eat supper.

I don't

Go and queue 15 mins for coffee
Arrive late or leave early for appointments or school pick up
Chat for 10 mins with whoever walks past the office
Take a full hour lunch break

It was eye opening being in the office the other week!

And this is why employers are requesting that employees go back to the office.

This! Can't wait for our HR to grow a pair and mandate office working again.

My job is full on. I get a thirty minute unpaid lunchbreak, and I just logged off 39 mins late. I couldn't skive off my morals wouldn't let me. Noone is monitoring my work, I am just a trustworthy soul.

I do less than I do in the office. I am going to admit here that I am someone who will do something if I can get away with it.
Basically I could probably/definitely do my job in less hours than I currently do. So my one day WFH I tend to do some cleanin, Hoover, washing, window clean etc. I have 2 young children so this is my only option. Also when I'm in the office I work constantly, there's no chat and a lady who makes everyone's teas for them so the only break is a 30 min lunch break and a quick toilet break. So I feel my slacking off day at home is justified somewhat!

I work really hard 7am-5:45pm today. Microwaved some soup at 1:30 and read the paper for 20 mins. Had two cups of tea. Absolutely nothing else apart from going downstairs for a parcel at one point.

I'm so much more productive at home. My job is full on and I use the 2 days a week I wfh to catch up on everything without the interruptions from phones and colleagues. I tend to work more hours at home too. I'd struggle to keep on top of things if I didn't have those two days. Our office is so loud. I do take a proper lunch break away from my desk though when I'm at home, as opposed to eat and work in the office.

A lot of people should not be "working" from home.

I WFH only some of the time. In my salaried job I work my normal hours and tasks. I take a five minute break each hour, meetings permitting, which IMO I'd take anyway chatting to colleagues in the office. On these breaks I will sometimes do a quick chore, and sometimes just have a biscuit and talk to the cats. I take an hour for lunch and go for a walk rather than my usual 30mins, but I start 30mins earlier due to no commute so the same hours are worked.

In my freelance job I am paid per day. Some days I have to get up ridiculously early to prepare for cases, and barely get a chance to grab some food between the morning and afternoon video conferences, with no breaks. Some days I only have one video conference and have the other half day to myself. Swings and roundabouts.

I’m usually quite busy but at quiet times / lunch time I might do some light cleaning/washing/nip to shops/wrap a few Xmas presents..
I never watch tv/films and wouldn’t have a bath/shower.

Don't worry - I'm sure these people are not "working" in an office environment either.

There are always those who stand around chatting for hours or just not at their desks I find. Usually disturbing those who do want to work.

Ignore the jealousy OP. You do you as long as you get your work done who cares 🤦‍♀️

I work all day and work through what would be commuting time. Has been the same since Covid.

IME people who were lazy in the office are lazy at home. It gets noticed eventually and they leave or get managed out.

I don't do housework during freetime anymore. We have a few meetings.during the week where you just listen so I do my laundry, vacuuming, dishes etc. during those meetings.

Don't be silly.
Jealousy has nothing to do with it.

Why should the lazy OP's work colleagues prop up a workshy colleague?

TBH, I blame management for not noticing.

We have a few meetings.during the week where you just listen so I do my laundry, vacuuming, dishes etc. during those meetings

Aren't you meant to be present on screen @Rewis ?

But if she is completing her targets and carrying out the same amount of work that she would in the office, how does that make her lazy just because she’s fitting other things into her day?