To think there are different 'types' of WFH?

[LittleRedRidingHoody]

Every thread we have on here about WFH has varying opinions on what you can/cannot do when you're working from home - and people get quite heated in their beliefs! But AIBU to think sometimes it's comparing apples and oranges?

Some people WFH and the expectation is they work their set hours - same as you might do in the office - and obviously work the whole time. Not do any childcare at the same time etc. These hours are often tracked in some way.

Other roles (like mine) are much more flexible, but demand more at different times. I end up doing 40 hours or more across days/evenings/the odd weekend, but flex this around household tasks/school runs. My boss is fully aware of this and it's accepted company practise across the board. I was aware of this when I started, and it suits me well.

Obviously some people abuse either system, but I feel on MN even a whiff of doing anything other than work during a day WFH is evil and you're pulling one over on your company, which in turn becomes a bun fight. Am I alone in thinking this?

I'm confused by the reference to childcare - regardless of whether you WFH in the first way (fixed hours) or the latter (flexi hours), you can't work and provide childcare simultaneously.

But surely those with flexi working would state that they're flexi working?

Always best to mention that if you're going to tell everyone you do childcare, dog walking and housework etc.

I work flexi time, so regardless of whether I'm in the office or at home, I choose how I structure my hours throughout the week. But that doesn't mean I can do non-work activities (like childchare, or cooking dinner) during the hours I record as 'working hours'.

I agree, it's similar to our workplace. I drop off and pick up some days (which is less than 10 mins as it's on my road) as do loads of people, including management. It's not a secret. My two are 5 and 10 and chill after school and have a snack going on their iPad or watching tv until I finish at 4.30. If I need to nip somewhere, I could tell my manager and just say ill stay on a bit later/work through lunch etc. I think people are super distrusting of those working from home. I work hard, and my manager could tell very easily if I wasn't, as the work wouldn't be getting done!

Bottom line is manager isnt going to know who else is in the house and if you're looking after kids or not.

Its a massive piss take but if employers are cutting back on buildings so be it.

In theory I suppose it is flexible working - but it's not tracked or recorded at all. My boss trusts me to get my job done - if I have a quiet day/week/month I'll take time back, if it's busy I'll be putting in more time.

Going by other comments that pop up on WFH threads I was assuming I'm not alone in this set up.

If you have a partner who is free when you aren't though (like evenings and weekends), they can look after the child while you work

My company has a flexible approach that people can work when they want and flex around household jobs/school runs etc.as suits them.

So some people work a standard 9-5 type day.
And some people work their hours in a more flexble way.

And far too many people, and the ones that I object to, do a hybrid of the 2 and work a standard 9-5 day with breaks to do flexible things like household jobs and school runs, as it suits them.

Thank you! Yes it's exactly this. I wouldn't try (I don't think) looking after DS whilst working when he was a baby or toddler - but now he's 5 I find it pretty easy. My work knows DS comes first so if he does need me, I'll put everything to one side - normally though I can chat to him and entertain him whilst powering through lesser admin tasks.

Not all the time though, obviously! But sending a 'just making DS dinner, will call you back in half hour' text for example, is very common.

this depends on the age. not all children need constant hands on care. I have teens with SN. I cannot leave the alone in the house but they can entertain themselves and I can work pretty undisturbed. My management is fully aware of this and it's not an issue. Not every child is a toddler with high care needs. Not everybody is in a customer facing role or in Zoom meetings all day discussing how to safe the world. There are many roles which fill back office gaps which are a lot more flexible.

But with an older child, you wouldn't call it "childcare" would you? If a child is at an age where they need "childcare" then that is what I was talking about.

Yep. I did about 4 hours of work Saturday night because I had a brainwave and figured out the solution to a problem I'd been stuck on. Today I started at 10am because I wanted to sit and have a coffee at a cafe before work and nipped round the shop too while I was there. Tonight I've got a call at 9pm because half the company I work with are in the US and that was the only time we could sort out.

I don't have set hours, I have a job to do and as long as it gets done to a good standard no-one cares if I do it during core business hours or not.

Well, they aren't functioning at a level where I could leave them alone at home...

Of course there is.

Some WFH jobs are time sensitive eg a customer service agent has to be available for calls between say 8am and 4pm.

Some WFH jobs are with international companies so replying to an email from a US office after the kids are in bed at 7pm UK time or contacting the office in Tokyo before the kids wake up might actually suit the company better because it speeds things up.

We have this set up. Be around for meetings, let your team know when you're not around, and do your hours. But if you want to do them at different times, as long as this doesn't mean you're missing a meeting or not around for a day where you know you'll be needed for discussion etc, it's not an issue if you're not doing exactly 9-5:30 with one hour for lunch.

When I'm wfh I generally start about 45 mins -an hour earlier because I'm not commuting, and tend to take a bit longer of a lunch break to fit in eating and then a walk. It's not the kind of thing anyone would bat an eyelid at.

We have flexi time and hybrid. It's understood that you can manage your home days as you choose, if you don't take the proverbial, and get your tasks done. I know one colleague does a school run. I go to an early yoga at quiet times of our month. Everyone can multi-task and do domestic tasks at the same time. The work gets done, and if it's busy, it takes priority. We don't all sign in for the day then disappear out shopping!

My manager very clearly has "pick up X" in his calendar at 3:00 three days a week. It's his 9 year old son, and he's then home with him for the rest of the working day. He's quite open about this with people senior to him. And he's just been promoted so clearly no one minds. He's a very good manager who I never struggle to get hold of during these times his son is at home.

I think the son is old enough to just need someone in the house but doesn't actually need constant monitoring. It's not like working with a 2 year old or something.

Yes agree, I nipped out to the post office today and had a 20 minute nap, but I have a work dinner tonight with our CEO, so swings & roundabouts.

Next week I'm away for 2 nights, but on Friday I have a nails appointment.

I am expected to be an adult and mange my work load properly. I have to turn up to meetings, be available to answer emails and Teams messages in good time and produce work to agreed deadlines.

How I go about that is broadly up to me.

I work as a creative and have to log my time against the accounts I’ve been working on so pretty much do my standard hours with the odd 5 minute task thrown in throughout the day to get a screen break. I know the people in my immediate team do the same but I think that’s because we were all so annoyed by a previous colleague that took the piss and was barely at her desk that we’d never do the same!

I am applying for jobs at the moment. Most are either fully remote some element of WFH in them. Though 90% of the jobs its timed as call centre.

Some call centre jobs are between 8am-7pm Mon-Fri. Obvs I won't be working all those hours. About a third have weekend working in them

Absolutely! Quite a few of our team have kids after school in the background too, including my boss (and me). Our work environment is relaxed, not micro managed, task-driven so we have tasks to complete each day and they don't roll over. So if you don't do them, that's immediately obvious and the operation falls apart. So people's whereabouts at any given moment aren't usually important, so long as their workload is completed by deadline (which it always is). That's just the way my company is, it's fine for people to pop out to pick up their kids or to dash to the shop to get stuff.

Exactly this!

Yes you would.

Once kids are upper primary age they are less needy. Not that it would be good to work and ignore them for a whole school holiday but after school/ odd days are okay.

I think this is the only way to manage wfh. You have to trust people to get the job done.

I’m always baffled by people who say they spend the whole day AT THEIR DESK WORKING. That is actually bad for health you are meant to get up and walk around during which time you can spend 5 minutes putting a load of washing on. Also don’t you ever have to think about anything? Sitting staring at a screen thinking something through is pretty pointless. Maybe these people just have data entry jobs or something I dunno.

It all balances too we are talking human beings not machines, people have productive and unproductive days - it’s the same in offices.