to think some people think WFH should be a constant nose to the grindstone?

[Yodeloo]

I think some jobs are like that definitely. Heavy workload, helplines etc

Some people think all WFH should be like this and get horrified because someone hung some washing out or helped out a family member for a short time. Plenty of jobs have flexibility and it is about getting the job done not just being present in front of the computer non stop.

I get all my life admin done throughout the day around work. I do an exercise class most mornings and then start work later on the days I WFH. I will meet up with friends, work on my side business. Nobody cares at my work. All targets are met consistently.

Is it jealousy that people get so upset?

I predominantly wfh, one of my reports wfh and we both have high output even with popping the laundry on or whatever. We have busy and quiet periods plus flexible hours and as adults we manage it. I've also worked 12 hour days, taken calls on days off and met every deadline set.

I've seen people in the office spend all day chatting, wandering around, making personal calls and doing nothing they are paid for.

It's not wfh that's the problem, it's piss poor time management. If someone takes the piss at home they'll do it in an office setting. But that doesn't make a good headline.

I'm fully remote and go into the office maybe 6 times a year max. I genuinely can't believe how unproductive the office is - people might be there 8 hours but they definitely aren't working for all that time. Last time I went there was a twenty minute conversation about what lunches everyone was ordering, then someone went out to pick them up. Then the 'lunch hour ' started. About an hour after that someone popped out to do a cake run 🤣

Some days I work over my hours, some under. No one cares as long as the results are good. I'm moving jobs soon (handing in my notice tomorrow) and I was very clear at interview that I want to maintain my work life balance and the reply was that my time would be my own to manage as I see fit, as long as the job gets done. Not every job requires constantly being logged on.

Agree. I'm on a very high salary but have loads of flexibility in my working week and very rarely work over my contracted hours. I'm paid so well because I have a niche area of expertise that directly contributes to the revenue and profit of my company and this doesn't correlate to hard hours worked.

Sometimes I can do a short piece of work that pays for itself ten fold.

Yes I'm available if needed during my working hours and am more often than not kept busy, but on the days I'm not I have no qualms about having some down time.

I think it's because it's new to some people so some people feel you must be extra good because you have been "allowed" to work from home. Like being on best behaviour because you've been given a special treat.

Back in reality, plenty of people in offices have breaks! Also plenty of other people have been working flexibly forever, got the work done and not obsessed about optics.

🥱

Yes I'm jealous from a chronically understaffed NHS ward 🤣

The "Its jealousy" response makes me laugh.
I don't really care what you do at home as long as you get the job done when its needs to be done.
Most of my
wfh colleagues are 'there' when needed and if they are not 'there' are available through chat (yes, even in meetings).
The ones that cause the grief are the ones that aren't available to do their jobs.

Why, though?

Call me whatever you like.
The OP also says she meets all her targets. As do many others on here.
I agree with pps that those who are vehemently against WFH are probably those who know that they wouldn't be able to organise their work and their day well enough to do it successfully.

I think people who don't work in offices think an office job is pretty cushty anyway, so with the complaining of having to go back hasn't done any favours as wfh is even cushtier!

The posts which gloat about minimum effort, naps, no commute, looking after kids at the same time, household chores, school runs etc further reinforces the stigma. Therein lies the problem, even when meant to be a joke it doesn't do it any favours.

I know plenty who work hard from home, longer hours even, also some who take the piss. Like any job, but in other sectors it's much harder to shirk. Xx

I would be the same! That's the thing, an office job, whether at home or in workplace is generally viewed as less stressful.

I didn't say she missed her targets, I was simply pointing out that I wasn't "making shit up" and I urged you to read the OP properly to save future embarrassment.

I used to work on one of them, then I left and got a nice cushy WFH job. No regrets.

Definitely

I think its hard to understand people's jobs if you haven't worked them. Iv only ever done jobs that are go go go so I struggle to understand people having free time at work. I don't generally care whatever people do in their lives unless it effects me for e.g. if your a medical secretary working from home and your not answering the phone and ignoring emails because your at a fitness class that's not ok.

Oh my gosh I’m jealous of that.

I’ve had some truly exhausting shit jobs.

Thanks for your concern but I'm not embarrassed. What is a bit embarrassing is your attempt at insisting that, because no one actually literally pegs out the laundry or preps their evening meal in the office, they're skiving and wasting time that someone in an office isn't, even though in the real world everyone knows that plenty of time is wasted through taking deliberately long routes between buildings, chatting in the kitchen, catching up on everyone's weekends etc.

Oh god, me too!

I've worked in many, many offices for many, many years to achieve a level of seniority, responsibility and autonomy which allows me to earn the money I do whilst WFH full time.

You've got the job you've got. If you don't like it and can change it, change it - if you can't, that's life. Being angry and bitter about others being "luckier" than you or having better opportunities than you only makes you...angry and bitter.

I'm not "lucky" and I didn't get a unique opportunity. It took me a long time to get here.

I think some people purposely forget that in most offices a fair amount of time is wasted making cups of tea, gossiping, chatting about holidays/weekends/family life, having cigarette breaks or surfing the internet.

They seem to spin the narrative that people in offices are more 'productive' and busy working every single minute of their working day simply because they are on site which frankly is completely untrue.

I get more done in the peace and quiet of my home then in the middle of the chaos and distraction of open plan office...

I think people who are so against WFH are either people who are envious because they don't have the opportunity to do so in their job or control freak managers and bosses who get off on being able to micro manage staff.

I agree. If you are routinely doing a couple of hours less a day then your targets are too low. I imagine what you could achieve if you were in the office and didn't have the distractions? Stuff like this is probably why orgs want people back in the office.

I don’t know why so many people get in such a flap over someone putting a load of laundry on when they work from home.

I’ve worked in offices where management spent more time doing ‘team building’ exercises, holding pointless meetings, going for team lunches, and acting like no work should be done on a Friday afternoon. It pissed me off because we had a busy workload and had extra pressure on us because of the ‘fun work culture’

The Daily Mail brigade didn’t lose their shit over it because white men in suits who could keep an eye on us made those decisions. But they have steam coming out of their ears if a woman dares put something in the washing machine while working from home.

Relax! If you don’t want to work from home then don’t.

Agree it’s jealous, plus there do seem to be a lot of jobsworth middle managers on MN.

Over many years of being on MN I have learnt that it is not a place to ask for sensible job advice.

I'm still only saying that I wasn't "making shit up" though.

A lot of people work flexi time these days whether in a workplace or WFH so as long as you put the hours in and available when required what’s the problem?I can understand if you’re a call centre operative who WFH then you need to be at your workstation for your given hours. Surely it depends on the nature of the job