To think working from home is a cushy number?

[MrsSlimShady]

I’ve got a new job that entails loads of e-learning, and webinars. They said I could do it at home and I literally sat there on the sofa and ate crisps and had cups of tea in my loungewear on the computer.

My DH works 3 days a week at home. He has back to back meetings but also manages to go the shops, go the gym, do exercise classes before work and at lunch time and do other chores. He’ll say his first meeting is at 0900, then nothing till 1130, then he can pop out 3-4pm….. it all goes like this.

I have another job and I have a 2-3 hour commute, and I am on my feet all day. I cannot get one chore done for my outside life. It has to wait till I’m off unless it is a text or email.

I know there are people working from home who work really hard too, but come on, AIBU to say that if you WFH you are really lucky and have it a lot easier than most other people?

Do they? People in my office (tech company) wear any old crap. But I have no idea about the general prevalence of dress codes.

Personally I hate working from home it really affects my mood negatively

I always think that people who post this nonsense are the sort of people who are lazy skivers with no self discipline who wouldn’t do any work at all unless in an office where people could see what they were doing

which says more about them than people working from home

I hybrid work but, the nature of the role is that even on an office day I might not be there much as I'll be visiting people in their homes.
So WFH might be the theory but I could also be driving around a county most of the day.
We tried to explain this to our admin colleague who kicked off at being asked to go into the office twice a week as she said we didn't have to ...no you daft sod, we're out and about on visits too and in the actual office and WFH.

There’s two sides to the coin though. Yes, some days I can swan off to the gym at lunch, come back and carry on. Which means when I’m finished for the day, I’m done. I can get the washing on in between calls etc.
But other times I’m on at 7:30am, barely stop for lunch, and still going until 8/9/10 at night. People don’t see this side of it though, and the media certainly don’t report it. I’m by no way complaining, I prefer working flexibly.

Perhaps some people have jobs where it never gets that busy, but mine is definitely more peaks and troughs. I really don’t mind the busy days because the calmer ones make up for it.

Yes. You are in fact wrong.

Why do so many people think that WFH = low skill and disposable? I suppose a big factor is that many people still think it was invented on the hoof in 2020.

There is no office dress code that mandates being cold or uncomfortable 😂

There were never quiet days when I was full time in the office and there are none now I’m hybrid! I can put a wash on when wfh and I don’t have to make my lunch in advance, or wear shoes - that’s it.

I think all jobs, all types of jobs, all job dynamics have their pros and cons.

My partner works from home and I don’t.

A few ways in which I think he has it better than me-

I get up at 6.50 and am out the house ready for my 40min commute at 7.30am. Whereas my partner gets up at 8.15am ready to log on for 8.30. He has a quick shower and dresses, but then casually makes and eats his breakfast after he has logged on.

I work through my lunch (I’m a teacher so I’d rather do it then than stay an extra 45mins at the end of the day) whereas he has an hour lunch break where he goes for a walk, watches a bit of TV, maybe does some meal prep for the evening or puts a laundry load on.

I wrap up at school around 4.30pm but then have a 50-60min (it’s worse than the morning drive) rush hour journey home. He finishes at 5pm but then he’s done, and either relaxes or does bits around the house/preps dinner.

But then I have it better than him in these ways-

This routine though does mean he does a LOT more at home. He does laundry in the day so I don’t have to do any, and my tea is always cooking as I get home. So it’s a win win.

Also we are both very sociable people, and I love the camaraderie I have with my colleagues at work, I spend a lot of time with other people during the day where we can chat, laugh, vent, moan etc. Whereas my partner doesn’t have anyone to speak to in the day. He loves his job and the more relaxed nature of it, but he does also struggle sometimes to just be home alone all day with no human interaction until I get home.

Don't know where you live, but could he try a library rather than a cafe? The large ones have some beautiful quiet desk/study space and even places to grab lunch. Could cut down his cafe spending

I hate working from home, I’m a people person and the solitude doesn’t suit me. I have to occasionally for specific reasons and it’s not for me

Yes - many won't let you wear hoodies, or leggings, or even jeans.

I think that it depends on the job and your attitude to work. I love working from home and wouldn’t go back to an office based role by choice.

i have lots of flexibility, can do school drop offs and attend events can take DD to clubs or nip to the gym/shops, do some basic housework tasks. It’s great.

but, I work for a global organisation and the flip side to the flexibility for me is that I need to be flexible and accommodate evening and early morning meetings. If an emergency crops up at the weekend then I deal with it, there are intensely busy periods where I’ll be on client calls, audits or senior leadership meetings 8-12 hrs a day without the room for a lunch break and just desperately hoping that a meeting will end early so I have a chance to down a protein shake to keep me going.

There’s definitely some elements of home working that are easier than commuting and being in an office, and you’ve mentioned a few. But there are downsides too, depending on the job itself. I think whether it’s ‘cushy’ or not depends on what you value.

I’ve worked remotely for about 10 years in varied set-ups, and recently being on 6-8 hours a day back to back meetings has been really stressful, no gaps to eat or go to the loo. I bought a standing desk because the physical impact of sitting down all day is grim. Long days of meetings mean fewer hours to do the actual work so tend to work longer hours because there is no commute, and work is right here in my house all the time so nothing to stop me logging in after dinner. Lots of colleagues and wider network think nothing of leaving emails until 11pm, so responses slide into the evening, making it harder to switch off. And it can be lonely. My workplace has been enforced WFH - no office - so no opportunity to meet with others unless going to their office. In the charity sector a lot of organisations don’t have office space, or don’t work from offices anyway. It can be isolating, which is probably why a culture of frequent meetings has developed.

The upside is that to save 8k on fares and don’t have to pay a dog sitter - meaning I can actually afford to work for a non-profit. On a quiet day I can get the washing on the line (couldn’t do that if I had to commute 4 hours a day). I also work in hospitality and, while that’s often thought of as harder, on your feet all day etc, I love it - practical, straightforward and when it’s home time, I’m off.

Its not "cushy" is you have deadlines and have to deliver on time. It does allow you to do the work in your own time, meaning if you pop out to the shops during the day you will have to work late. It is a godsend for me when I have to go to school for meetings, take my DC to the doctor's or have deliveries - it means I can fit all this in and work the number of hours I need to work without taking time off.

I actually prefer to work in the office and I can simply work without being distracted and have everything done by 5:30 - 6. But I'm a single parent and having 2 days WFH helps with home life immensely.

Well no, of course not, but it's not the same as being in your own home.

At home, I can wear an Oodie if I'm cold, or use a blanket, or keep my slippers on. If I'm hot, I can open a window, or sit in the garden, or wear shorts. I can't do any of those things in an office.

I am actually a consultant in a global team, we consult on AI, I work with a team of consultants half of whom are based in developing countries. We all work from home on global projects for huge global companies. We all get paid similar, the clients want people specifically based in certain time zones and from a range of cultural backgrounds. AI can't do our jobs, we basically tell the AI what to do.
In any case, when I have asked AI like chat gdp to come up with something for me, it is rubbish compared to what I and the experienced consultants can produce from our experience. So not yet, AI can't do my job yet.
My job is hard, you have to know lot, but yo my kids I am tapping on keys on a keyboard and talking to people 😂

I think WFH has pros and cons but probably more pros. It blurs work life balance in the sense that you work more when WFH. Eg commute time is spent working & tend to work earlier & later . I don’t get distracted by tv or chores. More interested in my job than that! I’m more productive at home but it’s nice to go to an office & see people and talk face to face. I don’t believe in presenteism . It’s about getting your work done.

Whether in in the office or at home it’s the same tbh

I can go the gym before or after work or at my lunch break

pop to the post office to get things sent off etc

only thing is if in office can’t do a wash or chores or whatever 🤷‍♀️

I agree. I wfh 3 or 4 days per week. I get my work done but it’s pretty cushy. I can’t imagine the time I used to waste commuting 5 days a week. I enjoy going into the office, just not too often!

No, you might have an easy job WFH doesn’t mean your job is easy!

I hate WFH in general (and have a lot I could say about it!!) though but it is what it is now.

I work from home and it's easier in that I have no commute and can work in my Pyjamas if I want but I have two screens and a mic stand and headphones as well as a tower and back up battery so can't do it sitting on the sofa. I also have to log all my time so I am working the full eight hours. I can pop a load of washing on in my lunch hour though. But it's otherwise like an office job.

Does your husband not have any work to do between meetings? That’s very unusual.

I find I do a lot less work when I’m in the office. It all just seems so wasteful, all that time commuting, general chit chat, etc. My job is pretty full on, so I like to try and do it in the most efficient way possible so I can finish at a normal time and spend the evening with my family.

I don't think wfh is a cushy number.
For many many people it's the only way they can work and earn anything at all. The more people view it as people living the easy life or not really working. The more companies are reluctant to do it. I wish everyone and more companies would respect it as a viable option and encourage those who need it or are going through maybe a temporary difficult time to embrace it.

Life's hard enough. I want everyone that wants to, to be able to access work.

I WFH a couple of days a week and yes it’s cushy in the respect I don’t have to get up really early, paint my face, wear nice clothes, and spend 2 hrs on the road. I’m disciplined enough, and with a heavy enough workload, that I’m
not on Netflix and doing my housework, I am actually working when I’m WFH. I like the balance of peace and space at home some days, and the bustle and company of the office on other days.