Anyone else fed up with WFH/Hybrid

[HelenIU]

I’m looking to turn this into a WFH’rs are lucky/lazy/work shy sort of thread.

But genuinely interested if anyone who is WFH/Hybrid feels similar and has any words of wisdom:

-WFH in Covid which turned into Hybrid post lockdown ending (2x a week in office, 3 days at home)

I feel utterly fed up at home, miss the interaction and just genuinely long for how things were before Covid - in the office each day part of a big and supportive team. Even when I’m in the office it’s not the same with desk booking and not everyone in.

I finished work yesterday and just felt unfulfilled.

Has anyone been in this situation and seeked a full time non WFH job? Did it work out or did you regret it?

Do your team have a ‘core’ day. If not, could suggest one.

All do one of your office days on the same day, to maximise the value of the face to face time.

We do, and I find it really helps lift that interaction and collaborating with colleagues feeling.

God no! All those people in the office coughing and munching and tapping and shouting, along with stinky perfumes and competitive dressing. Sof that. I’ll work at home, drink my coffee in peace, maybe with a neighbour or at a local cafe, get my laundry done, be free to take parcels, get to the docs and all that stuff. Then log off at 5 and be at home with no noisy commute.

I find that get I get distracted at home, or anxious and worried about work. In the office it's much easier to just pop over to someone's desk and ask if I can talk something throughz or just make a general comment about a difficult client or problem and someone will answer in a sympathetic way.

I think what you say here about anxiety is a really important point that gets lost in the office v WFH debates.

I work hybridly and have definitely noticed this. When working from home I find it’s easy to get overly anxious about work, and to catastrophise, worry about colleagues opinions etc.

When I’m in the office, being able to have informal face to face chats, being able to sympathise with a colleague over a rude email they received, or being able to quickly chat with someone senior to clarify something is invaluable.

Nope. Firm disagree. I love hybrid.
Work takes over much less of my life, I can spend my commute time working which means the company gets more from me, but I’m not actually out laying more than I would otherwise.

It’s more economical for the environment with my commutes being fewer, my car has lasted much longer thanks to reduced annual mileage. And my pocket is far better off for only having a few days train journeys.

Plenty of employers want full time office attendance, it might be worth seeking out that type of role. I purposefully do not engage in processes where the requirement is more than 2/3 days in the office.

Totally agree with all of this 👏🏻

Mine and my DH’s lives have been transformed by wfh. No long commute, fuel costs and the corresponding silly-billy o’clock getting up. We get to walk together at lunchtime, you can take parcels or bung a bit of washing in and get to the gym as soon as you turn off your laptop. For well-being and work life balance it’s great. I go in to the office one day a week and that’s enough. Tiring and draining. I don’t know how I managed it all week.

YABU.

I’m the opposite. We started going back to the office a year ago and have to do two days a week. I actually enjoyed it at first, but now I hate it. I resent having to get up earlier and spend money when I can do the exact same job from home. I get distracted by eveyone in the office as well and find it hard to concentrate

I spent a few years WFH and really missed the social interactions with people, and even just having something to get out of the house for.

Last few years have been hybrid though and I think it's the best of both worlds. I can have a few days every week at home where I can just get my head down and get on with it, and a few where I can get my social fix in in the office

Do people not have a board for this kind of bouncing of ideas?

Even if we are not all physically in the same room, we always have our usual morning meeting (including a bit of social chat). We have a screen on the wall so the home workers that day are kind of in the room and very much part of the conversation.

We have a Teams board where we collaborate, ask for help, ask where we find the link to x, who we should contact for y, or ask for opinions on issues.

If it needs a conversation then we'd call each other and have a Teams chat.

I have a colleague that I don't overlap with in terms of office time but I still know what's going on in her life, i interact with her, have work conversations.

I think that much like the office, there are ways of home working that support morale and integration.

I do agree to a point however the balance it's given parents, carers and anyone will health issues out weighs it for me. In the next couple of years while my youngest child goes to high school I will go to the office more because I enjoy it. I wouldn't support going back FT to office for the sake of people who would need to work less / have less choice if jobs due to home commitments/ health. I have worked full time since covid I couldn't have done that full time in the office due to kids who are old enough to see to themselves but to young to be home alone for long. It also let me move to a position that would have been hard to achieve full time.

I love my hybrid with 2 in the office and 3 at home, best of both worlds. I find it much easier to focus on complex tasks at home without office distractions.

Wfh doesn’t suit everyone. I wfh and love it and would never go back to an office job. But my choice. If you don’t like it then go into the office all week or find a job where it’s office all the time

Yes, I always wanted a wfh job, I am noe living my dream and have been for the past 4 year.
I am unhealthy, stir crazy, spend days upon end barely leaving the house with work and kids, except school pick ups, I dont bother washing my hair for a week at a time, don't even know what day it is half the time, weekends come and go.
I feel trapped now becuase it allows me to be there for the kids, but I am now looking into going back hybrid for my own sanity. Although I do wonder if I will hate it as I remember how hard organising everything for the kids was when I worked in an office.

I like the 2 days in, 3 days home tbh - in fact 1 day in the office would be enough for me.
I do like the interaction with people professionally and socially. But also love the flexibility at home, can be there when DC get home from school, and take the dog out at lunchtime etc.
Can you talk to your work about being full time in the office? I know some people in my company did that because they either didn’t like WFH or didn’t have a proper space to work. They have been allocated permanent desks.

I feel the same. We only have to be in the office 2 days a week, but I'm normally in 5.

At the same time, I love have the option to be able to work from home if I need to. Eg if I've a rotten cold I don't want to spread but am still well enough to work, or if I've a hospital appointment to go to that's closer to home than work so cuts down on travel time, or if I have something on straight after work so I don't have to factor in commute time etc. I'll only work from home if I need to though

I use to enjoy going into the office for the social aspect but now my team is predominatly extroverted and somewhat cocky male colleagues. I actually like my colleagues but sitting in an office for 40 hours per week with no female company does make me lonely and scratchy, I now WFH two days per week, I am still lonely but at least I am saving time and money in commuting.

Feel like this too. The office is fine but I get more done at home

I go into office one day per week. Great to catch up and meet colleagues, but am less productive in office.

I loved WFH, it meant no commuting for an hour each way. I am Hybrid now so only commute an hour each way, twice a week.
Its nice to see my colleagues but I find the office noise difficult.
I am probably more productive at home as it’s quiet and I don’t have to be the team agony aunt. My colleagues are brilliant though.

Nope, I love WFH, still seeing the benefits; more productive in both home and work spheres, save money and carbon footprint on commute. I can accept others need an office, I'm so glad we have choice now. My DP works full time in an office, he loves the cameraderie etc. I just feel fucked off in an office.

I agree @HelenIU. Our pattern in three days in/two wfh. However, we can go in as often as we want and some people have an arrangement where they come in only two days.

I think there should be an expectation for minimum days in the office, ie, two or three.

Overall to get the best from all staff I think flexibility is key. WFH works better for some/being in the office for others.

Personally, I think work is a social construct and I prefer F2F interaction, dressing for work and I value the divide between my working life and home life. On the whole I work more effectively at work but am happy to wfh on days when I have B2B meetings and it is very helpful to do so if I have or need a Dr's/dentist appointment, have a workman in or am expecting a delivery.

It is probably worth noting that I am sure my views about going in are coloured by the fact that my journey to work is a 25 minute drive. If it entailed a bus and two trains and took 90 minutes, I'm quite sure my view would be different.

I get much more done at home and saving on a commute means I’m happier and more productive. I do like going into the office to catch up with people as I actually like my colleagues (which I know isn’t the case for everyone).
After hybrid for years to fairly local offices, what shocked me recently was commuting for a training course at a different office only 14 miles away. I gave myself 90 mins to travel (route planner said 25 mins but wanted to get a coffee and chat beforehand) and both days it took 2 hours (tried a different route the second day). Yes it was mostly motorway with roadworks but jeez! There’s absolutely no way I’d sign up for that amount of stress to be at work in person every day. It’s insane.

if you go in perhaps your colleagues would be more likely to join you

I love hybrid. Pre covid I was paying £8 a day to park, struggling even then to find a space. Now I can park for free in the company car park that used to be reserved for specialist roles and section heads. The roads are still really busy so I dread to think what they’d be like if everyone was back in full time. That said I love my office days. It’s totally personal choice where I work and only a few regularly go in.