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?

Tried to break away but what I found was the employer didn’t have facilities to cope with being in the workplace. A unfair balance that had the capacity to lead to resentment as it became apparent not everyone in the dept worked non-remote
People have lost the art of talking and I could just see it becoming one miserable fest that I may as well work from home.

ironically what’s happened has happened, took for granted being able to put two feet on the floor so thanks to working from home I can go back to work slightly quicker and have care myself at home round work times.

I bloody love WFH. My employer has sold all but one central office so it won’t be changing anytime soon.

However, YANBU in being different from me! I believe there are various jobs available where you are required to be in a physical workplace though…

I hated it missed interaction with people and liked the separation of work and home

We do this but it often turns into a mass catch up session as people haven’t seen each other for so long. It’s like a novelty and means less gets done than would otherwise. I think 2-3 core days per week might actually be better.

Every time I read someone saying they miss the informal chit-chat and camaraderie of an office I think that I'm so grateful WFH enables me to avoid those people, constantly interrupting my work with "little questions" that could've been emails.

WFH is beneficial to me on every level. I'm left alone in peace and quiet to do my work. I like being alone so I don't ever get lonely. I've never depended on work to provide my social life (can't imagine anything worse) and WFH means I have more time and energy for a social life with people I actually like. I don't feel as though work infringes on my home life - rather that I can arrange work and non-work around each other at my convenience. It's just great.

I don't think majority WFH is good for most people, it certainly wasn't for me. I was depressed, unmotivated, couldn't wait to get back into an office. Unfortunately the majority of my colleagues never bother so it's still quite lonely. Me and two other colleagues go in frequently and work so much more efficiently together as we can get things done so much more quickly. One of them is very senior and apparently other people have been gossiping about how I always seem to "have their ear" - well we do sit next to each other, which anyone else is welcome to do if they could be bothered to come in.
What we are seeing is sky high levels of anxiety and lack of resilience amongst younger colleagues nearer the beginnings of their career. They also all seem to think they should be promoted and many have been knocked back a few times, but the reality is they aren't learning their jobs in sufficient depth because they aren't coming to the office (and the experienced colleagues aren't there either for them to learn from). We have fairly well attended in person days monthly, but these have a social/connection focus. Nobody seems to come in to just do a normal day's work.
Employer is reviewing Hybrid policy at the moment and everyone's outraged at the rumours that we might be asked to come in 2 days per week. I really hope we are, but I also wish they hadn't left it so long.

I love WFH

But I am in my 60s, have good friends that were fellow school mums or old friends from my own school days, so I don't look to work to provide a social outlet. My DH works mainly from home and DS works nightshifts so is often around during the day on his nights off. I am not lonely, in fact I wish they would both bugger off out some days.

But if I had been WFH in my 20s and 30s I would have HATED it. I loved the buzz of a busy office, interacting with other people, I even didn't mind an hour on the train each way.

I can see both sides.

I’m really happy wfh though I do see that there are some thing lost be not being together. I’ve had a lot of Teams interviews lately and I don’t think it works so well.

I was fully WFH during Covid, then transitioned to hybrid, but majority of time in the office so only one or two days at week at home. All of my team does this except for a few who have chosen to return to the office full-time. So there are always some people in the office, but the numbers fluctuate depending on the day.

The past week I have gone to the office every day and it has been awful. I find the commute stressful. It has cost me more in parking and petrol. I have had less time to get any chores done at home. I have got less work done because of all of the disturbances in the office. I didn’t even have enough clothes to wear! (And my cat doesn’t like staying home alone! She’s a Covid baby so is used to having people home!)

Oh and as a general rule I do less exercise on my office days. I do try to make it out for a walk around the block (but I’m in NZ so that’s getting harder now that we’re heading into winter and it just rains every day) but I can’t make it to my gym classes.

I am trying to look for one positive of having gone in every day and I honestly can’t think of one. Hybrid is definitely the best!

I wfh full time as operations took our desks, so we were meant to be hybrid. It’s great for dealing with school runs and it’s nice to get up 5 minutes before I start work.

But I find it isolating- when DS and DH are home I just talk at them!

I prefer being at home. I have adhd and kind of don’t fit in anywhere so being at home gives me my own space. I also have less distractions and can play podcasts etc to help me concentrate which I’m not allowed to do in the office as we are not allowed to wear earbuds as it stops interaction and also we have a department ‘hunt group’ phone line. I saw a fortune in commuting as I go in two days and eat better at lunch.

Wfh nearly broke me, living alone and working alone. I missed routine and could not separate home and work.

I went into the office when we could even when I was still alone.

I changed jobs so I could see people and interact.

However, I have an inflexible job now so it would be nice ro gave the option of occasional wfh days to facilitate doctors, etc as this now involves taking holiday for appointments

We are officially hybrid- 2 days in / 3 days from home. In practice, I do 3-4 in as I like it.

But I work in a company where anywhere from 600-900 people can be in any day, I like the hustle and bustle, it feels like a workplace.

For me, it isn’t just about interacting with those I work with, but those I don’t is as important. The person I had an informal chat with about a project who has some expertise in this area, the person I saw at lunch and mentioned I was interested in a particular role and then can connect me to the recruiter. And, just new, helpful connections with - reception, events, IT, AV, catering. These are valuable to me.

I also think if you colocate once a week or whatever and it’s a massive catch up session - that’s good, relationships enhance most things (of course you can get these remotely, but it’s different to adhoc when it’s scheduled).

I would also query how we measure productivity. Is it only measured by how many emails you answer, how many reports you generate, how many meetings you attend - I would argue time spent having a coffee is worthwhile and consider it a part of my job to network internally and externally.

Not everyone wants all this, which is fair enough. My role at it’s most basic is transactional, so I do have colleagues who say they can wfh more/nip out etc, but they aren’t a silo, they are part of a team and that’s important.

I procrastinate a lot more at home largely because I feel unmotivated here.

I do think hybrid is great, because it gives a good balance. I can and do have the choice to go in more and I see work as more than just my immediate team.

I could have written your OP.
And people saying “ just go in more” are missing the point. I could go in 5 days a week, but if I have colleagues that never go in, and I don’t actually get to work with my team, I’m just sat in an office with people I don’t directly work with and on Teams calls all day.
My pre Covid job was in a different place and I really miss the following: walking down corridors to knock on someone’s office door to discuss a document. Having an actual desk phone. Now all calls are via a screen. I can literally stare at a screen all day.
Going for impromptu lunches with colleagues. Nipping to the gym in my lunch break ( when I wfh I end up doing laundry..)
Im lonelier, fatter and more anxious. I also have this weird disconnect from my job along with pervading anxiety about work.
Yes wfh is comfier. Comfy isn’t always what we need.
I’m frantically trying to find out what I can segue into that would be real world without losing salary.

You sound quite judgemental and I’m not sure how you can confidently say that WFH isn’t good for the majority of people. By your own admission, most people in your office were happy to remain wfh primarily. You may have been depressed and unmotivated which is why for people like yourself you should be in the office. However, there are an army of people like myself who are very self-motivated and able to work independently and efficiently without physically needing to be next to a colleague. One of the perks for me is not constantly being interrupted by colleagues wanting to chit chat and ask pointless Qs which just slow me down. Not to mention office gossip and people being nosey all the time about you if you were one of the quieter ones that preferred not to join into their banal office chatter and just focus on your work!

I like hybrid working.

I have always said that someone who wants to work in an office should be able to, if their home life or facilities make wfh difficult. The OP prefers to be full time in the office and should have the option.

I loathe WFH and so do most of my colleagues. We are almost all over 40 in our team tho and I wonder if that makes a difference. WFH is OK for occasional things like when you have a streaming cold or a plumber coming to fix the boiler, but I couldn't stand it every day and I also would resent having my home as an office.

In my job WFH isn't an option most days, as we do need to be physically present to perform the role effectively, which suits me.

I don't believe actually it's simply a question of whether it's good or not good for people as individuals. Whilst yes I accept I am probably being a touch judgemental - based purely on what I see from younger colleagues who aren't developing in their careers the way I'd expect them to - fundamentally we're being paid (tax payer money, in my case) to do a job, one which involves a very high degree of collaboration and learning a particular set of skills. I don't think 40% office attendance would be unreasonable in this case. That would still allow for the majority of time spent at home for those who prefer it.

I work part-time in person and part-time self-employed at home. It's a really good balance for me. I find the out of home days give my week structure and my wfh days give me flexibility. This is helpful as I'm disabled and need to attend hospital appointments etc. I thought I would go full-time wfh sooner but I'm reconsidering it now.

I would also query how we measure productivity. Is it only measured by how many emails you answer, how many reports you generate, how many meetings you attend - I would argue time spent having a coffee is worthwhile and consider it a part of my job to network internally and externally.

100% agree! I always wonder about the work culture of people on threads like this who measure their productivity purely on numbers of emails sent, spreadsheets created etc.

Every office job I’ve had, at varying levels of seniority, has involved so much more than being successful at these measures of productivity. Being part of a team, a work culture, interacting and collaborating in person, networking etc are a huge part of doing most jobs well.

Yes, sometimes a day wfh sending lots of emails and writing lots of reports is exactly what needs to be done. But to me this is just a part of the bigger picture of most desk jobs.

I am hybrid and would happily only go in once a week. I hate the long and expensive commute just to sit on a bunch of zoom calls. Going in once or twice for the social aspects and collaboration works for me but more than that is just a drag. Can’t ever imagine going back to a full week in the office.

No. I think it makes being a working parent (due to drop-offs etc) much easier. I have had opportunities open up to me usually only available to those living in London or surrounding areas. And besides anything else, I’m far more productive at home. I go in twice per month (London) and whilst I appreciate the networking I never get anywhere near as much done. Equally, I could work from the office as much as I like - can’t you just do that if you’re hybrid anyway?

edit: editing as saw your update RE not many others being in. I guess maybe just go somewhere with a more in-office culture if that’s what you’re looking for? Lots of firms taking that approach again now.

I love WFH and hate the 2 days I have to go into the office. Loads of distractions and noise, I get far less work done in the office. Our team works really well having meetings and catch ups on Teams, and none of us like going into the office.

I get less done, spend 2 hours in the car, and end up grumpy from having to walk 5 minutes to go to the toilet or get a coffee in the office. There’s been zero negative impact on us WFH, our productivity is much higher.

It’s always interesting that the pro wfh people tend to be scathing about people’s “ annoying” questions distracting them.. is it possible that it’s really difficult for people to get good at their job without asking questions?? And I totally agree that productivity is SO much more than producing reports/ answering emails.

In that case, where the nature of work is such that in-person collaboration is actually beneficial to progressing the work of the business I agree that 40% office attendance is entirely reasonable. It does indeed allow for individual and business working preferences to be met. I myself am required to be in the office for 60% and wouldn’t be surprised if that eventually becomes the official standard. Certainly, wholly wfh is becoming less palatable for employers that can afford to rent office space.