To think remote workers exaggerate how much they actually work?

[ZippyGreyOtter]

WFH is convenient but AIBU to think lots of people log on, do a bit, then spend most of the day coasting, while loudly insisting they’re “more productive than ever?”

The lack of commute means I work more and am more productive. Perhaps you are projecting your laziness onto your views of others.

YABU!

But how can you observe what people in other workplaces do?

I’ve seen plenty of people go into a work place, get a coffee and chat in the kitchen, then chat at their desk, do a little work, then chat at the photocopier. 2025 is less about clocking in and out at your contracted times and more about delivering certain outputs. If you achieve your work in less time than others then you benefit. Penalising fast work with giving more work than others in the team isn’t really fair when you’re paid the same. You also need to remember everyone’s jobs are different. My role, I achieve less visible output on my office days as I use these to catch up with my team in 1-1s, so I’m not head down writing a business case or developing a work plan.

@zaazaazoom I do both. I spent equal amounts of time, faffing about chatting in the office as I do talking to the dogs. Just different types of distraction.

That's not the same. Talking to coworkers in the office is a waste of time, whereas talking to the dogs is a productive and noble endeavour.

100% agree. I've managed people working from home and in office. If you don't know whether someone is coasting or not at home, you're not a very good manager.

Funny how everyone who doesn't work from home think that they work harder than everyone else.

Work has to be done regardless of where you are. Why do people think otherwise. Control freaks and bah hugs.

I work remotely and work more than im
paid to do. If I had the option to work 9-5 in the office without having to do extra hours I’m not paid for I would jump at the chance.

It’s just jealousy.

Nope. I wfh 2 days per week and do as much and sometimes more than on my office days as I have less distractions

How can you possibly know that about every role unless you have actually worked in them. To me that just shows utter ignorance.

I was always more productive at home purely because there weren't as many distractions. Yes I did pop a wash on/ load dishwasher/ pop wash out but then it was a complete 1hr focus before the appliances stopped. I would prep tea either before work or in my lunch hour and switch slow cooker on. In the office it's bit of chit chat, make drink, more chit chat, pop out for lunch, loo break, chat, get distracted by something else - very busy office with lots of teams coming and going.

Most workplaces do monitor work output. In many workplaces If WFH isn't working for the business then people are back in the office.

My neighbour who WFH full time during and after Covid but babysat grandchildren 2 days a week, prepped meals, deep cleaned her house, dug her garden one workday afternoon and generally seemed to do f-all work everyday was very shocked and upset when her employer made her go back to the office 4 days a week - she left a few months later and has since picked up an 8 hour shift at the supermarket.

For me,WFH days are less productive by a mile. Work still gets done but not at the rate it would in the office.

And no one would notice? Of course not.

I mean, I slack off loads in the office... This isn't a problem unique to WFH, in fact most get more done when WFH

I teach so doesn't work for me but on the days dh works from home he is on it all day - meetings, calls, sorting problems. Everyone's different though.

YABU. I don't work from home, but DH does. He seems to do longer hours at home because he doesn't have to commute. There are shirkers in every work environment whether at home or in office/wherever.

Not my experience of working from home. Sure, the minutes you would spend having casual chats in the tea room or walking over to peoples desks are spent bunging a washing on instead. But the work gets done.
Most big companies measure in output now rather than minutes spent at work. So in my job if I can do my job in 3 hours vs 8 then noone cares as long as I hit my goals and do the work.

Not for me. I typically do 1-2 days at home and 3-4 days in office. It’s true I do non-work-related stuff at home e.g. I will chuck a load of laundry in. But this probably takes up less time than I spend on random chats in the office. I sit near the kitchen and everyone will pop over for a chat on their way to get a cup of tea, it takes massive amounts of my time even if I try to not engage.

Also I tend to work for more hours in the day at home, because there is no commute time to factor in. Mine is not a job where you can really just expect to work your 8 hours and get it all done.

Kind of a weird, goady post.

The days I WFH, I have very few distractions. I get to start early 5-6am and often don't move until 2-3pm when I grab myself some food for 15 mins or so. Usually work through again until 6-7pm. The days I work from the office, I’ll start at 6am on the train but it will be broken up over the 2.5hr commute. When in the office, I’ll get very little done - too many people, things happening. Then I get to work again properly on the commute home between 5pm and 7.30pm. However, office days are a chance to check in with senior leadership, foster better working relationships in my team and take advantage of the water cooler-style convos.

So, obviously I’m more productive at home. I make up for the lack of productivity in the office by being able to focus better at home and do a solid 13-14 hour day.

For the record, none of my team seem to just phone it in from home either. Their productivity is definitely better at home as well. Balancing that with the benefits of being in the office is key.

Edited a typo.

Do you wfh?

So it’s not something you’ve observed yourself, then? No one you know does this? But you’ve heard or seen it talked about?

Riiiiight.

For what it’s worth, my job is very peaks and troughs so there certainly are less busy times but that was exactly as it was when I was in the office full time, only now I get to do something constructive during the quieter times.

DH, doing a similar job in the same industry, but at a more senior level, is flat out every day of the week. He often does much longer hours at home.

Thats my actual observation.

Depends on the role you do. Most companies give employees targets, so if you’re given work to do, obviously you’re going to have to do it. Most of us don’t have a work fairy doing our work whilst we drink coffee and watch day time TV. That’s not how most companies operate.

I clear more work when WFH than I do in the office. At home I tuck myself away & crack on with it. In the office people pass my desk & stop for a chat, when I go to the loo I often bump into a colleague who I haven't seen for a while & have a quick chat, the same when I go to the kitchen to make a cuppa.

And I do think a lot of these posts started about wfh are based on jealousy….