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?”

If I didn't do my work then it wouldn't be done would it? So of course I do it. Do I have free time? Yes. But instead of sitting in the office with no work I am at home. People get soooo worked up about this on here! Get a wfh job if you're that bothered.

Yes, the majority used to work at home until their land was seized by the wealthy nobility under various acts of enclosure.

They were driven into towns to work in the landowner’s mills, factories and mines through poverty and hunger as they had no means of survival any more.

I know for a fact if I worked in the office I wouldn't even get half the work done I do at home. Too many distractions, people needing help, asking stupid questions, chatting in the kitchen, people popping over to your desk to chat. I wouldn't be able to concentrate. Plus, the commute would mean I'd be far more unproductive as I'd be even more exhausted than I already am!

How can you observe something you haven’t seen?!

Best to stick to facts rather than listen to hearsay.

I find this post offensive, I WFH 2 days a week and am actually busier than when I'm in the office. I'm very responsive when receiving a Teams Message whereas some colleagues take more than 8 hours to respond!

Most of us don’t have a work fairy…

Where can I get me one of these mythical beings? I need one to help pick up the slack as I want, nay NEED a coffee and daytime TV break!

I’m much more productive - im disabled and i really struggle with my office day once a month.

I work flexibly and that means I can keep my job. They are happy with my outputs.

No, not everyone. I work absolutely flat out on my wfh days and for longer hours than in the office. In comparison I'm far less productive on my in-office days.

How do you manage that, don't you spend all your time looking at the clock and then losing concentration because you have to monitor the clock, or the app you use to enter time?

It suits some managers not to address it as it would impact them. Certainly where I work (Education).

Not here, my team and I have deadlines and support a large volume of customers, so if we did nothing it would be very obvious.

I find the assumption that people take advantage if they wfh quite patronising. We're adults and can be trusted to get the job done irrespective of location.

This. If there’s coasting, it’s down to management, not location.

This is probably the most genuine answer you’ll ever get to this question!

Well, I'm currently logged back on and still working after doing a full day at work already, picking up kids and taking to activities, cooking dinner, tidying up, prepping uniforms for tomorrow etc. So definitely not in my experience!

Hahahaha. No.

How much time do you spend time recording ??

In pretty much every job it would be noticed if you didn’t fulfil your role. Most of us have to log onto Teams which shows a little orange away button if you don’t move your mouse or type anything. Yes I know you can get mouse shufflers but it would soon be picked up by our IT tech team.

What job do you do?

I wfh full time and my manager knows how much work I do because they can see what work I have done

I can assure you I can be equally non-productive in the office as WFH.

Well, what's your evidence for thinking this?

People don’t like change. Wfh has been amazing for people who can’t commute, have caring duties, etc. As, sadly, women tend to do the bulk of the caring duties, I can’t help but see this anti-wfh (as pushed by the tabloids) a scared call of ‘a man of a certain age’.

I’ve noticed in my very male dominated industry that since wfh has become more common, women are getting promoted more and have a bigger presence. Instead of having to cut short your day (often to go part time to manage the commute) to make pick up at 1800 (our hours were commonly 0800-1800), they can finish meetings at a regular time and still do pick up.

Conversely, I’ve noticed that when I’m in the office people are now (both men and women) are leaving earlier, or arranging earlier meetings in order to make the commute back for pick up. So companies are definitely getting more out of their staff if they can wfh when possible/appropriate.

I think everyone benefits, gone were the days the employee has to sacrifice unpaid hours of their life commuting (let’s face it not many people can live walking distance to work). People are worker smarter. Look at Germany and the Nordics where they work fewer hours than us, but a much higher productivity rate.

Yes but you are obviously a solicitor. So am I. When I was a trainee, I learnt so much from being surrounded by people in an office and just over hearing people on the phone. Having chats with partners in the kitchen, getting to know them. Overhearing, my training partner on the phone when I shared his or her office. Same as a junior.

You pick up things so much easier when your surrounded by fellow lawyers.

I genuinely feel sorry for the next generation of lawyers. Everybody's at home, there's no camaraderie, there's no group of youngsters anymore. One of mine is actually quite despondent, because nobody comes to the office. I make an effort to go in for her so she at least has a human to bounce ideas off.

Solicitors, especially, have too much of an i'm alright, jack attitude without worrying about anybody else that might need them. And don't say your trainee can ring you up at any point, it's not the same.

I’m going to buck the trend here, I’m leaving a remote role because it bored me to tears - literally. I basically did nothing for a year and a half, or at the very least bare minimum. I asked for more work, but it never came. So I redecorated my house, took on a degree, spent days surfing the internet with no fear of being pulled up or ‘caught’, because I was doing some work, and people were so appreciative of the bare minimum. But honestly, I got so depressed that I found a new job back in an office and my god I’m excited to feel fulfilled again. So yes, in some cases remote roles do coast.

Some probably do, yes. But every individual, role and business is different so only a complete fool would think they could make a blanket assumption that has much validity.

I have days when I have plenty of flexibility and downtime, and I have days when I'm working from 7am to burning the midnight oil.

Would this not have happened if you'd been in the office?