To struggle to see the appeal of full time remote working?

[YasminaJ]

I’ve been fully remote in a new role for the past month and had heard so many positive things about remote working, no commute etc.

I am finding the opposite though. Cabin fever despite having a healthy social life outside of work and teams calls really don’t replace that in person connection for me. I just feel like there’s more to life than staying in my house all week for work. I have a seperate office room etc.

I will give it a bit longer but am thinking maybe I’m just someone who needs to be around people? Has anyone been in a similar situation and found it improved?

I work remotely but spend the whole day on teams calls and phone calls, so much so that sometimes my voice goes. I think it's a company culture thing along with the nature of your work

It's very much a one-size-doesn't-fit-all thing. Hybrid suits me best and I'm doing a 60:40 split of home/office. In terms of getting my actual work done it's more like 75:25 but what I lose in productivity in the office is made up by maintaining relationships. Not least because I get to hear about new projects early and get to head off problems when it's easy rather than a long way down the track when it's a lot harder.

Benefits for me include saving vast amounts of money - No travel, no parking, no congestion charge, no lunches to buy or prepare, no after work drinks, not having to spend money on new outfits or winter coats.

Time - No commute. No sitting in traffic or dealing with late or cancelled or over-full public transport. No panic and wasting time trying to find addresses or parking spaces, getting lost or other delays. No trying to fit in personal appts, parcel deliveries, letting someone in to do a quick job or inspection on my flat around a 9-5 when many companies or organisations don't offer times around that.

Weather- no longer lying in bed listening to the piss down rain dreading having to go out in it. On defrosting the car, worrying about icy roads or snow. Or trudging around in a heatwave sweating my arse off and worrying about getting to a meeting looking like a sweaty red-faced turnip. Or fainting.

The main benefit is not having to be around people constantly. That has done wonders for my mental health and quality of life.

I've WFH for seven years now. If I had to go back to an office full time I would miss the flexibility and the additional cost of commuting would be a problem.

But I really miss office life. I live in a village and walk my dog twice a day so I get fresh air and exercise but I feel really isolated. My colleagues are based all over the world and I rarely meet them in real life. Whenever we have got together it's been fantastic, so productive and a real boost for the team dynamic. I have had bosses in the last 7 years that I never met. That has been a real problem for me professionally and mentally.

I’m 15 months into remote working now and looking to return to the workplace. It’s made my life more comfortable but I am bored of my own company. Most of my colleagues seem to go out of their way to avoid face to face contact with others, which I find difficult and weird.

What do you mean by face to face contact?

Are they happy for face to face contact on teams for example? and just not wanting to meet up in person?

So not wanting in-person contact?

There's a difference where one mIght be difficult for some people and the other, shouldn't be at all difficult or potentially weird.

Different strokes for different folks.

I prefer hybrid to fully remote and fully office based. Others are different.

I mean they will avoid any video or phone contact, emails for everything.

I am also more productive at home. I do more in my two home days than my three office days.

But I do enjoy having a few days in the city.

I agree and have returned to the office full time.

Okay. If that works for that workplace then yes, you're right, look for another job in the office.

Not sure I was waiting for your permission!