To think people who work from home don’t understand this?! And they’re paid more usually

[Ugriap]

I work in a job where I can’t work from home. I get that’s my choice but when I trained, working from home was not common. Now it is in a lot of places. I know I can re train but it’s not that easy!

I can’t just go to appointments during my lunch break. I can’t ever do this. So I have to book leave if I want to get my haircut or dental appointments. Or I go on a weekend so I’m basically having less free time.

A close friend is a high earner and she is always galavanting round during the day then catches up on her work in the evening at her convenience. I can’t understand why people like this don’t get that I don’t have this flexibility?! My time is so much more limited. I feel really isolated from the friendship group these days

I've had office based jobs that were flexible and where I was able to take time for things like dentist appointments and make it up later. And I have friends who work from home under inflexible conditions.

I deliberately only work for companies that offer a degree of flexibility but I certainly don't have time to go galavanting around town.

Working from home isn't the same thing as flexibility.

What actually is your issue? The fact you can’t get your nails done during the working day, or that your friends don’t understand this? Had one of them said something? I feel I need more clarity on the situation with your friends that’s bothering you.

Also don’t be under any illusion that people who WFH are all free to gallivant. My boyfriend WFH and if his mouse hasn’t moved in an 8 minute period, his boss hets an alert.

I sometimes take 1-2h during the day when I WFH but I make up for it in the evening. That is common practice where I work.
However, I also sometimes use my lunchbreak to have my nails done or drop off a parcel etc when I’m in the office. Or take a late and long break if I have a personal appointment nearby - and I’ll arrive earlier/stay later that day.

I think your friend is in the minority. I work in an office and can wfh when I like but only do this if I have a particular heavy day and need the peace and quiet.

no one I know has their hair done or any of the other things you have mentioned during the day when they are working. I think your friend is painting a false picture of working from home.

I used to work full time from the office, and would still regularly book appointments on work time and just come in early/stay late on other days to make up the time.

I get that this maybe isn’t possible in some jobs (eg teacher, surgeon, checkout assistant), but it’s not a WFH thing - it’s a job type thing.

Wait until you hear about self employed people who work from home, OP, in a job they can choose their hours. That’s me; and I can do whatever I like. I still need to work about 50 hours a week, but I choose when and can chop and change and go out and all sorts. Bet you think that’s not fair and you should get extra pension contributions from your employer (that I don’t get at all) to make it fair, right?

This is nothing to do with WFH vs not WFH. This is to do with you have an inflexible job that requires set hours and a rigid time off policy vs a job where flexible working is acceptable. It can often be that a role with flexi-time more easily enables WFH but it's not a linear relationship.

I WFH (I have offices I can work in as and when).
I’m not paid to be sat behind a desk from 9-5.30.
one day last week I saw a film, had a late lunch with one friend - then watched another film - and had pudding and a coffee with another friend, later that week I left my home at 730 am, drove 200 miles, worked all day and well into the night at a work dinner.
Next week I will be in London working solidly for 2 days and nights.
So I feel ok at going to get my hair and nails done during the day.

On the other hand if you work a job with set hours in a physical building...no one is going to ask you to 'just pop on a call' with the US at 8pm/Australia at 6am.

I find I can do more quick errands on my office days than my wfh days - I work 5min away from the high street so can pop to M&S to buy school trousers/the entertainer to buy birthday presents for the DC friends etc on my lunchbreak.

I mean i work in my office 3 days and still go gym at lunch or go for a hair cut at lucnh time - its not about working at home really - i get an hour to myslef and can do what i want in that hour- and becauce my work isnt time sensitive I can also take 2 hours if i wanted for example to do something - and just stay on an extra hour or start early - I have flexibilty and the company is relaxed.

It’s not a wfh thing, wfh has a huge range of jobs some wfh jobs are ones where you have to account for every minute no flexibility and office jobs where you can’t pop out. There are plenty of people in both office and wfh jobs though that are very inflexible in their thinking when discussing other jobs/people’s lives and if it’s not their way they are bewildered.

Because she's senior! That's what happens when you attain seniority. You have some perks.

I WFH and I don't get any kind of lunch break. I work much more flat out at home than I do in the office.

This is a weird post. I work from home and as others have said I can't just gallavant around to appointments or a haircut. Thats what weekends and annual leave is for and no, I shouldn't gwt more leave than other people. If you dont like wfh then get an office job.

It's just unfortunate that some peoples jobs require hands-on presence during set hours and other jobs allow more flexibility in terms of working hours.

I dont think youre unreasonable if you feel a bit miffed that people don't understand that you aren't able to get appointments done during the working day, but to say you should have more annual leave isn't reasonable as ultimately people who WFH are still having to work a certain number of hours.

With doctor/dentist appts, are you really not allowed any flexibility to attend these in work hours without booking leave? E.g
Can you finish an hour later or skip lunch break to make the time up?

I hybrid work these days but can choose when I go to the office (expectation is one day a week).

Having come for many many years of jobs where it was completely impossible to work from home its been life changing in terms of work life balance. so I feel you.

my time is taken up as I do need to go out and complete visits most days so I’m not home all the time but I can do bits on my lunch break or pop somewhere if I’m just doing admin and then work on a bit to make it up.

its great and having done both very recently and people who like to be martyrs and say that working from home limits you just as much are lying. I actually find my role now a lot more boring than my previous role (same profession very different setting) but its totally worth it for the work life balance.

Its definitely a lot easier to fit in appointments when you WFH simply based on saved commuting time. I work my full contracted wfh hours but I can fit in an early morning or early evening hair/fit class/dentist far more easily than if I was out of the house 7.30pm til 6.30pm. Your friends are being ridiculous if they cant see they have more flexibility than you.

People I know who work from home have set hours during the day that they have to work. I don’t think it’s always the norm that you can work flexible hours when you feel like it. Having to fit in haircuts etc at weekends is completely normal so of course you don’t deserve extra annual leave.

What do you mean people don’t get you don’t have this level of flexibility?

lots of people work different jobs with different levels of responsibility and flexibility. It’s not about fairness.

im hybrid and rarely get a lunch break most days regardless of where i am.

the bonus I get is sometimes shoving some washing in the machine. I certainly can’t go to the hairdressers. I book social and non urgent things outside of work hours and anything medical I can go in work time as that’s company policy. Doesn’t you company allow this??

I think you just sound really jealous of you friend. Sounds like they’ve done well for themselves and can now choose to manage their own time.

moat senior roles will come with a payoff though - she may appear to have flexibility but she prob has a lot on her shoulders.

but Regardless - it’s about the job, the role, the seniority, the manager…lots of things!!

and no way should some people get more AL just because you can’t get your hair done in work time.

fed up of these threads where people assume wfh means do f all.

go get a new job OP

Life isn't fair.

I think you are describing the extreme.
I WFH 3 days a week. I DO take one hiur for lunch, but I do this on office days too asit is UNPAID!
Today, I had the detist but used 1.5 hours accrued toil plus my lunch hour for this.
There is a requirement of trust /honesty of course. I do not flout this.

Well that's your friend's experience. Not all working from home jobs have this flexibility. I have done both, only work from home now due to distance as that is the contracts my company took on. I am in exactly the same boat as you. Cant find time to get to appointments.

My company is paying me to work. They would know if I disappeared as the teams & outlook has a little tick that turns orange if I leave for over 5 mins and says exactly how long I been gone. This will be the same for most working from home employees

We’re paying our own electricity/gas bills for the consumption of this while we work. We are paying for our ergonomic furniture some of the time too.

It’s a balance and you have to weigh up a lot of aspects whether it’s right or possible for you. I have to be at my desk for core hours, your friend is lucky but then I’m glad to finish around 5pm and have the evening to myself.

You make a good point about the commute part.

I think it’s not clear from the OP what op friend doesn’t understand exactly? @UgriapHave they questioned something or asked you to meet them for something in the day?

Yes I have observed the more you earn the more flex you are! Generally anyway.

I earn £12.81ph and I WFH FT. I work set hours, and have to be glued to my desk unless I'm on break. My computer goes idle after 5 minutes if it's not in use. I don't have time to go to appointments and what not during my break. I barely have enough time to walk the dog around the block on my half hour lunch!