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

YABU as I have been working since I was 16 in 1992 and remember how hard it was to have to commute all the time or to get a decent part time job, particularly when DDs were small in the 2000s and 2010s. And that's why I insisted on only doing three days maximum in the office when I went full time in my current job in 2019.

Life isn’t fair though. I’d love it if our educational system didn’t discriminate against kids with processing disorders or with moderate to severe dyslexia, unfortunately the current system is absolutely discriminatory towards these kids, it’s incredibly unfair that kids with these types of difficulties have far fewer career choices or earning potential.

I work in an office, and have huge flexibility over my hours. My boss knows I’m not a piss taker; work and deadlines always get met, I regularly work over my hours because it’s a way of me showing my appreciation to having flexible work hours. I had to take ds to a hospital appointment the other day, my boss was just like, ‘so long as Don’s report hits his inbox before midnight, do whatever you need to do’. Same if I need dentist or medical appointment, or dc have appointments, I don’t have to take leave.
My previous job was much better paid, better pension, slightly better annual leave entitlement, but absolutely no flexibility whatsoever. I decided flexibility was more important, so took the pay cut and changed jobs, I have no regrets, and my current job, is nothing like as stressful as my previous one. There will always be compromises.

Also higher-earners, meaning more senior people, have often always had more flexibility than anyone else in any given organisation. It's nice that some plebs get it too now.

I work from home but have set hours, shift work basically so if i want to do anything outside those hours I have to book leave. I am not particularly well paid either.
This isn't a WFH issue it's a flexible role issue.

Some jobs offer more flexibility. It's always been this way. I am not sure what you think is unfair?

Back in the 80s (when WFH meant carrying lots of files home on the train the previous evening then lugging them back again the following day) my Boss did the afternoon school pick up most days and took the kids to his mum's, so he was gone between 2.45 and 4.00 most days. He could do that because he was the boss.

To be fair, he generally didn't take a lunch break, usually ate a home made sandwich at his desk.

I think you are mixing up seniority with WFH. Anyone I know who works for home seem to have less break etc than if they were in the office. It is more frown on if they appear offline than it would when they are in the office.

I would be very Senior where I work and yes I do enjoy a great deal of flexibility. I can chose where and when the work gets done but that is a because I am senior. I am mindful that many many people do not enjoy that flexibility.

because often on senior jobs, if you are needed, you are needed. My "proper job hours were 9 to 5 but when night staff needed training I went in at midnight and when I was presenting at public meetings then I went in whenever the public meetings were. The payback to working flexibly is being able not to work fixed hours.

I work from home and could never faff off for haircut, shop or anything else
in fact I work harder as there is no wander round to my pal , no chat at the kettle
The only bonus is no commute in this horrible weather
My gas and electric are high due to extra heating costs , radio on all day , charging laptop power , using my own tea coffee , even loo roll is higher use than when out at work.
It’s not all a bonus

This is going to depend entirely on what industry you work in. I work exclusively from home and have done since long before covid. My job allows for a bit of flexibility but not a lot. I am expected to be at my desk I can't just dash in and out. To go to appointments it involves skipping lunch to leave early or starting early/finishing late to go during lunch. It has to be arranged. I can't work when I want I have a set shift I do every day.

Out of interest do you work a 9-5 job or is it shift work / evening/ early morning work ?
And do you have saturday sunday off rather than a day in the week ?

I have worked from home since 2018 - I have never 'galivanted' around and gone and got my hair done, because you know... I am working lol. Do you actually know people like this or do you just believe that everyone who works from home swans around?

Where I am you can claim utilities and anything else for work on tax. I also buy a new laptop and desktop every second year and new mobile phone each year all can be claimed on tax too.
So thats a benefit.

I would also like to give notice to the bank, my doctor,DS school, Jet2, Virgin Media and all the others that whilst at work I have no access to my mobile phone - if I need to use said phone it's during 30 minute lunch or take time off.. and no I am rarely home before your call center closes at 8pm ...

My husband worked from home for over two years. He hated it as he felt like he was tied to the house . Often he wouldn’t be able to eat lunch with us as he’d be on calls . You wouldn’t even know that he was in the house as he was locked away in the office. Definitely no swanning about during the day.

But then your friend catches up on work during the evening.

I can tell you, after bringing small children to bed, having to force myself to sit in front of the laptop at 8 pm is really tough. Everything in my body screams no, but I have targets to achieve.

Also, if I want to go for a haircut, I will have to use my lunchbreak. Otherwise I have to book leave. Presumably the same situation you're in, so I don't really understand your argument.

Even in office working days, seniors had a lot more leeway. This is a seniority thing, not a homeworking thing. Don’t like it? Get promoted 😁

Disclaimer: my team and I all work a lot from home and are lucky to get ten minutes to ourselves during the day. I don’t worry about how much work they’re putting in because I can see how busy/productive they are.

This isn't about working from home, this is about flexibility. Some people who work from home are micromanaged and have to account for every second of their day; others who work in an office can nip out for appointments and have managers who support this flexibility. Maybe change employers if you want more flexibility?

I got my first flexible office job a few years ago, and I wouldn’t go back to compulsory full time office. I now don’t dread the winter months and the struggle to get in during heavy snow, which is a real issue for where I live.

My previous role wasn’t flexible at all, I asked for it and got refused, even through Covid I went in every single day. Part of my role was ordering equipment to allow others to wfh. I had enough when I had to use three days annual leave around 4 years ago as I was genuinely snowed in and I know I could have done my role with a laptop.The ironic thing was on my last day in that role it snowed, so I struggled in, arrived around 9.30am to find hardly anyone else there as they didn’t want to risk the journey in the snow and decided to wfh. Needless to say I walked out at my usual time and didn’t make the time up!

Why is it any more unfair than any other inequality in employment terms and conditions? Perhaps your friend has earned it by virtue of her abilities and the value which her employers feel she adds to whatever they do - and perhaps you don't.

What?

I wfh and have done pretty much since the 00's.

I don't gallivant about, I'm too busy have too many calls. Today I finally ate something at 5pm after I'd finished my day. I made myself 2 coffees and made three mad dashes to use the loo between meetings. I am always dehydrated.

If I go into the office it's for a rest, believe me.

I don't know many wfhers who can get their hair cut, nails done etc on their lunch break or catch up in the evening. Your friend is lucky.

What I'd suggest is you stop focusing on what others have and be grateful for what you have - some people would love a job, end of - or retrain so you can experience wfh. You don't deserve more holiday, so wind your neck in.

I don't know who these lucky people are getting appointments in their lunch breaks. I WFH but still have to take leave. I also often don't get a lunch break due to the nature of the job but that's a different conversation.

Fair? Why would it be, are you very young?

Maybe they can spell gallivant.

I work from home and during the week I’m lucky if I get to pop into town to pick up a prescription or something and it’s only five minutes away. Work is just so full on. Sometimes I only go out to walk the dog and it can be so isolating. I have to get through the work and get the hours in, so although there is flexibility it could mean working very early or late. I still have the lack of time issue
though grateful to not have a commute

I work from home but used to be full time in the office. I agree it’s MUCH easier.