To be so glad WFH became a thing (and to absolutely hate anyone who tries to curtail its availability)

[Designless]

It's just life changingly good

My compassion is based on the principle that customer service could be anything from a call with Currys about my TV delivery, a call with HMRC about my late tax bill, or a call to my pharmacy to see where my aids medication is.

The nature of the data should not determine the degree of confidentiality to which I am entitled. Yet too often, confidentiality is treated selectively, based on subjective judgments about what is considered morally significant. I didn't cheapen a customer service role, you did that.

Men also WFH and what I hear from my parent friends is that it enables them to do much more of the domestic work than they'd otherwise be able to.

A couple of my friends who are dads absolutely evangelise about how WFH means they're actually present to watch their kids grow up and be proper parents, as opposed to only seeing them in a rush in the morning, and then in a rush at bedtime, or in bad weeks only seeing them asleep.

I go in 2 days a week and this is perfect for me. it’s nice to see the team but we then scurry off into our own little meeting rooms for most of the day. I have to bring my lunch as there’s nothing around. So I’m not contributing anything to the local economy other than petrol fumes.

I definitely see why people who enjoy being around others miss that contact but they are only a segment of the workforce and there’s a big segment of us that have much improved outcomes by WFH/hybrid. It’s not just the commute time I get back, it’s the time taken up by dressing professionally, packing lunch, getting fuel in the car, packing up heavy bags of kit/equipment (in my case). I reckon I’m 2-2.5hrs per day better off wfh. That’s huge.

Get a grip Dad. Honestly, you're just looking like a twat considering you're arguing the over-reach point about 2 pages ago that someone WFH could be a real reach of GDPR breach if their partner popped in and said bye and gave then a kiss.

Which very likely didn't even happen in the 1st place.

Go and eat your tea mate.

I am so thankful for it. My DH works in a team of 10-12 people mostly men, who do something with computer software. It seems very wasteful and time consuming to force them all to congregate in one office space, where they will all sit and individually work on their own projects. Any cross collaboration is put into work message boards and they have 1 “in person” virtual meeting a day (on zoom) where they demonstrate what they accomplished the day before and what they plan to achieve today.
It must have saved the larger company £££ by not paying for an office space, and it’s helpful to the planet - reducing emissions from cars by 12 people, reducing waste and reducing the costs associated with working outside the home.

Normally when people resort to such a reply is when they have nothing constructive to say, or a valid argument. I assume you have neither anything fluent to say or quote. See I can be a dick also.

My point was and still is that just because some people can work from home, doesn’t mean they should when they can’t perform their job properly and I see it day in day out across multiple agencies. My replies were merely highlighting this fact and trying to show people who justify such incidents, perhaps with extreme counter argument scenarios but it still stands that what we let slide in one situation, we’d take great umbridge in another.

I’m hybrid but have been since before Covid so do not understand all the hate for WFH that I see on MN.

I do think that people’s circumstances should be checked though - if you don’t have a quiet, suitable place to work or have inadequate childcare then WFH shouldn’t be allowed.

I have to go into the office more since Covid due to all the fuss over supposed pisstakers when it all kicked off in the papers. I’d be much happier if I didn’t have to go in at all. My team aren’t in my office and the T&S to visit them is restricted so I don’t see them much anyway. Pointless waste of my time and money dragging myself in 2-3 times a week.

Sometimes when you ring a company and get an agent in the call centre, I often hear their neighbouring colleagues’ calls. As I’m guessing, too close together, poor microphone on headset etc

It's like you've never heard of employment rights or trade unions.

Yes. I have a degree in History (alongside English) and whilst I very much admire Robert Owen, and with living in Central Scotland have visited New Lanark numerous times and see him as being a wonderful pioneer, I think that the work we undertake today is (mostly) very much removed from the factories of the early 19th century. Whilst 8 hours must have seemed very fair in allowing for produce to be churned out whilst also allowing people a greater degree of 'free' time, it could be argued that stating that all people working in offices today are capable of doing the same amount of work as one another in 8 hours is a bit bizarre. As a teacher, I know that the brain cannot concentrate on tasks for extremely long periods of time. The workplace has changed and employers need to change too. I think that those who will survive in business going forward will be those pioneers who can see a new and better way and adapt (much like Robert Owen!).

I’m semi retired now but when I WFH during lockdown they got at least 4 hours a day more out of me. Logged in at 6am never logged out before 7pm. So yes without commute (only 25 mins each way) much better option.

Life is fleeting and we have a short time being actually active and conscious of our lives in that time
Working from home is something i can't do but dh can and it's made an enormous difference tonus all.
He's had to go in more but I think 2/3 days is a good balanxe.
It's just a weight off in so many way !

I can see the huge benefits of WFH, especially for parents with young DC to manage, and/or for established adults in their 30s/40s/50s who already have a social network established, in that they can work far more productively at home and save on commuting costs and time.

That said, though, I think WFH must be incredibly isolating for younger adults who might not have an established social network where they are living. It really depends on an individual's circumstances surely? I have such happy work memories from my 20s - straight out of the office into the pub, made loads of friends through work, ready made social life etc etc. I can totally see why WFH is ideal for those juggling family life and caring responsibilities but I don't think it's necessarily right for everyone at every stage of life.

You're right that it depends on an individual's circumstances, but this does also apply to those starting out too- they're a diverse group just like any other age cohort. A younger adult might only be able to access a particular job opportunity because of remote work, and the ready made social life isn't desirable and may be actively detrimental for some people. Equally, there's middle aged and older people who really benefit from working in person too. It's really varied, I think that's the best way to look at it.