Do you like going in to the office?

[summermidnightsun]

Just wondered how people feel about this nowadays. Personally I find office days exhausting, hot desking stressful, and feel it’s something to endure. It would be easier if I could be someone who enjoys it but it makes me feel mentally drained.

YABU - I like going to the office
YANBU - I don’t like going

I like the actual working in the office. I'm a terrible procrastinator and when I WFH I have terrible trouble getting going. I'm WFH today and I ought to be in the shower and firing up the laptop but I'm still in bed scrolling on phone. It often gets to 11am and I still haven't done much, then panic and am flat out until 8.30pm. Get so cross with myself as I could finish much earlier otherwise. (I have ADHD.)

I have a study to work in but it's a small dark room and a bit depressing. I could get a smaller desk nearer the window but the whole room needs a proper clear out first but I never seem to get round to it. Also, now my daughter is older I don't even have to pop out and do the school run, so I get terrible cabin fever after 2-3 days solid.

Much more productive in the office. I get up 6am - have to get the 6.40 train so no option to procrastinate. Wear work clothes and put make up on while on train - makes me feel like I'm in professional mode. In the office in London before 8am, crack straight on (can't procrastinate because I've got an audience haha). By 5pm I've smashed my recordable time targets. We have office pods and I share with one other or sit alone, it's quiet with lots of light and room to spread out. No noise or distractions. Colleagues come and knock if they need to speak to me - if they look through the glass and see I'm busy they come back later. Whereas when I'm at home it's a sudden Teams call which is the equivalent to someone barging in.

The real downsides of office days are firstly hotdesking. I have arthritis and there is a desk set up for me with ergonomic equipment and sometimes someone books it before me and i have to persuade them to swap. Sometimes some arsehole has plonked themselves at it even when I have booked it.

Secondly the cost of commuting. I tend to buy a weekly ticket so I can do Weds and Thurs one week and Monday and Tuesday next week. If I have to come in an extra/different day outside that pattern for a meeting etc then it costs £72 for a peak day return ticket, I feel like crying when I put my card in the machine!!!

The best thing about wfh is being able to fit in medical appointments, deliveries, special assemblies etc without having to take half a day off. That I do like very much.

I like it. I only have to go 2 days per week, and I like the interaction with colleagues. We are a pretty sociable team and go out after work every few weeks. I do think you learn more from overheard conversations and being able to ask questions in the moment rather than relying on Teams.

The office is very nice, and whilst we don’t have fixed desks, you can book.
The train journey into London isn’t too bad and more often than not I get a seat.

Working from home during Covid, I never thought I’d want to go back, but now a couple of years in I do actually enjoy it.

At 57 though, I’m not sure I’d be quite so keen if the mandated 2 days in went up any further, I do enjoy an early morning swim on my days at home, and being able to take my dogs for a lunchtime walk!

I don’t have a choice I have to go in.
I would much prefer hybrid.
Once I’m there I don’t mind it. I have my own office though. I like wearing nice clothes which I wouldn’t do at home. I think it’s easy to turn into a bit of a slob when you work from home. I think it takes discipline to do some physical activity.
On the negative side I have to take time off for things like dentist appointments.
I think a lot of people would really suffer if everyone worked from home. High streets would be in a dreadful state for example.

I like it but couldn't do 5 days. I alternate between 3 and 2 (I work Mon-Thu). It helps I have my own desk with my team and share a private office with another 'head of' in a similar discipline.

I was very anti office until I tried a fully remote job and found it isolating. I don't think it's easy to form relationships and learn about a company, influence decisions etc without being physically present.

I agree that I learn better in person too. So much is learnt though casual office chat.

I’m surprised so many people still have fully remote jobs. When I look, jobs advertised as fully remote have massively decreased (and I’m in a role that can be done fully remotely no problem), the norm seems to be 2-3 days a week, 1 day if you’re lucky. Most people I know have to work hybrid with 2-3 days in the office.

Why is that desk open for booking to everyone? Surely you just need your HR to take it off the system?

Isn’t that your fault/choice for living so far away from your office?

I enjoy it, I do 2 days a week in the office and 3 from home. Whilst it’s a very expensive commute, I do sometimes drive in and I use the free office gym. Nice to get dressed up and speak to my colleagues and friends.

You’re missing the point. I don't think that this poster is suggesting she wants to see her colleagues for social reasons. It will be because it enables her to do her job better.

I've very lucky as I work hybrid and my manager is pretty relaxed about what days we are in....just need to be 'visable' ! I like having the mix and choice. Some days I like the comfort of working from home and I also have periods that I enjoy heading into the office and mixing 🙂

We’re 60:40 in office. It’s largely pointless as I (and most of my colleagues) spend the bulk of the day glued to a computer and in online meetings with other offices. It’s just for the sake of eating lunch with other people and at the expense of the commute time/cost.

I also hate hot desking - we can only book a few days in advance meaning it’s challenging to get a desk on busy days, you can’t leave anything at your desk overnight and often have to completely readjust chair/monitors/desk height.

I’d Prefer to only do an “anchor day” once or twice a month in the office because it would have the same effect for what it’s worth.

I prefer to WFH but have a hybrid schedule so still have to do both. When I WFH, I find I can fit a little bit of exercise during the day and I feel better for it I’ve actually dropped some weight.

In the office, I tend to snack all day and don’t have the energy to brisk walk or anything (thanks to a long commute). I’m limited with work hours because of DC so WFH is ideal to make drop offs and pick ups easier too.

I have always enjoyed being in an office environment, my previous team were under a lot of pressure but we bonded and had a great laugh even in adversity. I don't think that can be replicated in WFH.

We have been expected to go in four days a week for the past couple of years, which is really uncommon in our industry. I do compressed hours though, so I'm in the office three days.

I actually don't mind but my commute is only a 20 minute drive (on B roads – no rush hour motorway). Also, the team is spread out and I'm the only one at my site, so I don't have to share an office.

I generally like being in the office but there are quiet periods where I can go a full week without actually speaking to anyone face-to-face. That can feel a bit performative and those are the days I lament the wasted petrol.

I struggled with fully WFH during covid, it wasn't good for my mental health. I'm happier hybrid working now. I'm a 15 minute cycle from my office, we get free fruit and it's less than a ten minute walk I to town if I need anything from the shops.

I'm quite new to the company though and each part of my team has two days of the week they usually go in, and one of those is my NWD, so I often only see my team on one of the two days. The second half of the month I have loads of meetings with budget holders, which I prefer not to do at my desk, so I'm in and out of meeting rooms, so prefer to be at home for those, but have to do two days a week in the office.

I see some PP saying now they are older they don't need the interaction etc, but can see why it's beneficial for younger people. But how are younger people meant to get that interaction if all the older people stay at home?

Not sure how to vote, I go in to the office twice a week which I feel is a nice balance. Some days it does feel pointless though and I hate hot-desking too.
But I do like some face to face interaction though and I think large meetings and training sessions work better in person.

I like it when I’m there as long as i have people to talk to, i don’t like the prep of going in, sorting work bag/lunch/dropping daughter at breakfast club early so i can catch the bus.

I detest it. we don't have hot desking but for some strange reason our department area people from other sites or global are allowed to sit in our desks so often come in with someone sitting ar my desk. so after driving 2 frigging hours to get in I can't sit with my team our company had huge redundancies last year and alot of people gone so atmosphere not same. I usually walk the dogs at lunch so get angsty sitting at a table eating lunch and making small talk. we hane core hours to do on office so I only do them and it's a mass exodus when we can leave. face to face meetings are painful half dint turn up and then meetings get sidelined by certain individuals. It takes another 2 hours to get home and I frigging wrecked. house seems to be a mess when home dunno how then I spend the next day wfh catching up on what I missed. only staying there as I wfh 4 days a week

Much prefer the office. I made a New Year’s resolution to go in (almost) every day for 2025 - my work has always been flexible - and it has been great for my mental health, focus, and engagement. Sometimes opportunities happen just because you’re in the room, or you have an ad hoc coffee with someone wandering past your desk, or just because you are not out of sight, out of mind. I also dropped the stone I put on over COVID because I’m not snacking anymore and being at work just naturally means more movement. I’ve also made some good friends amongst other people who come in most days.

when I started in my job. it would take an hour to get to work an hour 15 20 with traffic maybe you could bear traffic most days with timings. now 7 years later with a new industrial estate and many housing estates etc being built the traffic has increased like 300 percent. what was once an hour takes at least 2 hours. to get there in one hour you need to leave at 4:30am. when I took the job, I was younger it was doable but things change I don't want to move we live on a farm so my husbands work is here too. plus there is no where near me that offers jobs in what I do. most have closed down and the rare few that do pay shite taking about a 20 to 30k pay drop which no one will take

I enjoy it specifically because:

1. I go once a week... sometimes twice if I'm feeling like it. Once a week is the mandatory, so anything above that is up to me.
2. I choose what days I attend, so I can fit it around home-life a little more
3. I don't have to be there all day. I might pop in after school run and get there for 10am and then leave at 4pm. Other working hours of that day just get picked up from home.
4. I basically go in for a chat. I treat it as time to catch up F2F with colleagues and keep relationships going. I don't go in expecting to be really productive...which is good, because I'm so much LESS productive in the office!

I hate the commute though. Like, really hate it.

I go in 1 day per week.

It’s fine but the parking is extortionate so I have to park further a walk, and the milk supply in the fridge is somehow sour every single week.

Yesssss! But I am hybrid so get the best of both worlds. I like the social side of the office, the me time on my commute (mostly), in person rather than zoom meetings and being able to have a coffee and catch up with colleagues. I also enjoy the buzz of london and being able to do different things on my lunch break, especially in the summer BUT I get far more 'work' done at home with fewer distractions and enjoy a lie in on my wfh days.

Going to the pub at lunch is also enjoyable as I like my team