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Original poster

Don’t want WFH to end

272 replies

GuessWho57 · 26/04/2021 22:29

Vaccine roll out has just ramped-up here so I expect we’ll be back in the office at least partially from June. I am dreading it. I am really happy working from home. I don’t want to go back to the office.

My role is pretty senior so I’ll can’t swerve it.

I walk the kids to school, in jeans, chat to my husband in between calls, see the kids when they get in, don’t have to bother with work clothes or make up or putting your bloody game face on. I much much prefer presenting online HATE doing it f2f.

As an introvert, I am more than fine Witt the current set up.

My heart goes out to those struggling with wfh, but really I feel gutted it might end soon.

Sad
OP posts:
PastMyBestBeforeDate · 27/04/2021 00:59

I'm disabled. I could cope with my office days a year ago but I can't now. My disability has progressed. If I can be 100% wfh now then I can carry on working effectively.

MajorNeville · 27/04/2021 02:13

So you want the luxury of wfh and later start, no commute etc while people in hospitality, retail etc have no choice at all?

Me going to the office would make no difference to them. I don't really understand what you mean, if I'm honest. I should go to the office to sit with people I never have a need to speak to because someone in retail has to go in?

Mandalay246 · 27/04/2021 02:36

I would hate to wfh, and I am one of the least social people I know. However, while I like to shut my door at the end of the day and not see or hear from anyone, during the day I love to go to work and interact with my colleagues. I also find that it is far easier to talk over work issues with someone who is actually in front of me and can interact. I am looking forward to retirement in a few years, but while I'm working I have a need to see others in the workplace.

LST · 27/04/2021 02:41

@converseandjeans

majorneville

I don't think people are saying they want lockdown to stay though. I love wfh but I still want to go out to shops, pubs, concerts, sports games, it's just the wfh I want to keep. Luckily I can, although I'll probably do a mix.

So you want the luxury of wfh and later start, no commute etc while people in hospitality, retail etc have no choice at all?

What a daft comparison. What has that got to do with anything?
OloBo · 27/04/2021 03:07

I totally agree. I am so much happier and more productive wfh. Not sure when we’ll be returning yet, but I wish we could go on wfh. It’s going to be really hard going back when we’ve experienced a lifestyle that is so much better for our family.

Passthecake30 · 27/04/2021 07:00

I’m also so much happier working from home. I do get lonely at times, and would like to see people a couple of times a week, which sounds like it’ll fit in with my employers plans of potentially people going to the office 1-2 days a week for team working type work. Which also fits in with how many outfits I have left from the great declutter Blush

megletthesecond · 27/04/2021 07:05

If some people continue to WFH part time it'll make the commutes easier for people to have to work on site.

We might go back August part time. It'll be nice to be able to use a printer again, that has made life tricky at times.

Onandoff · 27/04/2021 07:11

@megletthesecond

If some people continue to WFH part time it'll make the commutes easier for people to have to work on site.

We might go back August part time. It'll be nice to be able to use a printer again, that has made life tricky at times.

It’ll make the commutes more expensive for those people
daisybrown37 · 27/04/2021 07:16

I have gone from WFH to changing roles to being in a school everyday and now back to WFH. I love the better work life balance of home working. Pick my kids up earlier from after school club and we have more evening.

My new workplace are looking at a combination and I think that might work well - I have been I my new role 6 weeks and have only meet 4 people in person, it would be good to meet my new team!

LoveSleeping · 27/04/2021 07:17

I work in HR and am seeing a big rise in the number of flexible working applications asking for some element of home working.

And because homeworking has worked well for our business over the last year we're able to agree to most requests and we're downsizing our office space in line with that (big cost saving there).

OP - why not make a flexible working request to work some time from home?

daisybrown37 · 27/04/2021 07:18

My husband is permanently home now, they are selling part of his office. It was part of their plans anyway, but working from home the last year just proved it could work.

ShadierThanaPalmTree · 27/04/2021 07:19

Completely agree. I'm considering applying for new jobs where I can permanently work from home, it's been lovely, and a load off my shoulders to not have to see my colleagues.

coodawoodashooda · 27/04/2021 07:21

Lots of good stuff to miss op. Guess it's all about being grateful to have a job etc.

Original poster
GuessWho57 · 27/04/2021 07:39

Op here. Thanks for all the replies.

I live abroad and my company is fairly traditional so we’re a bit behind here in terms of flexible working.

I love my job so don’t want a new one (and there aren’t many opportunities anyway).

I hate the pretext that you have to go to a special place and look a certain way in order to be professional. I have taken on new responsibilities since Jan and have totally smashed it. I don’t need to be there to be effective.

There is talk of 2-3 days office and 2-3 days home. Which could be fine I guess, but I have calls all day so would sit in a phone booth unless the people is be meeting would also be in on that day...

On the plus side it would get me up and moving a bit more which is not a bad thing 🐷

OP posts:
Canyouexplainhowthatis · 27/04/2021 07:40

I was forced back last month.

Disfordarkchocolate · 27/04/2021 07:40

I've worked from home since 2015 and while it's not ideal for me I know I couldn't be in an office based role 5 days a week. It would be different it work places went back to smaller offices instead of open plan.

My husband's work in moving to hybrid working being the norm. Most people have asked to do at least 2 days from home and they plan to use their local offices more and think about people being able to book local shared working spaces.

SilverGlitterBaubles · 27/04/2021 07:54

I understand that some jobs can be done perfectly seamlessly WFH but I am finding the service standards of some companies that I deal with are using WFH as an excuse for poor service or no service at all. This has a knock on effect on the service I provide in my job. These are large organisations who clearly have been managing through a in crisis mode and not invested in technology or enough support for staff to WFH effectively. There will come a time, I suspect it is now, when people will no longer tolerate COVID as an excuse. Essentially if your employees are WFH the service they can provide should be equally effective as it would be in the workplace or if not they should be back at work.

Lalliella · 27/04/2021 08:05

I completely agree. Before lockdown I would have described myself as an extrovert but I’ve absolutely loved wfh. No commute, more flexibility, less effort, more opportunities to go out walking and cycling, not having to see my hated boss every day. I’m dreading going back to the point I’m considering resigning.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 27/04/2021 08:06

It is what it is. Everyone who is WFH proclaims they are far more productive, super efficient; and yet there are reams of threads on here about pathetic customer service due to WFH.

catfeets · 27/04/2021 08:07

I'm dreading it too. I'm going back in June apparently. So back to 5am starts and fighting for space on the train.
I was on maternity leave for the majority of time everyone was working from home so feel I've completely missed out on the benefits.

ScotlandUnited · 27/04/2021 08:08

I am also disabled and love working from home. it is the perfect adjustment. I also live in fear of being asked to return to an office.

I am also looking for positions that are fully remote but most are only until covid is gone, require some travel to meetings (that isn't fully remote, the lying bastards!) or they are much lower paid than what I am currently on.

I've definitely noticed a decline in the number of fully remote jobs being advertised which seems to indicate employers expect their staff to return.

If my employer asks me to return to an office, I would push back as much as I can and ask for WFH to continue as an adjustment for me.

UserTwice · 27/04/2021 08:15

On the basis that some companies are bringing in compulsory WFH, I'm sure there are opportunities to move to such a company (who will be losing the workforce who don't want to wfh - maybe they should arrange an employee swap?)

I'm always sceptical of people who say their productivity has increased while wfh. I accept that this may be true of some jobs, but my own observation is that those who I work with whose productivity has improved have done so at the detriment to some other part of the organisation. For example, I have colleagues who love wfh because it's easier to ignore disturbances from other people. However, the people that would have "disturbed" them in the office (for genuine work related reasons) are struggling because they can't get input from colleagues. So big picture is not so rosy.

StCharlotte · 27/04/2021 08:30

From a slightly different perspective, I've worked from home for seven months on and off over the last year. It was lovely for me in that I only had to do the "nice" bits but not for my colleagues who (grudgingly) had to pick up the bits of my work that can't be done remotely. I didn't benefit in terms of time gained as (a) I stuck to my morning routine, dressed for work and did hair and make up etc or I think I'd have lost the plot and (b) my walk to the office is only 20 minutes anyway.

Back in the office since Easter and I feel normal again. At home I felt like a special case as I was wfh due to being diabetic. It's never been an issue in my day to day life before but suddenly it defined me and I hated it. Normally I'd be the one doing other people's shopping, now someone had to do mine. I no longer felt like a valued member of society. All credit to my employers for caring though and facilitating keeping me safe.

Also the winter lockdown was incredibly lonely.

Delighted to be back in the office and I confess that yes I am quite an extrovert. I guess that makes a difference and I think that if you can fully effectively wfh, you should be able to.

Scissorsforthedrifter · 27/04/2021 08:37

I am disabled too (and an introvert), but I don't think I'd be allowed permanent WFH in my current job because at the moment there's a few people in the office picking up the little bits of work we can't do from home. It was WFH one day a week pre covid, I'm hoping it will be at least 2 or 3 days when they make us go back. It's made a huge difference to me.

I genuinely can concentrate better at home without the constant office noise. I still get disturbed it's just by IM 😂

littlepieces · 27/04/2021 08:44

I feel the same. Absoloutely dreading all the office nonsense, the small talk, the egos, not having the option to easily skip video meetings I dont really need to be in, having a boss physically barking orders at me from across the room. My employer has said this week that they expect us all back full time from 1st July, regardless of whether we've been vaccinated by then. I'm starring to look for a new job that is mostly remote working.

I think employers are going to have more issues with staff transitioning back to the office than when we went into lockdown tbh.

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