Don’t want WFH to end

[GuessWho57]

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.

Oh and forgot to mention the hideous, time wasting London commute!

I'd love WFH to be more normal where it could be done. Obvs not all jobs can be, but loads can! I've enjoyed the WFH because the parking at the hospital i work in has been free, and so much easier when the admin staff were WFH, now they are back its awful again. I can't WFH, but it makes things easier for me when other people do.

I am very much in favour of getting things reopened though, so its a different mix. DH is looking forward to WFH more though and doing meetings online instead of travelling to remote places for a few hours. Also thd environmental impact could be good too!

Having spent a year saying we could all work remotely from now on my company has now reneged on that and said that my role has to be in the office 3 days a week minimum as I support the management team. It's not a disaster but I was hoping for 2 as I have a 1hr40m commute and a small child. The extra time with DD and time at home to do chores this year has been incredible.

I will probably end up looking for a new job as a result. I got a top appraisal rating this year and have been praised for exceptional performance. If that isn't proof that I can do my job perfectly well remotely then I don't know what is. I find it irritating to be summoned at will by the management team (who all have flats in London and country piles for the weekend). There's no point getting annoyed though, I'll just find a new role. Plenty of companies offer more flexibility now.

@converseandjeans that's a daft comparison - wfh has no commute and a later start but hospitality etc have no choice. I work 8.15am to 4.30pm in a school so I don't compare with someone who works nights in a bar. They'd have no customers if they worked my hours! I don't begrudge those who are still WFH. I can't do my job remotely with ease and it's quite nice being back with the kids...most of the time....

As for the later start you mention, you need to speak to DH about that. As he now WFH he's able to speak to colleagues in other parts of the world outside the 'normal' 9am - 5pm times so he's often on the phone or PC at 7am or earlier, sometimes on after DS has gone to bed at 8.30pm. He wouldn't do that when he had a commute or flight on top of a working day as he'd given up 2 hours at least travelling each way (more in this job as he has to fly to his office) but feels it's a bit of give and take now.

He's benefitting because he doesn't have to work away from home 5 days a week and his company (who were all for a full return this year) have just announced they're doing a 50/50 split - could be 2 weeks in the office, two weeks from home or 2 days in, 5 days at home. Details to be worked out. Because WFH is working - most people have DH attitude and early morning/late night conversations between offices across the world are happening to fit in with time zones.

Either way no-one is likely to be full time office based at DH's company unless they want it. Some people are looking forward to going back full time as they have nowhere to work properly and are looking forward to having some space. None of them have moaned about others having the 'easy' work from home option whilst they're in the office as they've all been there, done that and made their own decision/negotiation to return full time.

We’re having our office refurbished so probably due back around June time! I imagine we’ll work half at home, half in the office! I’m currently 4 and a half months pregnant so can’t imagine I’ll be going back in the office much before ML in September which I’m quite sad about! I do like being at home but also miss the office environment so would be happy with 50/50!

Is there no room for even a discussion of WFH say a couple of days a week? This may help you and the company as well . Surely this is a good thing for the enviroment and traffic problems. WFH has been lauded as a good thing for a long time now.

I'm in the occasional day and those days have made a real positive impact on my mental health. I'm hoping to do 2 days in the office and 3 days wfh in the future. My employer is looking at whether there needs to be a mandatory number of days in the office for people or not as some are very reluctant to return and others are champing at the bit to be back in. I am sick of working in my bedroom every single day. I feel like I am never ever off the clock.

My work life balance has improved, I’m happier and my quality of life has improved wfh. I will be putting up a strong case to wfh 3 days a week. I am productive etc etc. My boss misses the daily round the table brain storm sessions - I don’t. He misses the face to face control. It’s old fashioned bums on seats in the office equals work being done.

I can't wait to get back to the office. The sooner I'm back 5 days a week the better, I want my home to feel like my home and not an office!

I was surprised when we were told to return about 3 weeks ago (due to the role we're all fully vaccinated, I know we're all supposed to believe it doesn't make a difference) but actually it's been lovely. In person meetings have been fab. Luckily my commute isn't long etc.

Me too. I am a total night owl so having to be up at 7am every morning to get to work means realistically having to be in bed at 11 when I am most awake. nowadays i sleep in til 9 and don't go to bed til 1am and feel so much better for it!

Also going through IVF atm and having to balance all the doctor's appts (plus hopefully eventually morning sickness) just fills me with dread.

Like being able to do my laundry during my lunch break and finishing work at half 5 and going for a walk. In the office you never want to be the first person to leave so end up staying late and then its an hour and half commute home!

My office is saying we'll do hybrid but still means being in the office 50% of the time...and we never had enough seating as it was

I am a total night owl so having to be up at 7am every morning to get to work means realistically having to be in bed at 11 when I am most awake. nowadays i sleep in til 9 and don't go to bed til 1am and feel so much better for it!

This is my husband. Normally we would be leaving the house before 7 in the morning. The thought of going back to that routine, and he would have to, has prompted him to think seriously about early retirement.

I've just changed job to a 95% wfh one, and a large part of that was knowing that my employer would be dragging me back to the office just for the sake of it, and I can't fucking stand being based in an office again.

I love wfh ( have had 2 wfh jobs in the past).

I'm sorry for those who would like to, but can't. DP has been out to work all through and is a bit envious. He's a driver so no possibility of wfh. That's just how it is though, he isn't silly enough to think it's 'unfair' that some roles can and some roles can't.

I agree OP. I'm going back from mat leave in September (worked from home throughout 2020) and I'm planning to do three or four day per week from home.

@Torvean

Sorry I mean community hp. I know nurses have been doing bloods throughout.

Not in my mother's surgery. She needs a blood test and they've not done it. It was due last July. I have now emailed them and told them in no uncertain terms that it's not good enough as my own surgery has been doing them (or sending people to the hospital, but her surgery won't even do that) and smear tests since about the end of May last year.

I like working at home/remotely for many reasons and my working pattern was predicated on only one day in the office a week anyway. I am hoping I can do 1-2 days a month in the office once we trickle back.

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

I can't wait to get back to the office. The sooner I'm back 5 days a week the better, I want my home to feel like my home and not an office!

I think DH feels like this. He wants to go back but he also doesn't want a gruesome commute so he'll probably go in twice a week, maybe 3 times a week if they sort out flexible season tickets.

My office are doing a minimum 2 days in the office (from when every adult has been offered both vaccines). I'm looking forward to going back to office a couple of days as miss being with people but having a couple of days at home will be good too. Not looking forward to the hour each way commute to the office. Going to be tired!

I'm dreading DH going back. I've loved having him around and we've saved £100pm in travel costs. His productivity is better and he has three hours a day more free time - two saved on the commute, and one for lunch which he now can use to do stuff he wants to do rather than sitting at his desk or walking around a business park.

There's absolutely no reason why he can't wfh permanently and I hope his company realises that!

WFH has massively improved my life, my fibromyalgia is easier to deal with, as is my IBS. I remember to take my vitamins.
If I have a bad night sleep wise, it's just so much easier as I can get up later, than if I had to commute.
I very much think that if they do try and bring me back, I will be able to get occu health (and my union) to support WFH on a permanent basis.
Maybe with two days in the office but I would really rather not.
Also I am pretty much single handly managing the group inbox, as there are obviously tasks that I cannot do as being out of office so that was what I offered in return.

Post-pandemic I don't think there is much justification for insisting someone works either in the office or from home if they are happier and more productive doing the opposite

I agree completely; however a lot of it will depend on employers' needs, and after all they're the ones doing the paying

There's no doubt that WFH can work very well indeed, but it's also true that employees' assessment of "effectiveness" can be heavily influenced by their own preferences around work patterns

Worth remembering the law of unintended consequences too. One of our large local employers, faced with large numbers reluctant to return and a deteriorating business, is already planning to offshore their provision ... and suddenly the reluctance is disappearing like mist in the sun

however a lot of it will depend on employers' needs, and after all they're the ones doing the paying

Well quite.

Thankfully I’m very much on the same page as my employers on this.

We’ll all be back full time in the office as soon as this is feasible.

There's no doubt that WFH can work very well indeed, but it's also true that employees' assessment of "effectiveness" can be heavily influenced by their own preferences around work patterns

Yep! More and more discussion about this amongst colleagues inside and outside my organisation.

It’s been a difficult one to pin down as you have to make allowances for all the obstructions of closed schools and people’s other commitments. I’m inviting my staff to use the next few months to show how WFH is helping their performance and delivery, in the hopes that they’ll step up to it if it’s really important!

It’s been a difficult one to pin down as you have to make allowances for all the obstructions of closed schools and people’s other commitments

Absolutely - and the issues around WFH during "normal" times and WFH during Covid are two very different beasts

However Covid won't always be the thing it is now, and employers are rightly looking ahead and planning accordingly

I work as a locum and would normally travel 5 hours by rail and tube to my client at the start of the week, stay in a hotel three or four nights and travel back at the end of the week, working one or two days a fortnight at home. Now I'm 100% at home and loving it. My job includes evening meetings that I can now dial into remotely instead of walking back afterwards to the hotel in the dark. I'm far more productive, working on emails and transaction approvals during online meetings until my agenda items come up. Only downside is that COVID has meant a significant increase in the volume of work for my role over the past year so I haven't really seen the benefits in terms of working hours yet despite no longer travelling. But I have saved a lot on expenses.

I don’t think it’s always more efficient to be at home... I miss being able to speak to people directly and I certainly don’t get information that I would have picked up in the office. This morning I was chasing someone in the office for a very specific piece of information - no response to an email or phone call. I had to call and find someone in the building to go physically in there to get what I needed - as a result I was late with my submission. I also miss the spontaneous drinks and social events that I could plan after work in Central London... clearly this has been curtailed anyway but going forward I want to get my social life back. I actually think I achieved more and fitted more in when I was working and commuting.