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.

I’m an introvert who can’t bloody wait to resume normal working from the office. I don’t buy this introvert/extrovert dichotomy.

Same, it’s bollocks being thrown about by people trying to prove they are working as effectively from home because they don’t want to go back to an expensive commute that was always a choice in the first place. It’s because I’m an introvert that wfh full time is a terrible idea for me. No incidental social contact in my day means I have to put in effort to see or meet anyone outside my household.

Me too OP. We are hoping it's going to be some time at the office and some at home. Really hoping!

For employers, it might still work out cheaper for them, even if per-use the hub will be more expensive than a centralised office desk

Why would they take on the expense without the benefits dedicated office space gives them? I’m not seeing the logic of this at all.

I have the opposite issue to a lot of people on this thread in that I'm desperate to go back to the office, but my company is saying it won't even consider it until next year. Interesting that contractual obligation was mentioned as a driver to force employees back - does that not work the other way as well, if I'm contractually obliged to work at X office and my employer (not government restrictions) is not allowing me to?

because they don’t want to go back to an expensive commute that was always a choice in the first place

Haha. Yup.

It’s because I’m an introvert that wfh full time is a terrible idea for me. No incidental social contact in my day means I have to put in effort to see or meet anyone outside my household.

Exactly

Money saved on rent is pretty irrelevant if it makes the business less competitive. Which I suspect many will find if they go for wholesale wfh.

I hope a lot of companies do go back to the office as I'm sick of the shit service they are offering and using the get out clause of Covid.

A suburban co working hub thing sounds almost as lonely, miserable, and isolating as full time WFH.

Especially for younger people, part of the draw of an office is the vibrancy and diversity that the central city locations provide. There's also the sort of shared community feel of being amongst your own particular company employees.

I think it helps build loyalty and belief in the organisation - employees feel part of it, they have a shared experience, and the work environment is a big part of that.

YANBU Op. I have loved wfh, getting up much later and being able to do the school run in a timely manner, no rush But my living situation isn't the greatest so I wouldn't have minded going back to the office a few days in the week but unfortunately we permanently moved out of our offices last year and my employer has suggested I pop around to his (very small company) instead 2 days a week for f2f but I strongly disagree with this idea.

On the social aspect, I have no friends and going into the office was nice because I could chat with a few people. Now, I'm even lonelier.

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

Money saved on rent is pretty irrelevant if it makes the business less competitive. Which I suspect many will find if they go for wholesale wfh.

I hope a lot of companies do go back to the office as I'm sick of the shit service they are offering and using the get out clause of Covid.

^^ This. Massively so.

And I'm also fed up of having to give out personal details - including financial - over the phone, when I can hear the employee's family noises in the background. It doesn't feel private or secure.

Same, it’s bollocks being thrown about by people trying to prove they are working as effectively from home because they don’t want to go back to an expensive commute that was always a choice in the first place. It’s because I’m an introvert that wfh full time is a terrible idea for me. No incidental social contact in my day means I have to put in effort to see or meet anyone outside my household.

Yes I totally agree with this. If people don't want a long commute I've never understood why they took a job/lived where they did. Yes, I know it's not always that black and white but quite often it is. And if you don't like mixing with other people, then why choose a job that involves office working?

I've disliked wfh because I'd spent years sorting out my home/life balance so it exactly suited me. That meant things like working out that although I was an introvert I liked some social contact so the odd chat with someone at work was ideal, but I don't want to have to make evening plans just so as I get to talk to an actual human every so often.

I also think that the novelty will wear off for more people as time goes on.

I'm sick of the shit service they are offering and using the get out clause of Covid.

Yeah, that isn’t going to fly for much longer.

Yes I totally agree with this. If people don't want a long commute I've never understood why they took a job/lived where they did. Yes, I know it's not always that black and white but quite often it is. And if you don't like mixing with other people, then why choose a job that involves office working?

Pretty much every WFH thread over the past year has had posts saying "Well, now you extroverts see how awful it was for us introverts!" as though a) humanity can be neatly divided into 'extroverts' and 'introverts', b) all 'introverts' are loners and c) it was not their choice to take up a job working alongside others in an office situation. WFH and more solitary jobs have always been available. If having to interact with their fellow human beings was so horrendous for them, why didn't they look for one of these jobs?

Another introvert here who cannot wait to get back to the office. My mental health has seriously deteriorated because of wfh.

It’s is isolating, demotivating and definitely not more productive. Everything takes longer - rather than asking someone something over a desk you now need to email or call and wait for them to be available and reply

We haven’t been told what is happening yet but I will certainly be looking for a new job if this hell continues

If people don't want a long commute I've never understood why they took a job/lived where they did.

You can afford a family home in central London then, can you? How lovely for you.

Unfortunately, most of us drones can't, and therefore need to commute in to where the work is.

@TinyGlassOwl

If people don't want a long commute I've never understood why they took a job/lived where they did.

You can afford a family home in central London then, can you? How lovely for you.

Unfortunately, most of us drones can't, and therefore need to commute in to where the work is.

There's plenty of places in outer London suburbs where you can be in central London in about 20 minutes.

Some might be less fashionable areas but there you go.

You can afford a family home in central London then, can you? How lovely for you.

Unfortunately, most of us drones can't, and therefore need to commute in to where the work is.

I believe that jobs do exist out of Central London.

If you've chosen to do a job that's only available in Central London and you live well outside - that's exactly my point - you've chosen to accept the commute.

@UserTwice

Same, it’s bollocks being thrown about by people trying to prove they are working as effectively from home because they don’t want to go back to an expensive commute that was always a choice in the first place. It’s because I’m an introvert that wfh full time is a terrible idea for me. No incidental social contact in my day means I have to put in effort to see or meet anyone outside my household.

Yes I totally agree with this. If people don't want a long commute I've never understood why they took a job/lived where they did. Yes, I know it's not always that black and white but quite often it is. And if you don't like mixing with other people, then why choose a job that involves office working?

I've disliked wfh because I'd spent years sorting out my home/life balance so it exactly suited me. That meant things like working out that although I was an introvert I liked some social contact so the odd chat with someone at work was ideal, but I don't want to have to make evening plans just so as I get to talk to an actual human every so often.

But for lots of people it really isn't a choice. Decent jobs are often centralised in the big city centres as most larger organisations have closed down their regional offices in smaller cities and towns. So the choice is to commute for a decent job or take whatever crap job you can get closer to home.

@UserTwice

You can afford a family home in central London then, can you? How lovely for you.

Unfortunately, most of us drones can't, and therefore need to commute in to where the work is.

I believe that jobs do exist out of Central London.

If you've chosen to do a job that's only available in Central London and you live well outside - that's exactly my point - you've chosen to accept the commute.

No, relatively few decent jobs are outside the big city centres. My son will be taking a year working as part of his Uni degree. He went to open days at several Northern Unis and all said that most of their "placements" are in Central London.

Depends what you mean by "decent" I suppose? Both my husband and I have what we consider decent jobs, and we've managed not to work in big city centres. If you want mega bucks and have to work in London to get them, that's again a choice.

I'm not sure what your son's work placements have to do with jobs in general. Universities generally have contacts with big organisations. Doesn't mean that jobs don't exist elsewhere.

I know a lot of people that work in London, and there's not a single one that couldn't get another job outside of London. They choose to work in London because they get more money for the same job, although it seems likely that that won't continue to be the case if everyone starts wfh.

The only benefit I can see from this wfh situation is that jobs will start to become available to a wider group of people particularly in industries like finance.

Up until now if you wanted to get into some areas of banking you would need to do an internship or get in a grad scheme in London. This is outside the possibilities of a lot of young people who cannot afford to move there and their families cannot support them to do so. This then leads to it be an environment filled with Oxbridge sorts

Hopefully wfh will open up internships/grad spots to people from all walks of life and the support will be built to integrate them even if they are sitting in a room in Aberdeen, Newcastle or Swansea

It depends..... I can't wait to get the house back to myself, getting DH out for a couple of days a week would be bliss .

Also, I would dearly love for some customer services to be back in the office. So many services have been rubbish this last year. You can't see anyone or call anyone. You can only email, and then get a response if you are lucky. Everything is delayed. I am looking at you HMRC, DVLA, Probate Office, Land Registry, utilities, and many, numerous retailers.

If you've chosen to do a job that's only available in Central London and you live well outside - that's exactly my point - you've chosen to accept the commute

Last time I checked, there’s a finite supply of jobs, with more jobs tending to be in London.

Last time I checked, the cost of living has rocketed which means that so many more people are having to commute.

Last time I checked, there’s a finite supply of homes in affordable commuter belts. That’s before you factor in things like schools, public transport etc.

So it’s all very well to make sweeping statements about “choice”, particularly as I suspect you’re making a judgement based on the narrow pool of people you know, when the reality is there aren’t huge choices for most people.

I was hoping covid would make people realise that our lifestyles of long hours, long commutes which most of us have little option to go with due to the balance of priorities - just isn’t right. But alas, instead of radical change, we’ll just creep back to how it was before.

@BigWoollyJumpers

It depends..... I can't wait to get the house back to myself, getting DH out for a couple of days a week would be bliss .

Also, I would dearly love for some customer services to be back in the office. So many services have been rubbish this last year. You can't see anyone or call anyone. You can only email, and then get a response if you are lucky. Everything is delayed. I am looking at you HMRC, DVLA, Probate Office, Land Registry, utilities, and many, numerous retailers.

You can add the NHS and Unis to that list. So many huge empty buildings gathering dust while staff provide a haphazard "service" whilst WFH.