How long do you think the WFH message will last?

[Bananagurl]

Just curious... I massively prefer it and feel just as productive as home, if not more...

I do hope that employers generally will embrace the hybrid model - but my fear is that there will be some (many?) who push against it and we’ll hear lots of meaningless phrases like ‘supporting colleagues’, ‘being visible’ and ‘creative collaboration’ used to justify getting all their employees back into the office full time - even though those employees have been working more productively at home or via a hybrid model, and who really don’t want to return to the rigid and expensive 9-5 in the office.

@MarshaBradyo that was to me I think. In my role and work and as a senior manager I do expect a level of visibility and would promote someone who I could see and judge their presentation skills on a face to face basis rather than dreadful teams/zoom.

And for younger people learning on Job I think it is vital to spend time working alongside managers.

@DottyHarmer

I agree it is disastrous for a lot of 20-somethings. Ds is upstairs right now wfh. He has not met a single colleague. There are no zoom meetings. If you do not have many friends already it is very isolating. Not even friends - offices generally have some banter: Nigel’s awful shoes/Mary’s smelly lunch/the time the boss had a piece of loo roll stuck on his shoe etc etc etc. It’s about learning to get along with all types of people and age groups.

Some of ds’s friends are indeed on the point of quitting corporate jobs. One doing chartered accountancy training is going berserk as it’s now all online - no auditing trips and meeting the other trainees to make the experience more palatable. Just 9-5 in his bedroom, with files emailed to him.

It's a tragedy really. For us oldies who know what we are doing and have a spare room WFH is great, but young people just started out are once again paying a very high price for the pandemic.

Currently WFH full time. Our organisation has given up a floor of its office building so we cannot be in more than 1 day a week.

Whilst I love the convenience, the flexibility and the money savings, it's a pretty lonely existence.

It made me realise that I'd stayed in my job for so long because of my colleagues. The job itself lost appeal.

I have found another job where I hope a more hybrid approach will be taken. I'll miss taking the children to school every day but I hope i won't be so lonely.

DH won't ever be going back in his current role (IT) as they've got rid of a lot of office space so there's nowhere for everyone to go back to. They can book time in the office on a hot desk basis or if a FTF meeting is really warranted. In reality he does this once a month at most, more like every couple of months.

It has it's upsides, the most obvious being no travel but he also misses the social aspect and lack of incidental exercise. I'm not convinced long term it will be great for his health unless he gets very strict with himself about taking breaks and having a walk at lunchtime. In reality he's usually too busy and often forgets to eat regularly unless I remind him.

I'll admit to finding it hard the days I'm at home. It feels like my home has turned into a workplace which I hate. I can hear zoom calls and phone calls reverberating all over the house about things I have no interest in and frankly no business hearing and this can go on from about 8am until 7pm many days. It makes me feel on edge a lot of the time, like my home isn't quite my home any more.

I don't say anything because it is what it is for now and I realise we could be a lot less fortunate than we are all things considered. Just wish we had the space for one of those swanky garden office things.

I haven’t really been aware of it apart from if someone has Covid in their home.

I hate it, and a lot of my team are struggling with it now, even those who were all in favour at first. I think it’s harder this time around as we’d just started settling in to a successful hybrid model and were then all told we had to go full time remote again. It’s shit.

In answer to the question, hopefully not too much longer. After the omicron wave is over, assuming it hasn’t made everything completely collapse, Spring feels like the time they’ll start rowing back on the testing regime, wfh advice, masks etc.

@OvaHere you've made a good point actually, about lack of incidental exercise. I've gone up 1-2 dress sizes during the pandemic. I used to walk a lot when i was working in the office- on my lunch break, go catch the bus after work. It's not all WFH- I just started eating/drinking more because of feeling low during the first lockdown. But it's not helped. And feeling low when struggling to start a new job from home has added to this.

Also agree it's hard for young people/new starters learning the ropes.

I can hear zoom calls and phone calls reverberating all over the house about things I have no interest in and frankly no business hearing

I think that confidentiality - or lack thereof - is a major problem with WFH in many sectors and areas of business.

My other problem is that I have teenage children at home, and deal with some jobs that are highly confidential (I'm SC cleared) and some which have upsetting details in. I can't ban my children from the kitchen, there is nowhere else to work and I refuse to restrict my children's use of their own home. In theory they should not be able to listen to anything I'm doing and wouldn't be able to bring friends back. How is that fair on them?

@NothingIsWrong

My other problem is that I have teenage children at home, and deal with some jobs that are highly confidential (I'm SC cleared) and some which have upsetting details in. I can't ban my children from the kitchen, there is nowhere else to work and I refuse to restrict my children's use of their own home. In theory they should not be able to listen to anything I'm doing and wouldn't be able to bring friends back. How is that fair on them?

We had the situation during the first lockdown that Dd was in her final year at the same school that Dh teaches in. Luckily we have a big house but there were often times when we had to ask her to keep away when Dh was discussing confidential matters with regards to her classmates or her teachers.

[quote LumosSolem]@OvaHere you've made a good point actually, about lack of incidental exercise. I've gone up 1-2 dress sizes during the pandemic. I used to walk a lot when i was working in the office- on my lunch break, go catch the bus after work. It's not all WFH- I just started eating/drinking more because of feeling low during the first lockdown. But it's not helped. And feeling low when struggling to start a new job from home has added to this. [/quote]
I think we don't always realise how it adds up. DH used to walk to the bus, walk to the train then walk to the office. The same in reverse at the end of the day plus a small walk to grab lunch and perhaps walking around the building and up and down stairs.

WFH is very sedentary unless you consciously think about it and are self disciplined enough to factor in deliberate exercise. He was pretty good in the first lockdown about making time for the government approved one walk per day but 2 years on that has slipped. He does cycle on a weekend so hopefully that counteracts it a bit.

Sorry you've been feeling shit, I think many are in the same boat.

My colleagues love it, however they were all established in the role prior to March 2020. I started in the role in the August, and it has been horrific getting to the point of competency. Not even sure I will ever get there, and I most certainly do not feel like I am part of a team.

So it all has a lot of variables.

Next thread up. Plan b no longer required, so wfh guidance gone, folks complaining they don’t want to go in and their employers are unreasonable to make them do so.

Well I'm currently "working" from home and have just read all 7 pages of this thread, so the increased productivity argument certainly doesn't apply to me!

Pretty much everyone I know hates it - I only really see anyone being positive about WFH online.

Not much longer or I will be digging up our patio ......

What I don’t understand is why people do who have small houses, young kids or lots of kids?
We have a small house. It has 5 of us in - 2 adults and 3 kids primary age. We both WFH now as been told to. (I only work school hours and look after kids after school)
Where do we put 2 desks? Every bedroom is very tight with beds and a wardrobe or similar? It’s very neat here but the desk has to go on the dining table which is totally unsuitable when the kids are at home as phone calls need to be made and received often.
Other options are the 2 kids bedrooms as our bedroom is only big enough for a double bed and wardrobe. A desk won’t fit.
Fine for a short emergency but this is coming on nearly 2 years wiry only a small break and it’s impossible!

What to people do not why

My guess (nothing more than that) is March sometime. I'd hope it is for good but realise that won't happen.

@balalake1

My guess (nothing more than that) is March sometime. I'd hope it is for good but realise that won't happen.

Why would you think plan b would be in place for another three months, when the government is already under pressure to remove it and omicron seems to be plateauing?

@Bluntness100 Omicron in London maybe plateauing, but come the time of the next decision (late January) there may be the full impact of any increase in hospitalisation (hope none of course).

I'm also recognising that Mr Johnson takes weeks to make a decision to change anything.

I'm done with teaching, thankless crappy job that it is. Please give me some hints about which employers / roles allow at least partial WFH.

[quote balalake1]@Bluntness100 Omicron in London maybe plateauing, but come the time of the next decision (late January) there may be the full impact of any increase in hospitalisation (hope none of course).

I'm also recognising that Mr Johnson takes weeks to make a decision to change anything.[/quote]
And of course it's a very high plateau.

Which is shit because permanent full-time WFH is bad for society and the economy.