Benefits of working from home?

[Chillychangchoo]

So I’ve been offered a new job which will be working from home. I’m a little bit nervous about working from home as it just seems totally alien to me. I come from a pastoral secondary school environment so as you can imagine it’s go go all the time, without a minutes peace.

This new job is also a lot higher paid and related to the degree I’ve not long finished.

I’m hoping that I love it, but worried I’ll end up a bit distracted. Any tips?

Lonely, hard to connect with new colleagues, disconnected.

I am as insular as they come and I’ve struggled, so much so that my team is still wfh but I’ve gone back because there will be at least some people in the office.

It’s way cheaper, no stressful commute, car does 1/5 of the miles it used to, the house is cleaner and I eat less processed food.

Love it, but I was hybrid working before COVID.

For it to work you need your own office set up, don't have random relatives dropping in for a chat and an office base as a hub that you can get to when needed.

My role is very deadline driven so I can't be distracted at those times. other times I'm distracted as much as I would be in the office, like now...

For me: less involvement in office politics/drama, no commute, being able to concentrate better, no petrol costs, I eat healthier, don't spend money during lunch

@FTEngineerM

That’s what I’m worried about. I am literally going from one extreme to the other. I’m just really, really not sure. My commute at the minute is very short so that’s not really an issue for me.

I guess I’ll try it.... the salary will be the highest I’ve ever earnt. if it doesn’t work out I can always go back to working in a secondary school I suppose.

The healthier lunch is a bonus!..... I bloody hate being unsure about things, drives me mad!

I love wfh. For me the benefits are:
No commute which saves time and money
No work wardrobe
Not spending the day grumbling about air con, windows or heating.
Eating better
Near to a loo that's free (May not be on everyone's list I know)
Peace and quiet.
Can put the washing on before I start etc.

You do have to be focused and treat it as if you were out of the house so no just doing jobs or just having a quick visit during working time.

I absolutely love it. Pros for me are -

• I can get loads of little chores done while waiting for the kettle to boil. Just things like putting the laundry on or emptying the dishwasher
• Can start on dinner as soon as I finish (sometimes prepped at lunch so it’s even quicker)
• No time wasted on a commute
• No money wasted on a commute
• No temptation to spend £6 a day on lunch from Pret
• Watch TV at lunch if you fancy it
• Have a nap at lunch if you had a little too much wine the night before
• No having to look presentable if I don’t have calls
• Lie ins until 8.55 if I need it
• Always at home for parcels
• No having to make small talk in the toilets or the kitchen
• Less office politics
• No having to sign 5 birthday cards a week
• No struggle to book a meeting room for client calls

I went into the office yesterday just to catch up with a few people and honestly I found it exhausting!

My DP has started a completely different new job wfh and he’s struggled with getting to know people, I suppose I was lucky in that I had already been there 4 years so could call people up and have a chat/feel comfortable.

Definitely do it, especially if you’ve worked hard to get the degree, congratulations!

Either way it’ll be exciting.

I love it. No awful commute and I have a much or as little interaction with my team as I want. No distractions and saving myself a fortune. I never want to go back to the office.

I've wfh since 1995, plus a couple of years when I lived in the USA.

When I've got my head down working I find it less distracting than being in an office, much more efficient. The main downside can be that it's isolating and less social - that's improved over the last year as everyone else has been wfh too so the online communications are now better.

Personally I like doing some work in the evening, especially as most of the team are in the US, but you do need to know how to shut the office door or turn off the machine at the weekend.

Oh yes I’m loving all of these. The free toilet (and especially your own) is a huge bonus, why didn’t I think of that?

The peace and quiet is going to be amazing. Secondary schools are SO loud.

Thanks all, yes I’m going to go for it. Just daunting as it will be a completely different experience.

Ring doorbell so you can screen "visitors" a flask if your busy or a kettle by you have everything you need nearby so a dedicated area to work with all your work stuff at if all else fails write lists of priorities daily tasks to keep yourself on task

I started wfh in the pandemic but also changed to a new job in that time. For the most part I enjoy wfh, but it can be a little isolating.

I would give yourself the expectation that the role will take longer to learn than in person. I started working with all new systems and processes, and it has taken me 8 months to feel fully up to speed. I would have expected around 5-6 months in an office environment. I haven't met any colleagues yet, but have good working relationships with them. God advice I got from one of the managers was, when you start collaborating with someone new, take the time to call them to introduce yourself, this will help start things on the right foot as tone can get lost in email.

Pros of wfh
Zero travel costs
Cheap lunch
Can do small household tasks on breaks, laundry etc. meaning you get ahead
Wear whatever you want
Get up later

I personally love it but I do find it hard to stay focused - I have ADHD though which doesn’t help matters in that department of course

I hate having to spend time out of my day getting ready for work, organising clothes for work, getting to and from work etc. The less time spent on that per week the better.

I’m fairly introverted so am happier not having to have all the chit chats etc but some people love that so it just depends on you as a person! I also find it easier to communicate via email/teams because I can think more clearly about what I want to say rather than in a spoken conversation.

It suits some and not others is basically the most of it!

I think it suits some people a lot and others not at all.

I like it in theory, but actually if I do it for more than the odd day I end up miserable. I'm not a particularly sociable person but it turns out that I do need some contact with others, even if I don't want it. I'm also not very good at applying myself at home, unless on a tight deadline. I struggle to accept that vast numbers of people are more efficient wfh, I know I'm not.

It's also very difficult to contribute to the wider team, to build a network or to benefit from colleagues' knowledge and experience, although not impossible.

I was part of an experiment in a large corporate bank in the early 2000s, when the technology was first becoming available, where some teams wfh. It was a disaster for mental health and scrapped after a year.

It is nice to save the commuting costs, have an extra hours or two and be able to put the washing out etc in a five min break. Plus it makes it much easier for deliveries or having work done at home.

I'd jump at the chance for a job that allowed plenty of wfh, but not one where I didn't have a desk to go to when I wanted it.

I switch between loving working from home and hating it. There are so many pros- I can walk the dogs in my lunch break, do bits of shopping, the dogs are not alone for too long, I can do quick jobs around the house, it doesn't matter if my hair isn't washed etc. i finish at 4.30 and have a quick nap before sorting tea as I sleep terribly at night. However I do feel isolated and lonely. Once we return to the office I hope to do a mix.

Thank you all. I’m going to go for it, I’ll see how I get on.

I love wfh but have been doing it for 15+ years. My job has self paced deadlines which I think makes a big difference and it is totally flexible so as long as the job is done my manager doesn't mind if I go away for a week here and there. There is no presenteeism or need to be seen to be online.

Things that work well are getting little chores done during the week. Building up a group of other people in similar positions who you can meet for coffee/ walk. It is great if you order stuff online as you don't need to take time off.

I like WFH but would never do it permanently.

As a new starter you’ll be practically invisible.

I love it. Can drop the kids at school and have a coffee in my local cafe whilst logging on. Only need to get up in time for school run. Worked in the City for 17 yrs - 5 days in the office. Don't miss it one but.

*bit. Not buts!

No buts!! Bloody hell. Fat fingers.

I switch between loving working from home and hating it

Me too, a hybrid approach going forward would be my preferred option. Its certainly more convenient in terms of no commute, if you don't feel too great you have the comfort of home without having to take a day off etc. But I find it lonely, hard to connect with new colleagues, and like you can never escape work, there's no differentiation.

I've been wfh for the past year (having never done it before) and it's been mainly positive.

The big pros are saving time and money on commuting and being able to go for a run in the mornings before I start work (I have fairly flexible hours so it's fine to start at 9.30 rather than 9 unless I have a meeting). I also like having lunch with DH (who's also wfh at the moment).

The main con is that some things are less effective online rather than face to face.

I worked from home pre-pandemic but always have had the opportunity to go into offices and meet people face to face at various points. I think starting a new job wfh is far more difficult than moving to wfh when you already know colleagues etc.