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?

As a new starter you’ll be practically invisible.

Not necessarily. If the company/team is any good, people will make extra effort to 'reach out to you' ... quite an appropriate term in this context, for once.

Just think about how to do the 'starting a new job' thing while WFH.

I started a new job recently and did a few things to help myself settle in...

I arranged 30 min 'virtual coffees' with quite a few people - anyone I would be working with, heads of other departments, a couple of the senior management team. This gave me time to get to meet them, understand their background and their roles/what I can do in my role to add value to them. That worked well to not only understand the business better from the off but also to get that visibility.

Often they would say 'oh...while you're doing these coffees you should absolutely meet X person'. So it helped to grow a network while WFH.

When I met a couple of people I 'clicked with' I made an effort to have video chats with them to talk things through when possible.

I also volunteered for one or two extra curricular type things where I'd be on meetings with people which also helped visibility and network wise.

I guess what I'm saying is be proactive in making sure you aren't invisible and isolated.

Don't leave this up to other people, it's too important to leave it to luck / having a manager that thinks about this for you.

No commute! That has made a huge difference to me! I don't live many miles from work but the traffic is/was awful so could take up to 50 mins of stop start. I would be exhausted when I got home but now I'm using my evenings for tennis, outdoor fitness - it has been life changing!

@ErrolTheDragon

As a new starter you’ll be practically invisible.

Not necessarily. If the company/team is any good, people will make extra effort to 'reach out to you' ... quite an appropriate term in this context, for once.

I agree. I've never set foot in our office and just accepted a promotion

I’m not worried about being invisible, it’s a mental health charity and they do lots of online meet ups specifically keeping mental health in mind.

I started an entirely new wfh job so I’ve never met my colleagues face to face, it’s weird but you just kind of adapt with zoom and all.

For me the benefits are
Less distracted- yes I’m at home but there is less chit chat to get involved in
No commuting so it’s cheaper
Can sleep in later
Less beholden to that office environment, I.e. if you need a break from your screen you can easily get up and walk away for a bit without having to justify yourself
Better good, lunch at home
End up home earlier at the end of the day
From a childcare point of view it’s a game changer, both parties at home for dinner and bedtime
Some days you don’t have to change out of PJ bottoms as no one can see what you’re wearing lol
Easier for things like doctors appointments if you need one
At home for deliveries
Less office politics

Honestly OP the list goes on xx

@Chillychangchoo

I’m not worried about being invisible, it’s a mental health charity and they do lots of online meet ups specifically keeping mental health in mind.

I used to work for a MH charity, ironically it was the most toxic place I have ever worked. I'm sure it won't be for you, but the advice about also being pro active is good.

I hate it!

The only pro is being able to get up later/no make up/hair up/comfy clothes.

I missed the office so much when we all had to WFH, I enjoy my commute in the car with my music on, I love the people I work with (constant laughs and annoying each other but in the best way).

I have depression and anxiety so when my routine is turned upside down, I suffer, not having that human interaction and getting out of the same 4 walls for 8 hours a day did my head in.

Just to add, another pro is like a PP mentioned, can prep dinner at lunch, run hoover round if necessary and keep chores up to date.

Including my commute I'm out the house 7-7 so I often leave housework until a Saturday when my whole Saturday is filled with laundry and housework (obviously I clean kitchen, toilet etc throughout the week) but the bulk is less whilst working from home.

It's not for everyone but it works well for some people x

if your busy or a kettle by you have everything you need nearby

I disagree. In fact keep your kettle as far away as possible.
The huge shock is going to be how sedentary your work becomes, so build in reasons to get moving (like cups of tea must be fetched elsewhere).

WFH cut my calorie expenditure by 300-400/day

I hate it, it’s driving me to breaking point for all the reasons that other people love it!

There’s always a ‘job’ the needs doing around the house. The dishwasher, popping a load of washing on, sorting said washing to dry, picking odd bits up, then you’ve had lunch so you need to empty the dishwasher to start loading it up again. It’s the same shit each day, going round and round in circles.

I’m on my own all day, every day. DH has gone back “out” to work so I’m all on my own. There’s no one to chat to and no one from work wants to make an effort to keep in touch with anyone else.

In my breaks I’m watching TV or going on my phone (when I’m not doing the above jobs!) so it’s more screen time.

There’s never an opportunity to get something really nice for lunch.

It’s just the same shit every day. In your position though, I’d probably do it for the pay rise!

@lljkk

if your busy or a kettle by you have everything you need nearby

I disagree. In fact keep your kettle as far away as possible.
The huge shock is going to be how sedentary your work becomes, so build in reasons to get moving (like cups of tea must be fetched elsewhere).

WFH cut my calorie expenditure by 300-400/day

Yes to this. Get a timer or a fitness tracker type of watch to nag you to stand up and move around for a few minutes each hour.

Of course, everyone and their work is different but I often find the solution to a problem bubbles up from my subconscious when I take a few minutes for a brew and maybe a bit of weeding or deadheading in the garden.

I spent from July to December wfh. July to September wasn't too bad because I could get out and about but the autumn (especially with the lockdowns) saw my physical fitness take a nosedive. That was the biggest drawback.

Thank you all. @Peppapeg nothing I’m not used too then 🤦‍♀️. I’ve worked all over the health/social care sector/education and retail. I can honestly say they were all “toxic” in their own unique way.

At least if you’re wfh you can distance yourself physically from bad vibes!

@Chillychangchoo

Thank you all. *@Peppapeg* nothing I’m not used too then 🤦‍♀️. I’ve worked all over the health/social care sector/education and retail. I can honestly say they were all “toxic” in their own unique way.

At least if you’re wfh you can distance yourself physically from bad vibes!

Yes and no, thing is you cannot 'escape' your work environment as there's no physical disconnect between home and the office.

@Peppapeg

I think that boundary very much depends on the nature and responsibility of your WFH role. In the role that I’m going into, once my laptop is shut, my day has ended. I can see how that boundary could get blurred if you held super amounts of responsibility.
It’s up to the individual to put that boundary in place, and I’ve always been very good at that. Plenty of people who work in schools come home and start their work again, I never did.

I’ll enjoy not being in close proximity to toxic staff members. I can literally feel their negativity in the room 🤦‍♀️. So that will be nice.

@Chillychangchoo what is the role and what was your degree if you don't mind me asking... I'm doing a degree at mo with the original idea being to work in a pastoral role in a school but the pandemic has shown me I'd actually quite like to work from home but I don't know where to start with looking for a related job from home.

@Aria20

Health and social care degree. Have a look at charityjob.co.uk.

Good luck 🤞

I love it. No office politics, the temperature is how I like it, no harsh office lights, no commute, I can wear what I want, I save money in both petrol and no frittering away money in the shops, I can have a proper lunch time without being asked questions. For me there are no negatives.

Thank you!!