Anyone else have to clock in & out when working from home?

[brokenkettle]

Just started a job, currently working from home, that requires me to clock in and out. I know this is probably really silly but it's causing me a lot of stress because I feel like I need to be constantly in front of the computer during those hours, even though if I were in the office I'd be talking to other people etc and not constantly sitting down staring at the screen. I rarely have urgent work, so it's not like I need to be constantly available.

My previous WFH job did not require this and I felt much less pressure to be constantly at the computer - I would spend a bit of time with my child before & after school without guilt or rushing. Now it just feels very stressful to do so, like I'm being monitored or lying about my working hours! It's having a negative impact on my family as I end up grumpy and stressed, feeling like my child is imposing on work (when really it's probably the other way around...).

Am I being irrational? Does anyone else feel this way? Should I just stop overthinking this and spend the time with my child, go for a walk/exercise etc??

I work from home and every minute is monitored by what code we are in on the systems. You'd hate it. We have to go into a code to go to the toilet. And that has a set amount of time per day too.

My job is outcome based too but with a lot of meetings where you are supposed to be present and contributing. But it is emphasised that we need screen breaks - so if you needed to answer the door/go to the loo/grab a drink during a meeting you'd type your apologies into the chat.

Ha! In my work we have a time tracker where we have to input each bit of work we do to a 15 minute increment. This was in place before WFH. It’s incredibly stressful when you have children coming in and out of the equation (dm doesn’t seem to realise I’m actually working while she looks after dc in the house). But the employer now lets us work very flexibly, whenever we want really as long as we do our contracted hours. I sometimes take time to put a wash on, but I don’t take the piss as I realise I get a good deal to wfh and I don’t want them to take that away.

[quote Sjdmcfeet]@Dancingsmile
In the office I did less , come in at 9am.wat breakfast staet work at 10 , 11 coffee, 12:30 lunch , 2pm coffee and home normally at 4pm
Everybody was same in our office , I'm not doing 8 hours work a day thats slave labour[/quote]
God almighty how embarrassing that you're happy to admit to being this lazy and workshy.
Some of us don't mind actually working for a living

Hahah why do people work for these awful companies that don’t allow walks of breaks fucking hell!

Even when I was at the office I’d sometimes just jump out for a stroll to clear my head or have chats with others in the kitchen etc. My manager doesn’t care once I get my job done

Some days are super busy and some are more relaxed so you can take more breaks this days etc

I have to agree that it’s a ridiculous Policy to essentially have people chained to their computer for the contracted hours
And I wouldn’t chose to work anywhere so strict

Christ - reading some of these is shocking - having to let them know you are going to the toilet?

I login to the flexi system on my laptop much like i would if I were in the office. I have never worked so hard as I have done during the pandemic. I barely have time to go the toilet never mind go for a walk or watch a film.

@Fupoffyagrasshole I don't have to say I'm going to the loo but I do have to click a code or I would be getting calls through and not answering them. It has to be strict - imagine if you rang say BT and there was nobody answering because they had all gone for a walk/to the toilet/have a chat!

@Teapotsandtablecloths

I work from home and every minute is monitored by what code we are in on the systems. You'd hate it. We have to go into a code to go to the toilet. And that has a set amount of time per day too.

Jesus. My advice is get an new employer. That is messed up.

@Rno3gfr

Ha! In my work we have a time tracker where we have to input each bit of work we do to a 15 minute increment. This was in place before WFH. It’s incredibly stressful when you have children coming in and out of the equation (dm doesn’t seem to realise I’m actually working while she looks after dc in the house). But the employer now lets us work very flexibly, whenever we want really as long as we do our contracted hours. I sometimes take time to put a wash on, but I don’t take the piss as I realise I get a good deal to wfh and I don’t want them to take that away.

People can do their contracted hours and their job without being subjected to that kind of intrusiveness. In fact there's good evidence that staff are more productice and more more loyal (increasing business value and lowering costs) when they are given autonomy and treated with respect.

[quote PawsQueen]@Fupoffyagrasshole I don't have to say I'm going to the loo but I do have to click a code or I would be getting calls through and not answering them. It has to be strict - imagine if you rang say BT and there was nobody answering because they had all gone for a walk/to the toilet/have a chat!

[/quote]
That actually happened all the time, even before Covid.

@Fupoffyagrasshole

Hahah why do people work for these awful companies that don’t allow walks of breaks fucking hell!

Even when I was at the office I’d sometimes just jump out for a stroll to clear my head or have chats with others in the kitchen etc. My manager doesn’t care once I get my job done

Some days are super busy and some are more relaxed so you can take more breaks this days etc

I have to agree that it’s a ridiculous Policy to essentially have people chained to their computer for the contracted hours
And I wouldn’t chose to work anywhere so strict

Exactly. If people refused this behaviour and left to even average employers then it would stop. It's similar to abusive relationships: it perpetuates because people put up with it.

I bill my time to projects which is a bit different than clocking in and out. You should still be putting in a full days work from home whatever that means for your job. It’s not efficient to sit at your computer without breaks. In an office environment, getting up once an hour and getting a cup of tea or even just walking the halls is encouraged because it improves productivity. You should be taking those same kinds of short productivity breaks at home. They just might involve throwing in a load of wash instead of chatting with a coworker.

Big breaks like playing with the kid’s or going for a walk in the neighborhood are probably worthy of clocking out and clocking back in when you return. Alternatively, plenty of people in the office might decide they need a break and go for a walk or a coffee and just stay late that evening. So depending on how seriously your company takes the timekeeping, you can just log your time as solid blocks, even if you are working a little more flexibly. Just make sure you are working as much time as you report.

That's a shame. My company encourages regular time away from desks if needed as long as we get our work done.

[quote Sjdmcfeet]@Dancingsmile
In the office I did less , come in at 9am.wat breakfast staet work at 10 , 11 coffee, 12:30 lunch , 2pm coffee and home normally at 4pm
Everybody was same in our office , I'm not doing 8 hours work a day thats slave labour[/quote]
“I'm not doing 8 hours work a day thats slave labour….” Slave Labour?
Thank God you don’t work for me. This is why people need to go back to the office. 👀

We do have to clock on/off as such - we have to book on a system to show what time we start, take lunch and finish. But this is the case in the office also so just the same at home - but this is also public sector (civilian)

Yes, we are tracked from the minute I press the button to log in from the minute is sign out.. it knows if I’m on break/inactive/personal time whatever. It’s hard work.
Mine is an outbound based call centre and it’s tough going. We are expected to sit there and keep banging out one call after another like battery hens. My job is also for a large institution in this country soo can’t imagine things changing anytime soon.
If I wasn’t pregnant and due to go off in sept I would have sacked it off by now..

My teams goal is to get a certain amount of reports out each day. As long as that's happening, we don't have 'you must sit at your desk policy'.

Many of us would travel around the country anyway, pre pandemic. So we could spend a portion of our day, not available on our computers anyway.

We do all say morning in teams and there's general chat in teams. Questions, clarifications, moans, jokes etc. Then we do all say night as we log off. Though I am usually the last to log off, I will say night and carry on working. We do all let eachother know if we are going for lunch.

If someone didn't say morning I usually give them a bit and then call them. Mainly because I am concerned they are OK. My teams have been great at communicating while we are off. So it's unusual for someone to not message. My priority isn't that they are at their desk all day, but the work is done as well as them being OK. If they hadn't have shown up at the office as expected I would have called them. Also if they are travelling I call them to make sure they arrived safe.

If someone logs on late because they burnt their toast that's OK. If someone wants a long lunch to meet a friend that's OK too.

We all have mobiles so if something urgent happens and they are hanging the washing out or prepping their dinner, it's fine.

When we were in the office more, we would do all this in the office. Say morning, take an occasional long lunch, go for walks at lunchtime, some would nip home and get the washing out.

If I can see someone is Amber or red on teams my presumption is that they are working on something or on a call or stepped away from their desk and just not used teams for bit.

As long as the work is done, it's really not important. My MD treats me the same way. Is the work being done, am I attending meetings I need to etc. Where I am at any given moment is not a concern.

I’m guessing a few of us on this thread work for the same project looking at previous posts..

Thank God you don’t work for me. This is why people need to go back to the office.

But that's person wasn't doing 8 hours in the office. Wether you agree with this person stance or not, that's not because they are working from home. If this persons job allows them to come into the office at 9am but not start until 10am, they didn't do 8 hours work in the office either. So why would they if they were at home?

I do think people forget, that those in offices (usually) did spend a huge amount of time not actually working.

This is exactly why so many people love to work from home and we can't get them back into the bloody office. For lots of people it's a massive skive where they can do what suits them, not their employer. Encouraged to take a 10 min break an hour? Really? Even if we chat at work (I'm in the office) we are still working. A trip to the loo doesn't take 10 mins.

We used to be trusted to get on with it (I’ve always been home based), but recently, with the entire organisation WFH, we’ve moved to time tracking, which means we have to record activity for every minute of the working day
It’s…tedious. Also, previously,when working flexibly, I always went above and beyond, now I do my 7.5h and that’s it, so they’re actually getting less out of me

I have to do this in my job and I think it's reasonable. You're being paid for the hours you work. You sound a bit lazy

I'm a manager with remote workers and I only care that their work is done. I will only monitor after a good length of time without the required results.
I've had people come in on time (leave on time) and get little done and people who come in much later and so half days here and there etc but who are really great and need no checks really.
It depends on the role that you do, however I would not expect someone to sit staring at the screen for 7.5 hours a day. I myself when working remotely would go for a walk etc. However it all depends on if someone else is having to ensure that they are picking up when you are not there.
I presume if you are paid hourly that it is the kind of job where a certain level of monitoring is necessary (to ensure customer service levels perhaps?).
Just don't take the piss!
Which it sounds like some people are, which then reduces the likelihood of companies allowing WFH.
And anyone who thinks 8hrs a day work is slave labour needs to look at the definition of slave labour and get over themselves. Seriously.

@PawsQueen do you work in insurance, @brokenkettle I get were your coming from, at work you go to the loo then the kitchen, wait your turn, have a quick chat, walk back to your desk and start work again - maybe 10 minutes used, then at work have a 5 min chat about TV and about an email you have received. At home you pop downstairs put the kettle on take stuff out the drier and fold, make coffee go upstairs and this takes 5 min but I feel guilty, I log on and start work 20 minutes before I need to to allow for little breaks, my productivity is good as we are measured but my mind struggles with time away from my screen