wfh - how strict are you with routine?

[YellowDahlia]

I recently started a new job - I've moved from PT to FT and also there's a lot more working from home involved. I do enjoy some of the benefits of this (relaxed clothing, no rushing out in the mornings, better coffee 🙂 etc) but I'm also getting a bit hacked off with sitting for such a long time and staring into a laptop for such a large part of my day, which just doesn't happen in an office - there are interruptions from colleagues, you go in search of a file, meetings to walk to etc etc.

So, on an average or quieter working day, outwith meetings or deadlines, do you sit and work ALL DAY no matter what? Or do you sometimes spend a bit longer at lunch, or take care of some household chores or life admin, bearing in mind that if you were in the office the equivalent would be having a good old chat with colleagues, or nipping out for lunch or whatever ie time away from a screen even though it's a working day. And also taking into account there will be also be busier days when you probably will be flat out with meetings or deadlines or whatever. It's all a balance, right?

I feel a bit guilty when it takes me too long to hang the washing, or if my parents pop in to drop something off and we have a chat! If this was you would you a) take the time off your lunch hour or b) forget about it - you will likely end up working late some other day so it will all balance out

I'm just curious really about what other people's attitudes are - I need to make wfh work for me, and adjust to full time hours, but if it means being chained to my laptop for the next however many years then I think I'll be miserable...

do you sit and work ALL DAY no matter what?

Sorry no😂 not me. A lot of people on MN seem to be very strict when it comes to WFH yet everyone I know in real life that works from home are super lax like me.

I'm currently on maternity leave but when I was WFH I'd often have a nap here and there, pop to the shops, do work whilst on the phone/ft to my friends. My auntie works from home and she'll often do a lot of gardening during working hours too. My work always gets done and I always prioritise meetings/deadlines but I definitely do not work all day. I'll always take longer than 1hr for my lunch too.

My manager does the same thing tbh😂 one time I called him and he was in the garden playing with his niece. As long I don't go off of MT for too long then it isn't a problem! I'd never leave early tho, always stay online until my shift is over

I get to do what you are supposed that do in an office. Move away from the screen regularly, move my back regularly, drink and eat away from my desk. All that good stuff.

I am self employed though, does that make a difference? 😊

I must have done a lot more work in the office previously than a lot of other people did because there’s absolutely no slack in my workload for naps, popping out and gardening. I sometimes do quick chores that take up to 10 minutes like emptying the dishwasher and bunging on laundry, but otherwise I’m working on the computer or on phone or Teams calls. That’s the norm in my team. And yeah, it’s a bit shit, so is one of the reasons we’re all pleased to be back in the office a couple of days a week now to do the more face-to-face interactive work that’s been hard to replicate.

Wow I would like one of your jobs! What are they!?

I'm pretty strict but I do spend a lot of my time in meetings so I have no option but to be there. Once or twice a week I do block out a solid hour for lunch and keep to it.

Everyone I know is super lax too.

That’s why everything is taking longer… 😆’because of covid’

Im new to it so I am very strict yes.

I do what Bobbin describes, 10 minutes for chucking a wash in, empty the dishwasher etc.
30 minutes for lunch, 10 minute morning break to put the washing out, 10 minute break in the afternoon to make a coffee and stretch my legs, finish between 4.30-5.
I log on at around 8.30 check schedule and emails.

But I love it!

Im appreciating my lovely house, it’s cleaner, neater and in this gorgeous weather aired with windows opened.
I love comfy clothes, not spending fortunes on a shop bought sandwich, being able to do the school run if my schedule allows. Today I did a TEAMs parents evening which I usually miss!
Up at 6 and a lovely bath with a podcast before work!
Bliss, just bliss. I love it!

I wouldn't count as a 'break' from work anything that takes < 2 minutes, like getting cup of tea, pop to loo, letting cat out.

I would count hanging out laundry or emptying dishwasher as not-work time.

I try to find reasons to get up and go do < 2 minute breaks. Feels like my blood is congealing otherwise.

I get up, make drinks, hang washing, make the odd quick call but don't take the piss. In fact more often than not I tend to be at my computer a bit earlier/later than I officially should be.

@BobbinHood

I must have done a lot more work in the office previously than a lot of other people did because there’s absolutely no slack in my workload for naps, popping out and gardening. I sometimes do quick chores that take up to 10 minutes like emptying the dishwasher and bunging on laundry, but otherwise I’m working on the computer or on phone or Teams calls. That’s the norm in my team. And yeah, it’s a bit shit, so is one of the reasons we’re all pleased to be back in the office a couple of days a week now to do the more face-to-face interactive work that’s been hard to replicate.

I'm the same in relation to how I WFH. I'm not back in the office though, as my job is permanent WFH.

Sometimes I don't even take lunch, let alone extra. That's a bad habit of mine, caused by getting distracted by 'just one more thing'.

No, I hang out laundry, tidy toddler detritus, go for walks, today I went for a swim. My productivity is still high and my end of year review was excellent.

I try to move away from my screen for 5-10 minutes every hour, otherwise I get totally drained from staring at a screen but most days are too busy so I only actually manage to step away around 3 times. In an ideal world I would go downstairs at 5 to the hour put the kettle on, load the washing machine, back to my desk with a brew, hour or so later similar but wash the breakfast dishes etc. I try really hard to take a lunch break when wfh, I manage about 50% of the time, and take the dog for a walk round the block during that, I'm much more productive with regular screen breaks, unfortunately I regularly have back to back meetings that make it unrealistic. Doing the odd job for 5-10 minutes an hour seems perfectly reasonable, I can't believe sone people have jobs where they can take naps or do gardening, that's so lucky!

@FTEngineerM

Everyone I know is super lax too.

That’s why everything is taking longer… 😆’because of covid’

The problem with everyone taking the piss is that eventually employers will get sick of it and make everyone go back in.

I love WFH. I hang the washing out, put a load on, nip to the shop, make numerous cups of tea but I also need to justify my day. I have no interest in returning to our office FT but the usual suspects swinging the lead will spoil it for everyone.

We are all managed by results not how long we stare at a laptop for. There is no doubt that we get more down at home so can afford to take a lunch break etc.

Time in the office is more scattered with talking to people are getting ready for the next projects.

Anyone who cares how many hours you send looking at a screen rather than how much you get done each day didn't great as a manager, are they? .

I am pretty much fixed to my laptop from 8:40 til 5 every day, I mostly take 30 mins for lunch but not every day. I have little breaks for the loo and to make coffee but we are so busy I can't do housework, unload the dishwasher, do gardening or have a bloody nap and even if I could I wouldn't!! And I'm public sector so will no doubt be accused of not knowing what busy actually is!

Those worried about people being lax, in my experience or works both ways. They're are days I do over my hours, today being one of them. So no, I don't feel bad if I pop to the shop. I work flexitime though so it's kind of a balance.

I just feel too guilty if I don’t put on the hours.

It’s a whole new world!!

Not very strict at all, as long as my work is done my boss doesn't care! I often take longer lunches, go out to the shops, hang washing out, have a shower etc if I'm ahead on my work

If I'm not busy I'll take some more time for laundry and life admin - I wouldn't, for example, take an afternoon off at local shopping mall. I get the work done that I need to get done.

My workload dictates that I sit for too (when working, am currently off sick) so I try to make myself get up to move. Eg if I have 5 mins between teams meetings then I make a drink and run up and down the stairs to get blood flowing. I’d never dream of adding that time into a working day, just like walking to the kettle in the office is part of the day.

Other things: washing, other chores, longer lunch, etc depend on your attitude to working over your hours. Do you clock off dead on 5 (or whenever your day ends) and not start early? If yes then you’re taking the piss by taking a long lunch. If you work over, clear emails at night, start early some mornings, then absolutely do things like take a long lunch or break to hang out washing as you’re just shifting your day to a routine that works for you.

I was lucky to have a motivated team who worked over so I encouraged them to do what they needed to for their life (go for a cycle during a sunny afternoon; do the school run; whatever). Had I had a team that never gave me extra I wouldn’t have been so accommodating. It was never a case of checking what they were doing though, and neither days nor weeks needed to rally in hours worked, just an acceptance it was give and take on both sides.

Those 5-10 min chats with colleagues are not the same as you hanging washing out on your own though as colleague interaction builds morale which is valuable to your job, hanging washing out is useful to you and I’d never begrudge someone in my team doing it, but it’s not the same at all.

I do quick chores - hang the washing out etc. Sometimes I also put dinner on if it’s something like bolognese that cooks for a while; as we eat quite early with DD. That doesn’t take me very long though and I have my work phone with me.

It balances out, because when necessary I start earlier, work through lunch, finish late etc. The work gets done, sometimes it just doesn’t need 7.5 hours, so I’ll only do 7. But if it needs 8.5 hours, I’ll do that. My work is quite cyclical across a month, so start of the month is very very busy, end of the month there’s fairly consistent quieter days. I don’t sit staring at the laptop for the sake of it if there’s nothing that needs doing.

do you sit and work ALL DAY no matter what?

Some days yes

Some days I take breaks and watch to, go for a walk, to the gym

My work is about outputs not timesheets so I do what I need to but also look after myself, my well-being and my work-life balance.

I take breaks to hang out washing, have a quick chat with DP, make a cuppa. I also go for a walk before work as I walk or cycle to work on the days I'm in the office. I always take a full hour for lunch, sometimes longer so I can go for a run.
Before we got Teams I would do catch ups with colleagues on the phone and go for a walk at the same time.
I still prefer being in the office though, where I get to talk to people and just move more to go and get a coffee, go to the loo, have a face to face meeting.

In my current job I do a lot less…

Last WFH job I was constantly working loads as there was too much for me (dept then split and another PA started). I honestly barely got breaks and lunches but I took them. Literally 5 mins to make tea though and 1 hour to have lunch/walk. In fact I was told to take more breaks so did a 15 minute exercise class in mornings.

Yes, I work all day. That’s what I’m employed to do

I try to take a five minute break every hour, as you’re supposed to do when working on a screen, and use this time to put a wash on/ hang it out to dry/ make a cup of tea. To me this is the equivalent (time-wise) of having a few minutes chat with a colleague in the office. But I wouldn’t take any longer, and I wouldn’t be calling or FaceTiming people while I’m working - that’s just taking the piss! Plus I wouldn’t be able to focus on my work while chatting.

I am quite tightly constrained by the school run / after school club pickups meaning that I can’t just work late to catch up, unless I log in later in the evening (which I hate doing). So I focus on getting work done during my working hours.