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...

You cant look at someone who is able to wfh fully flexibly and call it taking the piss. If its possible to get your work done to a high standards and be a good employee and supportive teammate AND have a good quality or life why not!

All that's perfect. However, if it equals working only 50% of your contracted hours, no matter how amazing you are, something's going wrong.

Either you are taking the piss in some way and / or it's an inefficient organisation not managing their resources ie staff, well.

I've a great team member. She's a hard worker & often finishes her tasks ahead of schedule. She'll tell me; and I'll also notice. No problem for her to have an easier afternoon or whatever but we will agree new tasks fairly quickly.

If one is self-employed, well crack on - work as much or as little as you choose, once you are achieving what you want.

That's not been the case for most people on this thread though.

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.

I agree with this.
I am pretty amazed at the high number of people that actually don't work the hours they are paid for. I just assume that is the default, and there is "the odd one" in any organisation that tries to get away with as little as they can. I didn't realise it was wide spread.

I've wfh for years - long before COVID.
I do do things that are useful to me - hang washing out / prep dinner / even go for a walk round the block when I need to but I don't count those times as part of my working hours.
So, if you are asking 'Do I sit at my laptop and never move for 8 hours minus a 30min lunchbreak?' then the answer is no.
If you are asking 'Do you do household jobs or chat with family or neighbours when you are being paid to work?' then the answer is also no.

So I might do 8 hours, spread between 8.30am and 6.30pm, with a variety of breaks to suit me.

Whether wfh or in the office I often wonder what other people must do all day because I every job I've had, in a 35 year career I've always been known as someone who can get through a big workload and get good results and honestly I spend large parts of most days doing very little.

She does work part time....3 days ....as I said in previous post, her salary is pro rata.

Sorry I did miss that.

But the point is the same. You say she gets her work done in half the time & uses the rest of her work time to do chores.

That's not great.
If she works half time & focuses on her DC and house work outside of work, well that's different.

But you were clear it was in work time (and that they all did it).

are you easily offended?
Not massively! I didn't quite like the suggestion that because I work my hours fully, that I'm paid to do, that I'll have regrets over not spending more time with my kids.

But I'm not weeping as I type or anything 🤷🏻‍♀️

B

@Silverclocks

Whether wfh or in the office I often wonder what other people must do all day because I every job I've had, in a 35 year career I've always been known as someone who can get through a big workload and get good results and honestly I spend large parts of most days doing very little.

That's impressive - and unusual 😀

Either you're a genius, or you're not achieving as much as you think. But if it's worked for you for 35 years, you must be doing something right!

@EarringsandLipstick

She does work part time....3 days ....as I said in previous post, her salary is pro rata.

Sorry I did miss that.

But the point is the same. You say she gets her work done in half the time & uses the rest of her work time to do chores.

That's not great.
If she works half time & focuses on her DC and house work outside of work, well that's different.

But you were clear it was in work time (and that they all did it).

are you easily offended?
Not massively! I didn't quite like the suggestion that because I work my hours fully, that I'm paid to do, that I'll have regrets over not spending more time with my kids.

But I'm not weeping as I type or anything 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yes she works 3 days....but completes her work in 4 hours ( is contracted for 7.5hrs) ....like I said , all her colleagues are more or less the same, as is her manager.....long may it last she says....but if it doesn’t, she will just be thankful for the last 2 years....that said....the lease on the office premises has not been renewed so very likely WFH will be permanent. I actually said ‘ you MAY or MAY NOT have regrets.....I would never assume. I actually can’t see why it bothers people so much....What other people do......so many 😇s on here tonight

I actually can’t see why it bothers people so much....What other people do......so many 😇s on here tonight

I'm really not sure what you mean? It's a discussion. What your DD does, doesn't really bother me. But it's hardly a recommendation to do half your contracted hours, she's just landed a handy number.

There's no great need for the snide 😇 either.

I'm far from that, for sure, but yes, I probably do feel working your core hours is a fairly basic thing to do. As a PP said, not a strict 7.5 or whatever hours straight through, but getting the hours done over say, 10 hours.

Again what sort of jobs are these where yiu can get the work done in 4 hours?

I need a career change and flexible working from home would be ace (I have to work every minute of my time plus work for free on top!)

I've been wfh for years now, pre-covid and all, and have always taken it as a proper work day, tho I get what you mean about having time for chores thrown in the mix. I view it as a privilege and responsibility to be able to wfh and so always ensure deadlines are met, meetings are professional, and no messing about when things need doing, but when there's down time I've been able to nip out or do things around the house as I can.

But I don't get paid to do housework, so that's very much a secondary consider to my days.

*consideration

I seem to have sparked quite a debate... It's really interesting to hear everyone's perspectives though.

@BeanStew22 I'm thinking along similar lines - investigating a standing desk at least, but might have a think about an aerobic step, interesting suggestion!

I wish I could do a 'commute' walk @purplesequins, I like that idea. I used to walk each morning before starting my old job but that's when I could log on at 10am - at the moment DD2 leaves for school at 8.45 and then I've got to start at 9am. She'll move up to high school after the summer though and her day will start much earlier, so I could perhaps do that in a few months. At the moment I try to walk or garden at lunchtimes, but there's definitely something to be said for a 'commute' at the start and end of each working day to get your head into the right space.

@CowboyFromHell I definitely agree with this. I'm still quite new in my role, so I think my full workload is still building up - but I really hope it doesn't get to the point where I'm glued to the chair and screen all day with hardly any breaks like some are describing, I think I'd really struggle with that.

It's about making time for your wellbeing in a working day I think, as others have said - whether that's grabbing chances throughout the day to keep on top of housework or sitting for 10 mins outside with a cuppa. It would be good for wellbeing in an office environment to chat with colleagues but since we can't do that I guess we need to find other benefits to keep us sane and healthy at home.

And I agree there's a line you could cross where you'd be taking the piss - I'd never consider bunking off to the shops or napping all afternoon, that's just not working as others have said.

I think a lot of it is part of the adjustment of moving from part-time hours - working life was super-flexible, now it seems much more fixed and I definitely notice those longer hours in front of a computer. And I'm hoping for a few more meetings in person, events etc which might break up the days and weeks, but at the moment most things are still very much online.

I do do things that are useful to me - hang washing out / prep dinner / even go for a walk round the block when I need to but I don't count those times as part of my working hours

I might start doing this myself actually. It sounds sensible.

I take a flexible approach.

I’ll take a longer lunch to exercise or do personal chores when work permits. But there are nights I’ll be working late, I rarely log off by official finish time. I get my work done and I do it to a high standard.

kitkat what does your DD do? Her job sounds amazing.

This thread does highlight why some people who are wfh don't want to go back to the office. There's been a few threads recently where office workers are outraged that they might need to go in two days a week. They all say they are super productive. Yet my experience is that service is slower. No wonder if people are napping, dog walking or swimming 🤷🏻‍♀️

The danger is that they will get found out. Then the jobs will go to people in other countries where it's cheaper to employ staff.

I love wfh. Start at 9.30 or so and finish at 6pm. I take a two hour lunch break, go for a walk and coffee. Hang out washing too. Start dinner at 5pm Getting all my work done in a relaxed fashion in my own time.

No, I hang out laundry, tidy toddler detritus, go for walks, today I went for a swim.
My god no wonder employers want people back in the office. The fact is that if you have time for all this you are under employed and in the office this would be obvious and you'd be given more work.

I clicked on this thread as I have 24 year old DS who has only ever WFH. He is glued to his desk for 8 hours a day apart from about 20 mins to grab a sandwich.They do have once a week a coffee meeting which he takes on a walk with headphones.

It's unhealthy and I've tried to explain to him what working in an office is like.
He does get an allowance for equipment and has ordered an adjustable desk that you can stand or sit at.

My job requires me to be stuck in front of the screen the entire shift unless it's my designated break. There are periods of time where it's hell (Black Friday, Christmas etc) and I can't get up at all from start to finish, but the quieter periods like now, I just take my laptop with me around the house and get odd jobs done

I am away from my screen a lot but I definitely get more done than I ever did I the office. I actually think that mentally I cannot now go back to an office, am thinking of retraining at some point .

I walk the dog, yoga do chores , gardening etc. but I start work at 8am and get a load done before 9 and I started at 10 in the office. Every minute at my desk now is productive and it wasn't at all when in the office . Everything is just done better all throughout my life.

I work 5am-6:30am, 9am-1pm, and 3pm-6pm. But within those hours I am very strict about staying at my desk.

I work for a communications agency and we have timesheets to fill in and a billable work level to hit. They would soon know if we weren’t working!

Saying that, in the office I work five hours in a row. At home I start earlier and take more breaks. They get the same work from me, but I get a better work/life better at home. And yes, the washing gets put out.

@YellowDahlia: re the standing desk, I use a chest of drawers which is about boob height when I am standing up (I have a normal desk next to it). I use the standing desk for calls/meetings, the sitting one for working with documents

My aerobic step is on the low side so I don’t get sweaty if I’m stepping & have to switch on camera to say something

Re hours: i think many companies realise people are quicker/more efficient from home, hence WFH/hybrid continuing. For me, the work I do by myself is much faster as silence/no interruptions, meetings are a little less efficient: I try to push meetings into my office day where possible

I work in finance in the public sector, loads of meetings and way too much work! I have a 20 min walk, empty the dishwasher and hang out a wash before logging on, although if I have another wash load I will hang it out mid morning. I take an hour for lunch, sometimes more… however, I tend to stop work around 6pm to cook/get the washing in/go to the gym and then I log on around 8 and do 1.5-2 more hours. I can’t remember a time recently where I was less busy tbh, but if I had time, I wouldn’t spend my breaks cleaning the house

I've been wfh for 20 yrs on and off.
Strict as in have to get up on time, even if I don't have a morning meeting. Not being late to meetings, keep deadlines.
Lax: I always say that my internet connection is not good enough for video and sound, so pls excuse me not having video. This also means that I walk around, tidy up, do mindless chores as I am talking thinking, doing stuff. And if it's only a listen in type thing I mute myself and practice on my bass :)
tbf I am the type anyway who gets up in meetings and walks around as that helps me think.
also lax in timing. unless i have a meeting (and on most days I have from 8 to 2 or 3pm back to back with current job normally) I focus on getting the job done by the deadline. And as I like to work in the evenings and nights I compensate by taking time out during the day. Struggled with this and ended up working 10-14 hr days, which is unsustainable.
There is few week project holiday at my work now, where we do housekeeping until higher ups figure out some things and I have about 1 or 2 meetings a day. So I go grocery shopping at 11 if I feel like it,... I've accumulated almost a month extra that I can't invoice for, so now I take it out like this. win-win.
Imo the key is to find the balance. I know I can work 12hr days for a few months if needed, but only if I know that in more relaxed times I am not going to be questioned for taking a few hours when I'd be twiddling my thumbs anyways.

Fortunately 'big brother' tech when not crooked means typing per second is accounted for except a 1 hour for lunch and 2x 15 minutes breaks, there is no way you'd be putting shopping away on an employers time and have endless door bell buzzers whilst getting paid like some other forums insist they do.

Still an hour and a half is still far better then than the small company of 2020 this time 2 years who you had no breaks whatsoever throughout the day with. Whether you worked from home or were office based in fact lunch breaks were never recognised. I think that is why I ended up liking work from home like 2 years later as an oddball, when I got a company who understands the definition of lunch and breaks, thus creating routine.