Would you take a job with no WFH option?

[User220422]

It's 2022. A lot of jobs offer the option to Work From Home a few times a week.

The question is, would you ever go back to a job where you HAD to work in the office all week?

I'm hoping to try for a baby in the next 12 months.

I work in Construction (male dominated and not always welcoming to women) and there is limited scope for me to WFH. I have a job offer on the table for good money but no option to work from home. I have another job offer with the Civil Service, a lot less money but more scope for progression. And offers hybrid working.

Just wondering really, for both parents and non-parents, would you ever do a fully office based role again?

Nope. Hybrid working at a minimum for me

Loads of people-facing roles require you to work in the office / on site full time. I do. It makes it easier to switch off from work, and keeps our heating bill down at home.

Yes I would.

I like being in the office, there’s more scope to learn from others and collaborate. At home I overeat and my work station set up is not ideal.

Also my commute is straightforward, I drop the DC at school on the way and the office is in a great location for me to run errands during my lunch break.

I would, finding wfh really hard.

No. I need more flexibility as H works away. I’ve just taken a job that we can do a third from home. I’ll be an hourly worker so would be looking to stretch that a bit when I start to do more full time hours.

also in construction, but office based at the moment

It depends on so many other things.
Yes, I would, if the job were appealing and the commute not too ridiculous.
I've wfh since long before COVID, for quite a lot of the week, and love it, and consider it a real privilege, BUT there are SO many things that contribute to the whole thing of enjoying a job, I wouldn't rule out going out to work every day, if the other things were good.

I enjoy hybrid working, I like my job though so if we were told to come back 5 days I wouldn't leave.

For me a job with regular hours, no weekends/evenings, option to reduce hours if needed, flexi time is what is important (outside of the actual work).

I’m doing hybrid in the CS - five days in out of ten. It’s perfect - I can choose which days about 75% of the time (away days are fixed dates), so I pick dates at home to focus and dates at work for networking or meetings. When I’m at home I have 30 mins to eat and 30 mins to either clean the bathroom or put a wash on, so it frees up time at the weekend. I do t have kids, so this may be different if you didn’t have a quiet environment at home. I don’t think I’d ever go back to full time office hours.

I have to, I work in the NHS. There is no WFH.

Nope. Wouldn't even consider it again. WFH has changed my life dramatically. My 1 optional in the office day is my max now!

I enjoy working in the office, but now do hybrid (civil service). I would be happy to go in every day if it was required - I don't go in every day now, even though I could, purely because I don't want to go in and sit on my own! So I just go in when my team are in. I like the separation of work and home life and the team social aspect though.
Civil Service has other benefits such as defined benefit pension which are worth having too.

No no and hell no

i love part time and a blend of WFH and office

Depends how far you are away from home for me

Nope. Losing that hour commute each way has changed my life. We've transitioned to hybrid with set dates or hours to be done on site - my team are doing 1 day a week and that's lovely, nice to see people face to face, change of scenery and some tasks are much more productive to be done face to face . But other days a week at home I wouldn't change.
That said, I do have a study I can work in and thats made wfh much easier

There are loads of jobs where homeworking isn't an option and TBH I really think hybrid working will gradually become less and less acceptable, even where it's on offer.

Some people will make it work, but lots won't and once it becomes the norm at your employer to be in full time, it will be hard to be the one at home, if you still have career aspirations.

I wouldn't give up a good opportunity just because of no WFH. If you do WFH you'll still need childcare.

The Civil Service is under a lot of pressure to get all its staff back FT currently. They're resisting, but who knows what will happen over the next 12 months.

Nice to see a fellow woman in construction. I wish I was able to find a hybrid-working construction job. Might just be where I live. With wanting kids as well I just dont know how logical it is to continue on in construction, as much as ive loved it over the years.

@OctopusSay

There are loads of jobs where homeworking isn't an option and TBH I really think hybrid working will gradually become less and less acceptable, even where it's on offer.

Some people will make it work, but lots won't and once it becomes the norm at your employer to be in full time, it will be hard to be the one at home, if you still have career aspirations.

I wouldn't give up a good opportunity just because of no WFH. If you do WFH you'll still need childcare.

The Civil Service is under a lot of pressure to get all its staff back FT currently. They're resisting, but who knows what will happen over the next 12 months.

I don't need to arrange childcare. My 10 and 8 year old love me WFH.

Kids of an age who need looking after, then yeah sure. But a vast lot of people don't need to worry about arranging childcare in the holidays anymore

Can I ask why? Is it to do with being by yourself all day?

Only if there was no other option and we really needed the money

@User220422

Can I ask why? Is it to do with being by yourself all day?

Because I am in pain a lot and it's easier for me to hobble downstairs than try and get into the office. I don't drive myself.

Most of my working life age 19 - 42 was working in an office, it was the norm and absolutely ok for that stage of my life when ds was in full time nursery or afterschool. I moved jobs and the new one just happened to have more flexible working, compressed hours to 4.5 days for everyone, with hybrid working optional and it was a life saver, especially as I was at the age when I had the combined pulls on my time of a secondary school child going through exam years and elderly parents needing substantial practical support.

Now I am in my 50s again WFH has helped significantly with various menopause problems (insomnia, hot flushes, unexpected flooding).

Hybrid working does help with a more positive work life balance for many and if done right can also have significant positive impacts on productivity and workplace morale.

I knew someone would come on and say this. Clearly the OP was talking about the kind of office-based job where WFH is a reasonable option, not a frontline NHS role or similar.

Anyway (having previously worked as NHS clinical staff!) I would never now take a job without a signficant WFH option. I wouldn't mind a couple of days in the office per week, as long as it was worthwhile and not just for sake of appearances. My current role is really flexible and tbh it's a big part of what keeps me there.

I would not. Life’s too short to spend so much time commuting.

I wouldn't. I already did most of my week from home but increasing disability means I would struggle to get in at all now. If they insist on .e going back I'll be retiring early on ill-health.