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?

I wouldn't consider it. I live rurally and have no desire to waste time and money commuting to a job without good reason.

In my current role we were initially expected in once a week, now that has increased to 3 days per week. Nobody within the higher echelons of the organisation can give a clear explanation as to why, given that the job can be done 100% remotely.

The company are also completely hypocritical as they publicise their commitment to 'going green' yet expect hundreds of workers to commute in needlessly!

I am currently looking for something else as a result. I have no issue commuting into the office if there is a legitimate need but refuse to do it for the sake of it.

Yes. I really don't mind being in the office and as so many people don't want to these days I gives me an advantage in the job market.

With employers struggling to get people back and recruit having to offer hybrid reluctantly - when they get someone who is happy to be in 5 days it's a breath of fresh air. I was offered a job £10k more on the same day of interview and being office based was important to them.

There are some drawbacks to working from home. It can be isolating and my social life has definitely diminished. I work longer hours than I would do in the office. It takes up a lot of space (I have a three screen set up but am lucky enough to have a spare room I have turned into a home office).

But for me, I think particularly because I have young kids, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. I don’t think I would be saying the same if I was younger and just starting out, or if I was single.

Yes. I live on my own. I have autism and work was a relatively safe space to meet people because there is a shared thing to discuss and a structure to most conversations.

i find it hard to do unstructured stuff so calling someone just for a chat is hard.

wfh I have the structure but only a few zoom meetings. Even if I’m not talking to anyone it’s nice to know others physically there are sharing experience.

I always work in the office. Our service runs more efficiently if we are sitting next to one another and can listen to what's happening. Of course, this doesn't go down well with staff who like being at home because it suits them. I wouldn't take a job that had any wfh.

For the right role and salary, yes I'd take a 100% office role.

However, unless I'm made redundant I'm not shifting for less than £15k pa increase on salary. I have a defined benefit pension scheme and as much flexibility as anyone could possibly need as a full time employee. Trading that in voluntarily would need a substantial sweetener!

I left construction for civil service before covid and wouldn't go back regardless of wfh options.

Add the hybrid working on top, which is a dream for school runs etc, and there's no way I would consider going back

Nope.

Depends how far away the office is really, if it was just down the road I'd happily go in everyday- if it was a long commute then nope I wouldn't fancy that.

I wouldn't, and in my line of work (admin) I don't really see any reason why hybrid working wouldn't be an option.

Exactly. I worked from home for a few months in 2020, and have done so on a handful of occasions since. I don't have room for a proper wfh set up so work at my dining table, which means taking the monitor, keyboard and shoebox from the floor under the table in the morning and setting them up in the right position and plugging my laptop in. At the end of the day I unplug it all and put it back on the floor, and cover it up with a bin bag so I don't have to see it and feel as if I am still at work.

To answer the OP's question, I absolutely would take a job which was full time in the office, wfh full time almost broke me mentally. The odd day every few months I can cope with but I never want to wfh full time or even a couple of days a week ever again.

I work in the office of a construction company. Everyone is 100% back in the office or on site. Things were frustratingly inefficient when people were WFH.

I’d never willingly take a WFH job.

I have been hybrid working for 7 years now, so can't imagine working in a office full time now (definitely get more work done at home than in the office! ).
I appreciate not having to book time off and just being home for tradesmen, parcels, daughter etc, take early/late lunches to pick up/drop off inlaws to appointments. Simple things like being able to come back after school drop off and clear breakfast bits away, put a wash in and hang out at lunch, have a quick tidy, hoover etc in my lunch break, pop dinner in slow cooker at lunch so ready for dinner (things I would otherwise have to do after work).
I do miss the social side, so although only expected in 1 day a week I go in 2 most weeks (not set days, flexible around work and home life).
With increasing petrol costs though not sure I will continue the 2 days though.

No, not now. I'd need to do 2 days at home. I've realised how much I've missed out on with DS so don't want to do 5 days in the office.

I would (I did) with a baby, not once in school- then Its helpful to be around more.

Yes for the right job but the commute would have to be a lot shorter than my current 1hour.

I left retail for a job in civil service, hybrid working (2 days in the office) and so much flexibility - no way would I apply for a job that was 100% office based.

My husband is a construction professional. He works in the office every day and it works for our family inly because we live within a 20-25 minute cycle from his office do he can do a fair share of nursery and school runs and emergencies.

if we lived further we wouldn’t be happy without at least an occasional wfh option.

I'm job hunting at moment. WFH is seemingly unavailable for the advertised jobs, even though what I do is intellectual & 100% computer based.

I would. I've never had to work from home and wouldn't want to. I don't have a long commute, if I had I might think very differently.

No I wouldn’t.

Yes, in fact I wouldn't take a job that required regular home working or where most of the other staff WFH. I did for a few weeks at the start of lockdown and hated it. Isolating and boring plus we don't have office space at home. Parent of teens and I wouldn't have wanted to do it when they were younger either.

No. Even pre pandemic!

I was offered a role before covid, absolutely no flexibility at all. I was in an existing role where I worked a little extra mon-thu then did a short day from home on a Friday to do school runs.

New employer said no cos "well then everyone will ask for it"

I do wonder how they coped during lockdown?!

Interesting.... what makes you not want to go back to construction regardless? Were you in a commercial role? I've loved it but hated it at times hence why I am toying between staying or going, as well as the whole WFH thing.

Nope, I want hybrid working, my job can easily be done remotely.

My work/life balance has been transformed for the better. I totally appreciate doing school runs, washing, ironing, clearing up etc in my lunch break/what would be my travelling time. Gives us better quality family time. Priceless.
If I was told to come back to the office 5 days a week I’d look for something else.