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Original poster

Working from Home - what exactly do you do?

72 replies

TheHumanExperience · 30/10/2022 20:16

I would love to work from home but in a creative way.

All I can find, are insurance, customer service and admin vacancies.

I wonder if anyone does something a little more interesting, or a job they actually love and can't wait to start every morning. If you do, what is it, and how did you get into it, and is there any hope for a late starter?

How do you take the plunge if you are considering self-employment from a steady but boring job, it's a big risk.

OP posts:
RedWingBoots · 30/10/2022 20:25

These threads come up all the time.

In short anything that is office based where you don't have to meet with or have to work face-to-face with people as telephone, email, instant message e.g. slack and/or video calling e.g. Zoom will do, you can work from home.

The main issue is most posters asking about the roles are low skilled and/or low experienced so the jobs where it is easy to do this aren't opened to then yet or at all.

So what qualifications and/or experience do you have?

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 20:56

Please remember, if you take on a work from home job for a company, you will be tracked and monitored every second of your working day. Even to to point where you click a button go to the loo…..comfort break!
WFH has evolved since lockdown 1, not in a good way!
I work in an office where there’s still some home workers, the supervisor just sits monitoring their log in status all day. If she thinks they’ve been quiet for too long they get a snotty message.
They don’t stay long!

DelurkingAJ · 30/10/2022 20:57

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 20:56

Please remember, if you take on a work from home job for a company, you will be tracked and monitored every second of your working day. Even to to point where you click a button go to the loo…..comfort break!
WFH has evolved since lockdown 1, not in a good way!
I work in an office where there’s still some home workers, the supervisor just sits monitoring their log in status all day. If she thinks they’ve been quiet for too long they get a snotty message.
They don’t stay long!

Depends what you do. In my role I could very legitimately be reading an accountancy article to consider its impact on the company. Nobody in my department is tracked!

30not13 · 30/10/2022 20:58

Registered Childminder

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 21:00

@DelurkingAJ lucky you! You obviously have a far more professional job, with mature colleagues! I’m talking NHS booking systems.

bumpytrumpy · 30/10/2022 21:01

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 20:56

Please remember, if you take on a work from home job for a company, you will be tracked and monitored every second of your working day. Even to to point where you click a button go to the loo…..comfort break!
WFH has evolved since lockdown 1, not in a good way!
I work in an office where there’s still some home workers, the supervisor just sits monitoring their log in status all day. If she thinks they’ve been quiet for too long they get a snotty message.
They don’t stay long!

This is not at all what happens in many roles

DelurkingAJ · 30/10/2022 21:02

@Furcoatandnoknickerz finance team in a financial services firm. We do track the call centre, but only the same way we did when they were in the office…your set up sounds awful for everyone concerned.

DisforDarkChocolate · 30/10/2022 21:03

I do a wide variety of ad-hoc roles, mainly I get to read lots of documents and get paid to attend committee meetings. I mostly really enjoy the work, it's very rewarding. No one is monitoring me at all.

However, I am always looking for new roles as most are for a set term and I have to attend webinars in my free time to keep up to date and network.

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 21:04

@DelurkingAJ just to add, if supervisor decides to work from home, she then monitors whats going on in the office, you can’t win!
I was away from my desk for a while , helping patients, going to the loo, making a drink , discussing patients needs with colleagues to get back to a snotty message!

AnaBananas · 30/10/2022 21:04

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 20:56

Please remember, if you take on a work from home job for a company, you will be tracked and monitored every second of your working day. Even to to point where you click a button go to the loo…..comfort break!
WFH has evolved since lockdown 1, not in a good way!
I work in an office where there’s still some home workers, the supervisor just sits monitoring their log in status all day. If she thinks they’ve been quiet for too long they get a snotty message.
They don’t stay long!

This says more about the supervisor than the role!

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 21:06

@AnaBananas Oh definitely, she’s turned into a nightmare. She was ok til she got the supervisor role , power gone completely to her head!

UnionGlassCloth · 30/10/2022 21:07

Chartered Co Sec. I love what I do and the detail if my job, includes managing a team of 12, no tracking here!

SnackyOnassis · 30/10/2022 21:08

I work from home - I work for an IT consultancy. I occasionally go into the office for team building events, social occasions and when it makes sense for us to work together as a face to face team on a project. Everyone in the organisation has the same freedom to come and go as they please. There are 'creative' roles in the business, UX and graphic designers etc. I think the flexibility that the business affords the staff is down to the fact that people work extremely hard wherever they are and will get to the office if the team requires it. It's a virtuous cycle, really, trust breeds trust!

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 21:10

Trust definitely produces hard work and a productive team.

Bitterbean · 30/10/2022 21:10

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 20:56

Please remember, if you take on a work from home job for a company, you will be tracked and monitored every second of your working day. Even to to point where you click a button go to the loo…..comfort break!
WFH has evolved since lockdown 1, not in a good way!
I work in an office where there’s still some home workers, the supervisor just sits monitoring their log in status all day. If she thinks they’ve been quiet for too long they get a snotty message.
They don’t stay long!

Nope. Not in the slightest.

Itstheway · 30/10/2022 21:10

I work in payroll and work from home, manage a small team of 3 and only go in the office 1 or twice a month for a catch up with my team. The company is very flexible as as long as everyone is paid they’re happy. I’m not monitored or watched at all!

User129867588 · 30/10/2022 21:11

I have wfh since first lockdown and it’s no different than being in office - there is no monitoring and only if I’m away for more than 10/15 minutes without being scheduled a break that the planning team contacts my manager to make sure I’m ok- my manager never tells me this and never chases me or asks what I’m doing and he trusts me to tell him if something is wrong or if I need an unscheduled break. Basically I am treated as an adult and trust goes both ways with my manager. I work in a telephony customer service role and have been doing this job for 20+ years . I love wfh and am now on a permanent wfh contract . A good manager makes all the difference and I know it’s not always this rosy

DoodlePug · 30/10/2022 21:12

I know a few self employed people who do things like t-shirt printing, glass engraving, jewelry. Look on etsy and see what appeals.

Only one of them earns 'good money' but they're all happy with their jobs.

Some have combined it into a portfolio of work, doing additional things like dog walking, companion visits and a paper round!

Changingplace · 30/10/2022 21:12

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 20:56

Please remember, if you take on a work from home job for a company, you will be tracked and monitored every second of your working day. Even to to point where you click a button go to the loo…..comfort break!
WFH has evolved since lockdown 1, not in a good way!
I work in an office where there’s still some home workers, the supervisor just sits monitoring their log in status all day. If she thinks they’ve been quiet for too long they get a snotty message.
They don’t stay long!

Not true for every wfh role whatsoever!

I work from home three days a week, 2 days in the office, in Communications/PR/events.

Nobody is monitoring me like this at home whatsoever, as long as I get on with what needs doing it’s really very the same as being in the office except zoom calls rather than meetings.

Doidontimmm · 30/10/2022 21:14

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 20:56

Please remember, if you take on a work from home job for a company, you will be tracked and monitored every second of your working day. Even to to point where you click a button go to the loo…..comfort break!
WFH has evolved since lockdown 1, not in a good way!
I work in an office where there’s still some home workers, the supervisor just sits monitoring their log in status all day. If she thinks they’ve been quiet for too long they get a snotty message.
They don’t stay long!

That doesn’t happen in my role at all, local government

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 21:14

I need to know where all these trusted WFH jobs are, certainly not in my area!
DS works for the local council, occasionally he wfh he’s also tracked but not to the extent of my team.

UnionGlassCloth · 30/10/2022 21:15

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 21:10

Trust definitely produces hard work and a productive team.

Absolutely this, I don’t doubt my team is working, I can see that from our results.

YaffleYaffle · 30/10/2022 21:15

I work in government in digital. Nobody tracks me. Lots of creative jobs in this area!

FuzzyPenguin · 30/10/2022 21:15

I work from home, it was a WFH role before Covid although sometimes I would go to my boss’ house to work.
I am a marketing manager, so spend most my time lurking on social media and updating the website, but sometimes will dip into speaking to clients for special events. I feel no pressure and my boss is relaxed and lets me flex my hours when required as I don’t normally speak to people so can work during the night.
Sometimes it can get lonely but we have well-being meetings where we can check in with each other for a chat.
I love it so much and not sure I would ever want to go back to an office based job again.

Furcoatandnoknickerz · 30/10/2022 21:15

DS2 WFH permanently, he is like all of you completely trusted. His boss has the attitude of , as long as the work gets done he’s happy.