Should I tell work I don’t like wfh and don’t want to be in a remote team?

[Eastereggs1]

As title really.

I don’t really like working from home (for a lot of reasons) and in an ideal world, would like to be in the office with my team 2-3 days a week, preferably with the wider dept one of those days.

However my firm is very very flexible, say people should be in a few times a week and will never force people to come in. Some days I go in and the office is busy, other days (like today), there are 4 in on the whole floor which should seat about 50. They have also started hiring 100% remote workers, so of my team of 4, 2 are fully remote and I will only see them once a quarter.

I hate it and I just can’t face another 30 years of working like this. It’s frustrating because I only started in March and when I was interviewing I specifically said I found working from home difficult so would like to be in the office and they said fine people will be in all the time. It’s just not worked out that way but it’s not anyone’s fault. It’s just really difficult because I like everything else about the firm!

Also, so as not to drip feed! I was at my first firm for 6 years, then moved and was at that firm for 6 months and have now been here for 8 months.. My notice period is 3 months.

Anyway I’ve been half looking at jobs for a few weeks and reached out to a recruiter this week to try to see what was out there and what she thought. She basically said she understood but she thought it was a shame to leave this firm because it is a good firm and I like the work. She said maybe I should raise it with someone before making a move. I have mentioned it to my manager but it’s awkward because she does work remotely 😬

I have regular 6 week catch ups with another manager so could raise it with him
next week (although I don’t really like him lol), or I have an appraisal with a partner (big boss) in a few weeks so could raise with them then.

I’m just not sure if I should bother because I’m not sure what can be done?? Like they aren’t going to change their whole policy just for me! But then it’s something they is really affecting me and my work so maybe it does need to be said.

Any thought appreciated! Sorry this is so long.

Is there anything stopping you moving desks on the day when the other people don't show up? Just sit where seems busiest when you get in and retrospectively book that desk?

Office noise in your headphones is a good idea to try as well. Have you tried breaking your day down on you calendar to help keep focused on a certain task?

Is the problem that you don’t like working from home or that you don’t get to see many people when working from the office? Are you able to work from the office every day if that’s where you work best, then go home at a normal time?

Thanks all.

My current dept is young on the whole, so it is quite surprising the office is dead.

I checked the desk booking app today and today there was nobody from my dept in the office at all, tomorrow 2 people, Monday 2 people (one is me!), Tuesday 3 people (one being me). So yeah I can go into the office but it’s so pointless. I’m still going to spend the day talking to a screen.

I do appreciate everyone’s “have you tried …” but it’s been more than 2 years of wfh, I’ve tried and thought of everything to help myself. The fact is wfh and remote teams just aren’t for everyone. Yes there are benefits of wfh/hiring remotely but there are also huge benefits of office working.

It’s difficult now because not everyone is going to be happy either way!

Are you very specifically personal tax or could you move into the tax dept of a big company? I think some companies (manufacturing for example) are more likely to have operations roles that have to be in the office, which creates a busier atmosphere, whereas accountancy firms the entire workforce can WFH.

I hate WFH, you have my sympathy. I actually don't mind being in the office on my own, it's the keeping home and work separate that is the biggest issue for me. Also staying out of the snack cupboard at home!

Retrain as a maths teacher - there's a shortage I think. You definitely wouldn't get lonely :)

I understand what you're saying. I hated teaching remotely from home. I don't like the house being my workspace. Also hardly moving around wasn't great for me.

All the 'have you tried....' is about getting through the day/week etc. I think OP wants to get more out of her work life than that.
I also hate wfh, luckily my workplace is mainly people in the office now which suits me personally.

Yep, I'm with you 100%.

I found that when I was in the office I learnt a lot from other people - both work related and non-work related. Just being around other people discussing work issues that had arisen was beneficial to my own industry knowledge and understanding. On a non-work level, I found I was mixing with (and even making friends with) people I never would have met socially. It was interesting and useful, and no amount of YouTube 'background office noise' can replicate that. I'm surprised more people don't feel the same way I do, but I accept that they don't. The people who do feel similarly to me have either moved on or are looking to do so.

Wfh and flexible working have their benefits. DH and I take advantage of it to work around childcare. But in offices where most people work remotely most of the time, there is a cost.

I'm not surprised you're planning to move, OP. I hope you find a company that's a better fit for you.

Totally agree with above. I know what's going on in our business on a strategic level because I'm hearing it all around me. I have strong connections with colleagues that have come from years of face to face interactions and building of trust.

I cannot think of anything worse than staying home all week to work and I love my home. I'd find it so lonely.

Fortunately, without pressure, most others seem to feel the same and are in 3-4 days a week. Our staff survey cited our office atmosphere as a huge plus. We work really hard but laugh a lot every single day. I wouldn't ever choose to work remotely unless it came with an incentive like the opportunity to live overseas temporarily.

Op, you really have my sympathy and it's a tough one if you enjoy your role.

As an update, I had an interview last week and have spoken to a recruiter. There aren’t many firms that tell the whole dept/whole teams to be in on the same day, the ones that do seem to be smaller firms and so have less exciting clients. So it’s a very frustrating trade off. I think I may well have to consider a complete career change 😫

Oh no, that's a shame! Maybe try speaking to a different recruiter for a second opinion.

Does your firm have a legal department? Could be unique to my workplace but I've found the people who work in litigation are far more likely to be in the office. Also we've got building- wide group chats specifically for people who like to be in the office with others as on a team level there weren't enough people to really get a regular day going.

One thing I’d point out though- I work across a number of client businesses as HR support.

Generally speaking, the organisations that are very resistant to WFH tend to be less flexible in other ways as well. Very structured, less favourable terms and conditions, less autonomy for staff, very resistant to change.

It’s not a given, WFH isn’t workable for all organisations, but there is definitely a correlation when those who can allow that flexibility choose not to.

Just something to bear in mind.