Experiences of remote working please!

[Flangeosaurus]

I’m considering applying for a new job which is 100% remote working but I feel a bit unsure about how I’ll get on. I currently work in an office, seeing clients and colleagues all day every day. I don’t know if I’d cope with the transition to kitchen table! There’s no option at all for hybrid working, it’s remote as it’s covering an area which is a long way from the head office in London.

The salary is great and it would be a good stepping stone for the career change I’m looking for but I’m feeling very not keen on the remote working. Can anyone let me know how they transitioned and what you like about it please? I really like the social aspect of working in an office and all those small conversations which help you understand the bigger picture in the business and expand your knowledge.

I wfh and I love it!

no distractions
no commuting costs
extra time in your week due to not commuting …so you get more time for the things you want to do!
laundry baskets always empty as can put a wash on and be here when it finishes to hang out

i do pick up the phone to colleagues regularly and we have a good manager who organises a mix of in person and virtual events.

I work from home about 90% of the time. I just love it, it's one of the best things that's ever happened to me!

I go to the gym or for a walk every morning before work, and can do yoga at home 2 mins after I log off. If things are quiet at work, I can pop out for a short walk or to the shops. I get my cleaning done on a Friday morning so it's done before the weekend starts. I can do a bit of laundry during the day. Overall, I have a much better work-life balance than pre COVID.

In terms of social support, I'm fine so long as I see at least one team member for a Zoom meeting every day, which I usually do. We have occasional team meetings in person and that's enough for me. I don't think that works for everyone, but I love it and would really recommend ut

See I quite like a distraction and I need a bit of pressure to get anything done! I’m very productive and work hard but I do know if I’ve got a bit less to do it’s harder for me to get motivated. Sometimes the motivation is that I can’t sit and do nothing in front of the whole office

It will be a really big change for me after 20 years in the same industry. I’m currently the very experienced old hand so I’m the one everyone comes to for advice. I’m a bit worried about how easy it will be for me to learn a new job if I’ve no colleagues to ask questions to

I love it
However, if your majority remote you cannot be at the kitchen table. You need a proper desk set up
(ideally an office) so you can be fully set up and comfortable. This way aswell you seperate home/work life.

I'm extrovert but don't ever feel lonely .

I don’t really have a commute now either I work 5 minutes from my house. I’ve got 2 quite small children so also a bit concerned about working when the big one comes in from school etc when my husband is off to pick up (he works shifts)

I love it. It’s changed my life for the better. I’d say I was an extrovert, but it hasn’t hindered me at all. I would never go back. Might not be for you though if you’re feeling apprehensive about it.

The best case scenario would be a desk under the stairs as there’s no other space. I’m currently sat thinking about ways to reconfigure the dining room part of the kitchen and coming up blank!

I hate the buck the trend, but I've just handed in my notice because I really don't like my fully remote role.

Pre-Covid, I worked for a large company, big office and there's was always someone to chat to, birthday treats, fruit in the office, a really good vibe. You could go up to anyone's desk and have a chat with them or find an empty meeting room and knuckle down.

Covid hit and we worked from home... never to return to the office.

I thought I was ok with it. I could still video chat with colleagues and I did go for a walk/gym/run before work and during lunch. I could get more bits done around the house too. It seemed ok.

I got bored of my role and another job came up that was fully remote (so same as what I was doing but officially fully remote now. Head office was miles away). It was more money, so I went for it.

Big mistake.

Yes, you can get more done around the house and log on five minutes after rolling out of bed but ohmygod I feel like I have lost a big part of me. I'm not an extrovert at all, but I do like the chats and learning about projects by being in the company of other colleagues. I felt very isolated and had no idea what the company culture was about. It really felt like the sort of job where you log on 9-5, do your bit, and then log off. No passion for anything, no buzz, no celebrating success, no drinks after work, no "how was your holiday?", no one to rant with in the morning to complain about your kids' school or the traffic or the husband. No one to bounce ideas off of, private or business!

I also missed getting dressed in smartish clothes (never heels!) and putting on make up and being 'ready' for the day. I was just sitting on my bum all day reminiscing about funny times in my office pre Covid, the stuff we did, the projects we all worked on.

Anyway, you get the picture. I start a new role in a couple of months which is 2-3 days in the office. I've spent the last couple of days choosing new outfits and looking forward to making proper friends at work. I can't wait.

I think for a lot of people, fully remote is great. However, you can't build a great company culture with a fully remote team unless you have regular meet up days. You need to see people at their best/worst/stressed/happy to get a full picture of them. Once you know who you are working with, you can really immerse yourself in the job.

Fully remote has been lonely for me. It's nice chatting to people over zoom but there's nothing like seeing a colleague coming in stressed or upset and you can say "hey, you - let's have a chat in a meeting room/pop out for coffee" and try and make their day a bit better. I was having a really hard time at home a few years ago and I remember coming into work and putting on a brave face but then crying at my desk (horror!) My colleagues rallied round me and I felt so supported. I silent have got that at home. For me, work isn't just about the job. Rightly or wrongly, it is part of my identity and I get a lot out of seeing people face to face and being part of the bigger picture, feeling part of a team and sparking ideas off each other with those adhoc chats you have in the kitchen. I love all that.

Good luck with your decision

It suits some people and not others.

I fully wfh and love it for all the reasons already mentioned in this thread. My work requires a lot of concentration so is best done in a quiet place with no interruptions.

DH hated working from home and now works hybrid (50% in office) as he needs that interaction and experience of working and collaborating with colleagues in person. He's far happier and more productive in the office!

Everyone is different!

@Flangeosaurus could you rent a desk in a shared workspace? I have quite a good setup for working from home, but I know several others in my town that don't have the physical/mental space to work in their home so either rent a permanent desk in or hot desk from shared workspaces.

Your last sentence is quite important - I could WFH but I never do for that exact reason. I like being in the office and knowing what is going on. At home I feel like I'm missing out, even though 90% of the time nothing is happening!

If you feel like that now, and have minimal commute, I can't see how you're going to get any benefits from WFH, you're not really going to gain any time back which is always one of the big benefits.

Another on who hated it, sorry. I felt really isolated, it made me realise how important colleagues are to my wellbeing. Aside from that, it was much harder to build relationships and pick up information that in an office you'd learn from your colleagues.

I'm in the office one day a week, but have WFH for years and wouldn't have it any other way now.

One thing I would say is that you need dedicated space, a proper desk, chair, screens etc. For me this is absolutely essential. When I'm in my office I'm in work mode when I'm not, I'm not. I also have a pretty strict routine.

I WFH pretty much permanently bar the odd trip into the office and I love it, but please don't work from your kitchen table. If you can, carve out specific office space with a proper desk and chair. Otherwise you will do your back in.

100% remote was shit for me. I’m an introvert and it was terrible for my mental health, because it really made me retreat and not get enough day to day social contact with anyone other than my DH & young child. And that was in a job I’ve been in for years, I can’t imagine trying to get established somewhere new completely remotely. If you’re someone extroverted who will really put yourself out there to build relationships remotely and to get enough social contact off your own back then it would probably be different.

I work 50% remote and 50% in the office now and that’s ideal for me.

Lots of insight thank you! I am definitely concerned about the lack of interaction so I might bring that up at interview to see what sort of culture they have around that

Everyone is different (of course!) so you know yourself best, what you want and don't want. But as I work fully from home too these are the pros and cons for me.

Pros

No commute (used to have 45 min each way on the tube), saves time and money.

I'm saving money by not buying lunch out or going for drinks after work or popping to the shops on the way home.

I'm really good at managing my own time, being at home helps me do this in terms of workload but also helps non-work balance too. When I take a 10-minute screen break I can stick some laundry in, or I can exercise at lunchtime, shower, and not have to bother drying hair/redoing make up that I would have done in the office.

Working fully remotely means I can work from anywhere, not just from home.

Cons

I really miss people! My social circle was based a lot around work so I miss the lunches, coffee chats, after work drinks, general office chat. Arranging to socialise with people seems a trial these days, people generally seem less willing to go out. I'm actually pretty lonely a lot of the time.

There is less work chat - this is not a social thing but a work thing. We use teams, and yes, it's easy to phone someone or send a chat message, but I find I and others will only do this when it's needed, whereas in the office we would more casually just speak out loud "have you seen this/I've just had an email about this, etc".

My immune system is reduced - don't underestimate this one! Although you have kids at home so perhaps not such a problem for you. For me, because I'm not on public transport every day, not sitting with other people every day, or in shops etc, I'm not picking up general low level germs and bugs that help us build up a strong immune system. So when I do get something as basic as a common cold, it really wipes me out!

I love WFH mostly, though sometimes it can get a little lonely.

Pros:

• Can eat what you want from home e.g. leftovers and lunch is therefore cheaper
• Can put a wash on or tidy up whenever you need to
• Always at home for postal deliveries
• Can see local friends at lunchtime and take a bit longer over your lunch and make up for it later
• Can get out to appointments easily, dentist, osteopath etc
• Can get out of bed later
• No commuting time or costs - better for the environment too
• Peaceful, can concentrate on work
• Any annoying colleagues aren't in your face at all
• Can ask colleagues questions over IM when it's convenient for me, and they can reply when convenient for them
• If I'm quiet and don't have a full day's work I can make myself useful at home and am not just staring at a screen in an office pretending to work

Cons:

• Can be easy to not get enough exercise as not walking or cycling to work, and not moving around as much as in an office - I make sure I go for a walk round the park or to the local shop each day
• Can get lonely - I make sure I see friends for lunch, or someone for a cuppa after work, or a cinema trip or whatever
• Too much screen time - I like how in the office you can have a mix of screen time (focussed work) and real-life conversations with in-person meetings. At home everything is on the screen

It's very personal. I love WFH, but I have a very active social life and a lot of friends outside work, so I feel no need for this from work (although I get along with and like people, my preference is very much not to have any pressure to socialise with people from work).

If you are someone who gets a lot from having a social life at work then you might struggle with it, because it is just not as easy to do that.

I've been working fully remotely for a year and I honestly find it depressing and isolating. I'm single with no children which might be a factor.

There's no option of me going hybrid and I've been asked to stay another year. The salary is a lot better than I'd get locally, though I'm thinking of changing jobs just to have a better life.

I have been wfh for a year. My team is spread out and I will see one of them occasionally.

it is a bit isolating to begin with but I have swapped commutes for an early morning walk before I sign on. I sometimes go for a run during lunch hours. As soon as I sign off I hit the gym or head out for an 30 min/hour to ‘finish’ the day.

there is less work chat, less banter which I do miss. But tbh I thinks commuting back into an office 5 days a week would kill me.

I agree with all this. Weirdly, I met my ex on my only other remote contract. However, that was based in my city, so I met up with him three times a week during lockdown and he kept me sane.

My next contract was in office and I was never lonely. I found it hard to concentrate with the background noise and hated the commute, but miss that now.

Working from home is tedious. My job is based in London and I live in Scotland. I've met my team once in person - they're all really nice and it made me miss having a normal job.

I like the actual job and doubt I'd get paid as much elsewhere. I'll need to weigh it up since I can't face years of this. It's like having no life.

We’re fully remote but have a lot of interaction - a daily morning meeting, a lively WhatsApp group and fairly regular social stuff.
We also have access to a coworking space where we can work solo, but there are plenty of other people around, or meet up with colleagues to work.
Is there something like that near you? It’s nice working around other people, even if they are doing a different job for another company.

I wfh about 90% of the time these days. Before lockdown I used to find it quite hard to stay motivated, easily distracted etc but I was only wfh 1 day a week and it was quite easy to do quite little in that 1 day and not get behind in my work. But lockdown kind of forced me to focus to get the work done so now I find it much easier to not get distracted but I also have a home garden office and a great home set up. It's transformed my life with small kids and just makes life easier. I work hard but I nip out for walks, put a wash on and generally manage things I wouldn't have done in the office. But I do enjoy my odd days in the office.

Hate it, I find it very isolating. Unless you have a busy life outside of work I wouldn't do it. My DH has been wfh for almost two years, it's made him very boring as he doesn't do much else so basically has nothing to talk about regarding his day.