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.

The biggest things I have found from wfh are:

The cold - too expensive to put the heating on, especially during the day and just for me. I have a heated throw but my fingers get so cold.

The isolation - some people love lone working but It can feel lonely.

Discipline - you have to be quite self disciplined so you're not distracted by doing house chores such as washing up/washing/running the hover round/the cat.

Motivation - you need to be quite self motivated as there's no one there to "monitor " what you're achieving in the day.

I have learnt thought, coming from a very manual job where there's nowhere to hide and you have to be on it all the time, that office work, whether wfh or in office, is very different and a lot less work actually gets done 🤦🏼‍♀️

Reading the other comments, I remembered I've also gained about 10 lbs (almost a stone) since working remotely.

I also tend to work in a bathrobe and leggings all winter to avoid putting the heating on, so feel like a slob. I don't even shower every day.

Pre-pandemic I was always in dresses and make up. I walked to and from work.

Lastly, I have no routine. I do a lot of work late at night or at weekends. Most people in my team work weird hours.

I’m working a job that’s 100% remote and I’m finding it hard to motivate myself, it’s really lacking any pressure to get anything done and I find it hard to motivate myself because I don’t actually know my colleagues. I thought I’d love never commuting, and I do, but I’d rather see colleagues in real life more than once a quarter as I feel quite disconnected and unaccountable.

I used to work 3 days in office and 2 at home - much better for me! Plenty of time to really know my colleagues and enjoy the social side, but a couple of days to knuckle down at home to get parts of the job that were better distraction free out of the way.

I’m on the lookout for a hybrid job doing what I do, but they all seem full time office or fully remote. Out of this I’d prefer fully remote!

Another thing that I missed with working in the office was the commute, when the trains were running properly, of course! I used to read The Metro and then my book. I was reading so much more when I was working in the office. It was also good as a buffer between work and home life and the train journey home was a good way to unwind. Of course, I've been able to save money now I'm fully remote and don't have a train fare to pay, but I'm willing to sacrifice this do the benefits of working in an office a few times and week and seeing people.

I'm also someone who gained weight in the fully remote role. It's too easy to stay static. I also think my desk set up is a bit rubbish, despite having a proper office chair, I felt more comfortable working in the office with the bigger desk and better lighting.

Finally, as somebody else said earlier, it's the routine I miss as well. Having to get up and shower, make up, tea and get the train. It kept me moving and I felt accountable knowing I had to be somewhere. I just think it was good for my self esteem, really. I feel quite shitty about myself a lot of the time wfh - maybe that's the lack of vitamin D and staying inside too much. I don't know, I guess it's a mix of things.

Anyway, starting the hybrid role soon so looking forward to regaining a bit of confidence and losing a bit of weight!!

I wfh 90% of the time and did before covid too. I love it but have an office which is crucial I think. Makes such a difference having a proper set up and separation between home and work. I also spend a lot of my day on video calls and our company does a lot of remote social sessions so I don't miss that to be honest.

You need a desk you can close and lock up so you don't just pop on email.

I liked being in an office when younger - parties, impromtu drinks after work - but now with dh, dc, 3 dogs I wfm, get loads done, have a social life with friends and always get dressed and look nice for the day:)

The trick is realising work is finished fir the day, and it's 5pm so you can have life that isn't all round work.

I sometimes use the local biz hub for company a few hours now and then- great fun, nice people, but I need silence to work so it suits me at home . Don't miss listening to people eat toast either:)

I have gone from nursing in a hospice to wfh on information and support line. I much prefer it but I think it is really important to have a very good manager and team..which I do have thankfully.

Tips which might help:

will you have a “buddy” to start with to help point you in the right direction/ where things are etc?

work out who you will Be working with regularly and arrange weekly/fortnightly 121 teams calls with them to have a general catch up (this can be more than one person so could mean several teams meetings)

build relationships with people so you can have quick IM conversations with them - replaces the “water cooler” conversations/helps for quick questions etc

diarise breaks so you’re not glued to the computer all day without moving

equally, if it’s the kind of job where it’s back to back teams calls all day, block out non-calls time in the calendar so you don’t find yourself stuck in 4 hours of back to back calls without a break

I WFH 100% of time and yes it’s great for my kids (and my husbands job) but it’s shit for me and I’m starting to really struggle with it now.

Don’t get me wrong, the pros are great, especially where having young kids is concerned, I can take them to school every day, and yes they do go to after school club, but as I finish at 4.30 I can dash out of the door and be there fairly quickly and they are home at a reasonable time. Also I can pop a bit of washing on, have deliveries and get my online shopping delivered.

but do not underestimate how isolating it is. Yes it’s great when you need to crack on and do stuff. But it can get very very lonely - perfect example this week, I’ve had a crappy week and been totally on my own trying to deal with it because my line manager is an absolute bag of shit. He’s worked there 8 months, and I’ve not had a single one to one with him. I even mentioned it and got the “oh yes I’m sorting them” and that’s it. Nothing. I’m not sharing my achievements or my problems - I’ve got no one to chat to and not one person would miss me if I was gone - well they’d miss the work I do because I do just crack on and deliver, because I’m good at my job and competent.

so please don’t underestimate how lonely and isolating WFH can be - I desperately miss interaction with other people and lovely open plan offices where you can just ask your colleague “oh what are your thoughts about this”

No one sees me, and no one would miss me if I left, as they’d just get someone else to do the work.

It really depends to be honest, some love it and some hate it.

I absolutely hated it. As you don't have a working space in which you can shut the door at the end of the day to create clear boundaries from work, you enjoy colleague interaction and you only have a 5 min commute I'd personally think really hard about it.

For your remote jobs you have did you have a contract written up formally? Mine can only agree on flexi working req local level as the nhs trust doesn’t issue full
remote contracts anymore……they also want me to do a 5 hour drive to do my induction with them on site? There is no budging on that which makes me question things!