Page 5 | Where can I find a very traditional office environment?

FloorWipes · 2023-08-10T08:28:49+00:00

I used to love my job but I’m about to lose it with our hybrid flexible system and everyone doing their own thing and some people taking the p. Fine for them, live your best life, whatever, but absolutely not working for me on any level and I am so so over it. I want a traditional 9 to 5 where we all come in and everyone has their own desk. What industry is my best bet for that in 2023?

MiddleParking · 12/08/2023 12:40

Gwenhwyfar · 12/08/2023 11:48

"could you start your own business?"

What? From um...home???

Well, possibly although not necessarily. Did you think all business owners work from home? The frustrations OP describes seem to be largely with her colleagues. And she replied to say that she has considered it, so clearly not such an outlandish idea

Gwenhwyfar · 12/08/2023 12:43

"Did you think all business owners work from home? "

Of course not and I never said that!
I do think that most who work with a computer will START from home. They won't have enough money to rent an office to begin with and if they did, they would be alone until they could afford to expand enough to hire staff.

PetersSpecialCheese · 12/08/2023 12:52

We have this at my company. Large global company, about 3000 of us based at our office.

1 anchor day a week where we're all in, which is fab for 90% of us, but there are a few people very vocally calling for everyone back in the office 9-5. But most of us don't want this at all.

In my team of 35 there are 3/4 people who go in every day and really miss the interaction and having a full team all in together, but that's just not going to happen. Management and most others absolutely don't want to go back to the old way.

I don't really see what you can do op. You can of course choose to work in the office, but you can't make other people do it.

OooPourUsACupLove · 12/08/2023 13:02

daisychain01 · 12/08/2023 11:58

it's creating a two-tier career structure, where those of us who want to come in are finding each other, enjoying working together and accelerating, and those who prefer a job with more chill but less progression get that WFH

Talk about completely pigeon-holing people who wfh as the laggards who chill and aren't interested in progression! And based on what evidence? I've just been promoted, hybrid working had no impact on my advancement - I base my decision on what I need to achieve - come into the office for a reason, wfh for a reason, there is no need to be all or nothing, that's just daft. If I have a deadline to write a paper or prepare a business case, I can avoid the distraction of noise and interruption that is a natural part of working in an office. I pick and choose, so when I come to the office there are always people around to interact with. I set up meetings to be face to face on a mutually agreed day. It isn't hard.

Based on my own observations and the observations of colleagues, between lockdown when we all worked remotely, and now when people are choosing how they work. No judgement, the chill people probably have a healthier attitude to work than me, but I am who I am and I enjoy what I do, and I like the OP enjoy work best when working with others who work that way. As I said, win-win.

Congratulations on your promotion - me too! But I'm not talking about promotion specifically, more the way a team works together and performs, which for me really affects how satisfying and motivating the work is. Pre-arranged meetings are only a small part of that. If your job is more weighted to individual contribution than interaction that's great. At least once a day I'll find a "hey Ash just checking..." question ends up grabbing a room and scribbling on a whiteboard, and no, online whiteboards are nothing like being able to point and gesture and be inside the conversation while you draw it.

Interestingly a year ago I'd probably have said the same as you. I've noticed a real change in the last year, as more people are back in the office the ways we work are changing again. It got to a tipping point where it was easier and more efficient to come in every day than spend time aligning days in or deciding which days made sense this week. I will WFH when it makes sense, but those days are less and less.

Of course, the other group who don't need to be in the office as much are the senior leaders, because they always get whatever interaction they need remotely, can assume if they want something to happen in person their support staff make it happen, and have to be careful about watercooler moments anyway. So maybe you are that super senior person!

OooPourUsACupLove · 12/08/2023 13:07

Hahaha I think they will be ok! The Tues/Wed/Thu queues are longer than they were before lockdown. Not sure why. But again, it's a noticeable change this year. Same with the pubs.

OooPourUsACupLove · 12/08/2023 13:09

OooPourUsACupLove · 12/08/2023 13:07

Hahaha I think they will be ok! The Tues/Wed/Thu queues are longer than they were before lockdown. Not sure why. But again, it's a noticeable change this year. Same with the pubs.

Bother, lost the post I was replying to. It was the one about lunch places closing.

SirChenjins · 12/08/2023 13:11

If you had a job that involved everyone sitting in a single site office with plenty of chat across the desks disguised as essential interaction and no regional working that involved travelling to different sites then you’ll probably hate the new way of working which involves more focused meetings and less interruptions. A front facing role is probably your best bet OP.

Blottingpaperscript · 12/08/2023 13:21

I second the food industry- it's like stepping back in time (I hated it). But the traditional set up comes with clock watching management and toxic working culture.

ata345 · 12/08/2023 13:36

FloorWipes · 11/08/2023 09:52

I’m intrigued by the secure servers type ideas!

It helps to know from a couple of people that I’m not entirely alone in feeling this way.

In my current job I am generally in the office 5 days as it’s up to me, and I’m responsible for various aspects of the physical office like stock and such. Usually I’m not alone when I’m in. So that might seem to be an ok set up.

But actually the erratic nature of other people’s working patterns just doesn’t work for me. It’s too discombobulating. Moreover we don’t get to do the kind of collaborative information sharing we used to and I can’t comment on other people’s work but I’m sure mine suffers for this. A lot of information sharing now falls to me alone as I am the link between all the people whose paths never cross. Also things need to be much more carefully planned because people are working odd days and hours, and that planning takes up all this extra time which I can’t seem to conjure from anywhere. We then have meetings that are a pure waste of time as they don’t compensate for lost ongoing communication. And too many emails. It’s all in all a nightmare for me.

So is also that people working pt or flexi time doesn't work for you?

Only everyone ft 9-5 in the office everyday is what you're looking for?

Cupcakekiller · 12/08/2023 13:46

Prison admin. No WFH at all.

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 12/08/2023 14:56

FloorWipes · 11/08/2023 09:52

I’m intrigued by the secure servers type ideas!

It helps to know from a couple of people that I’m not entirely alone in feeling this way.

In my current job I am generally in the office 5 days as it’s up to me, and I’m responsible for various aspects of the physical office like stock and such. Usually I’m not alone when I’m in. So that might seem to be an ok set up.

But actually the erratic nature of other people’s working patterns just doesn’t work for me. It’s too discombobulating. Moreover we don’t get to do the kind of collaborative information sharing we used to and I can’t comment on other people’s work but I’m sure mine suffers for this. A lot of information sharing now falls to me alone as I am the link between all the people whose paths never cross. Also things need to be much more carefully planned because people are working odd days and hours, and that planning takes up all this extra time which I can’t seem to conjure from anywhere. We then have meetings that are a pure waste of time as they don’t compensate for lost ongoing communication. And too many emails. It’s all in all a nightmare for me.

If you don't want lots of emails, I would rule out working in a school. I was going to suggest something like an exams officer type job might suit- likely have your own office within the school, definitely no hot desking etc due to security of things like exam papers etc. Or a school business manager type role. And these have a bit better pay than general school "office" jobs.

Your colleagues would be physically "in" most of the time BUT because obviously a lot of them would be teaching most of the time, most communication etc would be via email. If you had any parent communication, that would also be mostly via email. Although you'd still be in the same building, I feel like a lot of the negative aspects of your current job would still be there, unfortunately.

orangetriangle · 12/08/2023 15:26

I am a civil servant and am now a contractial home worker I love it
That being said everyone else has to go in two days a week but like many modern firms now we have moved office we hot desk and I just designated a floor we sot on but you could be sitting with anyone any grade any team you just put on your headphones and join teams
We dont physically have enough desks for everyone
This is 2023 not the 90s!!!

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 12/08/2023 16:28

FloorWipes · 10/08/2023 10:21

Education, legal, banking and council sound potential. It doesn't have to be strictly the hours of 9-5 but it just needs to have that kind of vibe and level of regularity.

DH works in banking and it's not all office based

ttyggg · 12/08/2023 20:03

Legal here and I do one day a week in the office and four days a week.

I sometimes also stop work to do pick up then restart. Lots of my colleagues do the same at my firm and others so we're probably not ticking many boxes for you!!

Skygarden1zero · 12/08/2023 22:52

An office in a doctors surgery, usually pretty archaic but offer regular office work in often a close knit environment.

daisychain01 · 13/08/2023 07:26

@FloorWipes going back to your original point of this thread, wanting to be back in the office to be able to see people face to face because you find that quality of conversation that isn't best achieved on a video call, could you agree a day a week or every 2 weeks, when your team will come into the office for the day and you can make it a team meeting with an agenda which comprises topics that you would have, in former times, discussed in a less formal way. You just need to be a bit creative and give people an incentive to meet together.

I also promote my days in the office on my email autosignature

I am in the office Tuesdays and Thursdays - happy to meet up! which often results in an email from someone asking to meet me.

my team and I have a team gathering various times during the month to cover various themes in our programme. This also enables us to have lunch and a bit of a social as well, build the team cohesion,

Absolutebeginners1 · 13/08/2023 07:38

DH is an engineer in a large consultancy firm, wfh is starting to be made the exception not the norm. He needs good internet connection for the drawings he works on so was going into the office anyway. I would hate it, he’s out of the office from 7.30am and gets home around 7pm, it feels like a waste of personal time to me.

Svalberg · 13/08/2023 09:29

Newly qualified people learn so much by being around experienced staff, in my line of work. They don't have the knowledge to be able to work on their own. One firm that I work with has found that the graduates they took on during the pandemic are still at the same level as those who started 18-24 months after them, which hasn't done much for their confidence or job satisfaction. I'm perfectly happy wfh but find a couple of weeks in and around the team at the start of a project is invaluable.

MariaVT65 · 13/08/2023 10:02

I’m generally torn as I loved being in the office when I was younger, especially as I moved to a location where I didn’t know anyone. I made lots of close friends and met my DH there.

However, now i have a young child, I depend on WFH to get chores done during my lunch break, and to be able to pick my son up from nursery. If I had to add a commute, I’d be priced out of work and wouldn’t have any time.

PinkCherryBlossoms · 13/08/2023 11:13

MariaVT65 · 13/08/2023 10:02

I’m generally torn as I loved being in the office when I was younger, especially as I moved to a location where I didn’t know anyone. I made lots of close friends and met my DH there.

However, now i have a young child, I depend on WFH to get chores done during my lunch break, and to be able to pick my son up from nursery. If I had to add a commute, I’d be priced out of work and wouldn’t have any time.

No need to be torn, for lots of younger people the availability of remote work has hugely increased their opportunities. Some young people would even face the same problems you would if they couldn't wfh- unaffordable commuting and incompatibility with caring responsibilities.

RestlessMillennial · 17/08/2023 13:48

I worked in a Coroners Court office and they are still quite old fashioned 9-5, own desk etc