Working from home - can it work?

[chrisp65]

2 hours ago, Rugeley Villa said:

Can honestly say I don’t worry about anything like that happening. Not because I couldn’t happen, because it could , but it’s not even 1% concern for me . If it happens it happens more fool her.

I’d imagine that if you had an affair at work there would be a strong risk of falling off the roof?

[Rugeley Villa]

1 hour ago, chrisp65 said:

I’d imagine that if you had an affair at work there would be a strong risk of falling off the roof?

You’ve got to get on the roof to fall off it, I’m a lazy clearing in the woods 

[rodders0223]

M6 hard shoulder closed for the foreseeable. 1hour and half to get into work this morning. I will be leaving at 5 on the dot this evening.

This going to the office thing is far more productive and stressless than I don't know , logging at a 7 or 8 in the morning instead of sitting in traffic and getting a few extra hours of work out of me for free.

Also, it's 10:23 and I've had my ears talked off about absolute nonsense. "Issues" at work  that wouldn't even be raised when at home.

[Mister_a]

It's very isolating, I've worked from home for over 10 years now, but not being disturbed while you are working is golden.

Being able to nip to the shops / be in for deliveries / no commute just makes up for all the downsides.

I used to have to drive 50 miles a day and pay 10 quid a day for privilege of parking near work.

After the pandemic, any major company that tries to force staff into the office will just end up with staff leaving and going to somewhere with more flexible working.

[blandy]

19 hours ago, Demitri_C said:

The money definitely and you definitely do less work in office if you have a engaging team that likes to chat

You’re right, Dem. But there’s a “but”.  All that idle chat, banter, sympathy, humour and the rest of it also forges bonds which mean when pressure is on, or when help is needed, or when on the road, or when… there’s a team, not a collection of individuals. There’s an intangible benefit to the “chat”, that can’t be measured.

[mjmooney]

24 minutes ago, blandy said:

You’re right, Dem. But there’s a “but”.  All that idle chat, banter, sympathy, humour and the rest of it also forges bonds which mean when pressure is on, or when help is needed, or when on the road, or when… there’s a team, not a collection of individuals. There’s an intangible benefit to the “chat”, that can’t be measured.

100% this. 

[bobzy]

52 minutes ago, blandy said:

You’re right, Dem. But there’s a “but”.  All that idle chat, banter, sympathy, humour and the rest of it also forges bonds which mean when pressure is on, or when help is needed, or when on the road, or when… there’s a team, not a collection of individuals. There’s an intangible benefit to the “chat”, that can’t be measured.

Far more diplomatically out than my efforts

At my work place, all the moaners are “work from home 100% please” types. Moan about the traffic when coming into the office. Moan about the weather. Moan about the people. Moan about the holidays. Moan about the term time. It’s incessant.

Seems to be quite similar on here so maybe a personality thing?

[Rds1983]

1 hour ago, blandy said:

You’re right, Dem. But there’s a “but”.  All that idle chat, banter, sympathy, humour and the rest of it also forges bonds which mean when pressure is on, or when help is needed, or when on the road, or when… there’s a team, not a collection of individuals. There’s an intangible benefit to the “chat”, that can’t be measured.

You can bond with your colleagues remotely. There's people I've never sat in an office with who I'm still friends with and would help out who moved on years ago. Then there's people I've sat next to I'd gladly never see again. The world has moved on.

[mjmooney]

It's hard to believe that anybody is working from home, the amount of traffic there is on the roads. 

[fightoffyour]

11 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

It's hard to believe that anybody is working from home, the amount of traffic there is on the roads. 

That's all the work from homers driving to Pret

[Rodders]

I feel like my life is wasting away before me at work. So bored. At home I could at least do something fun as well, listen to a podcast, read a book in the quiet moments. I have no interest in socialising with my colleagues. I have nothing in common with any of them. There's zero to be gained from my point of view in me being pointlessly on site. 

That said, that's largely me being in the wrong job for too long, I guess if I was a new starter I'd appreciate an on site settling in period to ask questions, but otherwise it's just soul destroyingly boring.

[avfc1982am]

Since being exiled from the office full time in Jan 2020, I've saved 10+ hours a week driving/commuting, that's allowed me to get an additional 2 days flex a month because I now don't mind working a little longer. I've then saved an additional £250-£300 a month or thereabouts on fuel/expenses. Now I might pop into the office every other week, or travel for meetings now and then but minimising mileage equals less maintenance on the vehicle which is another saving. I've also had a couple of promotions in that time because I'm not so selfish with my time anymore so many positives across the board. 

"Working from home, can it work?" Hell Yeah!  

[blandy]

4 hours ago, Rds1983 said:

You can bond with your colleagues remotely. There's people I've never sat in an office with who I'm still friends with and would help out who moved on years ago. Then there's people I've sat next to I'd gladly never see again. The world has moved on.

Of course.

In my experience, and I accept it's just my line of work, you'd come into contact with far more people on site than at home - the cleaners, the canteen folks, the fitters, the bosses, the secretaries, the IT folk and a whole list more. At home, it's only ever old friends and current team members, and perhaps the odd person who you need to contact for a new bit of advice, or a new task. There's less variety. It doesn't mean WFH can't lead to bonding, but it's not the same as in person - positively or negatively.

[Loxstock92]

I work in a mortgage contact centre for a fairly large building society. Been there for 10 years. When Covid hit, I was one of the first to go wfh due to my mrs having very severe asthma and didn’t want to take chances of getting covid.
 

At first it was a great novelty, not having to commute, have a lie in, felt more comfortable. After a year and a half of that I just couldn’t do it. I’d isolated myself so much that I became miserable and requested to come back to the office full time. For me, I’m much happier in an office cause I like my colleagues, it’s a great place environment. 
 

our policy is that you can either work 1 week in 4 in office, or mixed during the week. I think people should be given the choice as long as they’re productive. I’ve spoken to staff in other call centres, one of which who had worked from home since covid permanently. Fair play, if that makes you happy and works for you, you carry on.

 

[Genie]

4 hours ago, Loxstock92 said:

I work in a mortgage contact centre for a fairly large building society. Been there for 10 years. When Covid hit, I was one of the first to go wfh due to my mrs having very severe asthma and didn’t want to take chances of getting covid.
 

At first it was a great novelty, not having to commute, have a lie in, felt more comfortable. After a year and a half of that I just couldn’t do it. I’d isolated myself so much that I became miserable and requested to come back to the office full time. For me, I’m much happier in an office cause I like my colleagues, it’s a great place environment. 
 

our policy is that you can either work 1 week in 4 in office, or mixed during the week. I think people should be given the choice as long as they’re productive. I’ve spoken to staff in other call centres, one of which who had worked from home since covid permanently. Fair play, if that makes you happy and works for you, you carry on.

 

The problem I have is that the office is 40 miles away, plus st home I have my own office.

To go back full time means a lot of money on fuel, a lot more sitting on the M42 and a lot less sleep.

I genuinely think the business works better with 90% of people WFH. Whilst you (not you specifically) might think people would be off cutting the lawn or watching Netflix it doesn’t seem to happen. More often than not I can get hold of people immediately, something I couldn’t before. Even if Teams says they are in a meeting I can drop a message and get a quick reply. It’s far more efficient.

[Loxstock92]

3 hours ago, Genie said:

The problem I have is that the office is 40 miles away, plus st home I have my own office.

To go back full time means a lot of money on fuel, a lot more sitting on the M42 and a lot less sleep.

I genuinely think the business works better with 90% of people WFH. Whilst you (not you specifically) might think people would be off cutting the lawn or watching Netflix it doesn’t seem to happen. More often than not I can get hold of people immediately, something I couldn’t before. Even if Teams says they are in a meeting I can drop a message and get a quick reply. It’s far more efficient.

And if you want to wfh full time you should be able to. It should be down to the individual not the company on whether you wfh.
 

Some of my colleagues would rather wfh permanently and I think they should be allowed to do so if that’s what they want. I’ve seen other people in the thread mention their companies backtrack on allowing wfh and it’s annoyed me. 

 

sorry I rambled on a bit before I was half asleep rocking a toddler to sleep

[chrisp65]

I’ve tried a trip in to the office a few times this week and abandoned it because I wasn’t going to spend an hour sat in a car to get there.

I’m setting off earlier today to actually have an office day.

Dark at 7:15 innit.

 

[El Zen]

I’m off sick today and the missus is wfh. I’ll ask her what it’s like trying to record video lectures whilst I’m disposing of last night’s Guinnesses in the next room. 

[magnkarl]

The m3 is a horrible mess. I'm so glad I have an employer that tracks me on actual progress rather than hours spent in Southampton, Twickenham or Reading (where our offices are at). 

I sometimes go in to London early to avoid the traffic, but it's just impossible as soon as the M25 meets the M3, no matter the bloody time. 

[Genie]

4 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

I’ve tried a trip in to the office a few times this week and abandoned it because I wasn’t going to spend an hour sat in a car to get there.

I’m setting off earlier today to actually have an office day.

Dark at 7:15 innit.

 

I start at 7, so if it’s an office day I get up at 5:30, and out the door at 6:00.

On WFH day I get up 6:45 and then have a quick shower when everyone is awake about 7:30.