Working from home. Is this a desirable lifestyle?

I always hated the "office politics" and banter. I kept myself as far from it as possible. On the days when I was supposed to be in I would often go to the library where mobiles had to be turned off. Solitary working has always suited me.

For the most part as an academic I only went into the office for meetings with my boss or colleagues. Being employed was much like an extension of being a postgrad student. We would agree a series of tasks and a next meeting by which they had to be completed. When I did the work was entirely my business so long as it was completed to deadline. I can only ever recall two occasions when my Prof rang me at home about something. We did have mobiles back then but no smart phones. Academic work was very laid back in those days. It has changed a lot now and I would probably hate it with all the boring gender politics.

Bouncing ideas off other people is always useful though, so WFH on a full-time basis is not always good unless you're running your own business.

karmalady - in answer to your comment my neighbour's hours are approx. 8 - 5ish. He has even commented as long as he moves his mouse his boss does not know what he is doing.

I used to wfh a day or two a week when I was full time. As others have said, it was often better when I needed to finish something that needed concentration, but at the same time, I don't think it's fair on students if academic staff aren't available when they need us. Not everything can be done on email - sometimes a friendly face makes all the difference.

It's also important that staff can meet one another from time to time - mostly formal meetings are fine online, but it's often informal chats that throw up good ideas and collaborative working. I think that hybrid working is better than exclusively 'in the office' or wfh.

These days I only work part time and in a different role. I am almost exclusively at home - going in is entirely at my discretion, and it doesn't really matter to others whether I'm there or not, as my role is very well defined and doesn't need interaction with others that can't be done via email or telephone.

My children both wfh during Covid, and I'm less convinced that it's great for younger people - many of them meet life partners at work, and work can be a good place to make social friends, too. My son lived alone during lockdown, and didn't see anyone from one day to the next, spending all his time online. Now lockdowns are over, he splits his time between home and office. He manages a department, and asks the same of his team - everyone comes in for one set day a week so they all know they can find one another on that day, and they each choose their other wfh day to suit themselves. I think he's quite laid back about it - if someone wants to be in for the gas man or whatever, it's fine, but the expectation is that everyone is in at least twice a week.

My daughter and her partner work in the same office, and split their days in so that the dog has company for most of most days. That works for them (and the dog!), but they don't have a commute - they are able to walk to work, and that makes a difference.

I think it's horses for courses - nobody knows what's best for other people, and I really don't understand the way in which many people see the need to comment or even think about the work patterns of others.

FindingNemo15

karmalady - in answer to your comment my neighbour's hours are approx. 8 - 5ish. He has even commented as long as he moves his mouse his boss does not know what he is doing.

He must know if he is producing nothing. 🤔

As my DD works for an international firm she might be working overnight, so someone might think she's doing nothing if she takes the dog for a walk, snoozes on a sun lounger in the garden during the day.

I think wfh is desirable, if it suits those working. Especially introverts, imo, love not mixing with others. Of course up to each individual.

I very much dislike being with people apart from my husband (also an introvert), I think wfh must be ideal for many people.

Agreed, Calli. When I worked full time I would be at home on some days, and would be doing washing or having coffee with a friend - but that was because I had been working into the night when the house was quiet. If I hadn't met targets it would have been obvious. It never occurred to me that neighbours would be even slightly interested in what they assumed I was doing though. Or even making assumptions at all. That's a rather sinister over-investment in other people's business, IMO.

I prefer working from home. I'm an introvert and hate office politics and being around toxic people! I find being in offices stressful and as people brought treats in, I'd eat them due to stress! So I've lost weight working from home.

I've worked from home since the pandemic. The extra time saved from the commute is the main plus, it's good to be able to take a long lunch-hour & go to the tip, get something out to defrost if I've forgotten. It is hard work though (I am at the computer 7.5 hours daily & it's work that demands a lot of concentration). When it was imposed by Covid, managers seemed scared that we wouldn't work, so there tends to be more targets & oversight. Although we're trusted now, I can still feel under pressure if my elderly neighbour rings for example " I'm not at my desk!" Never breaks for fire alarms or colleagues coming in with their baby or all the little occurrences of office life, just slog. I don't like it half as much as I expected to.

karmalady and calli - for the record I am not a nosey neighbour. My neighbour in question actually told me what he was or was not doing almost as though he was bragging.

FindingNemo15

karmalady and calli - for the record I am not a nosey neighbour. My neighbour in question actually told me what he was or was not doing almost as though he was bragging.

I didn't say you were; however, it can be easy to make assumptions.

Your neighbour sounds like a skiver!

I worked from home home for the last two years of my last job and on other occasions too. It’s not an easy option but there are huge pros. Saving train and bus fares or petrol, using breaks to stick on the washing etc, being in for deliveries.

However, I was normally at my laptop by 7:45am, half an hour for lunch and finishing about 5:45pm.

I always felt part of a team, I was in a national role so never met any of my colleagues but bonded easily as we had a daily meeting first thing, a longer meeting once a week and an entire Dept meeting once a month as well as training and briefings. I loved it.

Btw, imo, it’s a fallacy that people at home are “skiving”, those that don’t work hard or do their jobs properly are just as likely to skive on-site or in an office, as at home. I know a very few colleagues across the years who made went to great lengths to “look busy”. In or out of the office, it made little difference.

All 3 of my sons and 2 of my DILs work from home either permanently or some of the time, they all have separate home offices and wouldn’t have it any other way, in my career it would never have been possible and I enjoyed the work banter but I definitely think it’s the way forward

I have been working from home since March 2021 when I got a new job which was home based (at the time due to COVID). I have everything I need (supplied by the company).
My Mother recently had a bowel cancer operation and I have been able to stay with her and work from there without having to take any time off.
I love working from home, and hardly ever go into the office which is about 40 minutes drive away, but as I have never worked there anyway, I don't feel as though I am missing out on anything.
I live alone, but have an active social life and am involved in my local community, plus I have children and grandchildren who I see regularly.
WFH gives me flexibility, I can start early or finish late if necessary without it really disrupting my routine.
Having said all of that, I have an interview for a new job which will be totally office based, and I think it will take a bit of getting used to after all this time (assuming I get the job)!

I work from home and absolutely love it although confess I'm an introvert by nature!
However I also suffer from a chronic health condition and I'm not sure that I could maintain full time employment if I had to commute etc.

Pre-pamdemic, I was adamant that I would never work from home, as I believed I would be too easily distracted by "quick" household chores.

Then came the pandemic and we had no option but to WFH. I was astonished how much I enjoyed it. I am fortunate in having an available bedroom to use as an office, so it doesn't impact home life.

My productivity definitely increased, as I was always the "go-to", from my own team, but also other teams, as I had been working there 10 years and had a lot of knowledge. My day was constantly interrupted with "can you help with...", plus the general hustle and bustle of an office environment.

I have none of that at home. I do actually take breaks at home, which I rarely did in the office.

The team keeps in touch via the tippy-tappy teams messages, so the chit chat and banter is there. If I'm concentrating on a particularly challenging task, I can just mute it.

I have to go to one of the office bases at least one day a month, and that's enough for me to confirm that, for me anyway, WFH is better.

I have now worked from home 3 days a week for 3 years, 2 in the office. I don' t sleep well on the days before I go in, traffic us awful, I only see a few people when I go in, one day would be enough. If I had h1d to go in every day, I would have taken early retirement. I love my home office.

I worked from home for many years in my clinical research job which also involved travelling to different sites 2 to 3 days per week Yes it does require discipline but also management of staff when not out on site we were required to be in our home office during working hours I wonder if this management happens so well these days Now retired my gym is now as busy during the working day as it used to be at the weekends !

I don't think I'd be able to do full time working from home.

I like the sound of a hybrid arrangement.

I work from home, have done since March 2020 - Covid. I thought my boss would have a nervous breakdown with his style of micromanaging people but we're a small company with staff that have been there decades. It's in no-one's interest to bunk off! One very new starter did mention in an office meeting he'd got rid of so much stuff to the dump, he was going daily ... that was very poorly received and he was gone within a month.

I have my office set up in my bedroom, by the window so very little distractions. I'm there from 9am to 1pm - lunch where I can wash up, do a tidy; in Summer I sat in the garden - 2020 was the first time I got to see the annual nesting Blue Tits leave the next! Desk from 2pm to 6pm - I usually finish at 5.30 but I figure I wasn't doing the tube commute so it's not a problem. I moved out of London, I'm still WFH 3 days a week, 2 days in the office - I get a lot done, I feel more productive - big advantage, less paperwork now everything is saved online! No. More. Filing! Honestly it's such a change from the cupboards of files. Colleagues need something, it's saved online for easy access when WFH or in the office.

Oh, my office phone is set up to ring to my desk at home and at the office - being in my bedroom I've fielded calls from the cleaner at 7pm when she couldn't lock the office, and a colleague who hit the wrong button on his annual leave in Sweden - at 6am!

I work from home and have done since the first lock down. I have been able to move to a different location because I work from home. I get more done and I love it. I dont like people so it works for me
I only really need to go to the office for significant meetings which equates to about 3 times in four years.

I was f/t in a council HQ for 25 years, then WFH f/t for 10 years before retiring. I missed the office banter and the social interactions, but WFH was great too, no commuting, breaks meant the washer could go on, dinner could be prep'd. I think l would opt for hybrid working if l was working age now. As long as thr commute was easy tho! That would be the deal breaker

Callistemon21

FindingNemo15

karmalady - in answer to your comment my neighbour's hours are approx. 8 - 5ish. He has even commented as long as he moves his mouse his boss does not know what he is doing.

He must know if he is producing nothing. 🤔

As my DD works for an international firm she might be working overnight, so someone might think she's doing nothing if she takes the dog for a walk, snoozes on a sun lounger in the garden during the day.

As my DD works for an international firm she might be working overnight, so someone might think she's doing nothing if she takes the dog for a walk, snoozes on a sun lounger in the garden during the day.

I think some people are far too quick in making judgments about what they think others are doing, or what they believe they ought to be doing. This doesn't just apply to WFH. Unless someone is doing something obviously unlawful, they would do well to mind their own business.

I once had a landlady who I overhead talking to one of her friends about the variation in the times I left for work in the morning (she was a bit deaf and spoke loudly so she could hear her own voice) - in that manner which implies that something's-going-on. Sometimes I left for work very very early and at other times maybe a couple of hours later.

... because I was a 'temp' and might have a booking which involved long journeys, at other times, it could be local which meant leaving the house ten minutes before the business opened.

"Oh, what does she do then"... "well she says she works in an office"...

Nasty uninformed old woman tittle-tattling malicious gossip.

It mattered little, but such busybodies can cause all sorts of problems with their unenlightened blether.