Working from home. Is this a desirable lifestyle?

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

lsummer that is a problem, it could be very isolating, particularly for someone living alone during lockdowns.

I'm glad he has a job he enjoys now.

I worked from home for many years and my daughter is doing the same - both of us as free-lancers. WFH is very good for parents because children can be taken to and picked up from school and a poorly child (not seriously ill) can be looked after at home, no need to ask for special leave. A designated office or office area is an absolute must and friends and family have to understand that work hours are sacrosanct unless in an emergency.

I worked from home intermittently on and off for about a year for health reasons before I retired and absolutely hated it!! I liked my stress to be kept in the office where it belonged and not imported to my home . My husband and dog treated me as if I was at home and my office, naturally treated me as if I were at the office , which technically speaking of course, I was .Telephone calls that had been made to the Office had to be returned so not that much changed.
Reduced wear and tear on myself through reduced travelling and reduced cost of travelling didn't really , for me, compensate.
Just a personal point of view.

My son during Covid had to work from home, then when people could go back his company decided to continue WFH.
He lives in a flat on his own and apart from having to kit out his second bedroom as an office it had a massive impact on his mental health. His line manager who he did speak to every day recognised his problem and did arrange some counselling through the company.
In the end he had to leave, unfortunately he panicked and took a job that really didn’t suit him in a small family company who micromanaged him and treated him unbelievably and eventually he was forced to resign ( they told him they would sack him if he didn’t).
He is now 6 months into a job he loves and is doing really well, he manages his own time and can choose to work occasionally at home but he mostly enjoys being in the office,

FindingNemo15

My neighbour works from home. This seems to include washing his and DDs cars, gardening, decorating, shopping, walking the dog, etc.

Need I go on? I don't see how he has time to do his job.

If he doesn't manage his time properly and isn't fulfilling his duties then it's between him and his firm.

It does enable people to work differently; without the daily, sometimes very long, commute, some may start work at 6 am then have a break (perhaps take the dog for a quick walk) while others are still stuck in traffic jams.
People I know combine some days WFH with days in the office.
For others, who work internationally, it is now an accepted way of life.

Most people can't, though, those in public-facing jobs such as the medical world, shops, hospitality, schools etc.

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As a teacher I never had the option, although I did plenty of work (marking, planning) in the evenings at home.
What I think I would find difficult would be the lack of cut off between work and home. I used to lev a 40 minute drive from school and although the drive was tedious it cleared my mind preparing for or leaving work behind during the journey.
Living close by, as I did for 24 years, I was never free of it.

FindingNemo15

My neighbour works from home. This seems to include washing his and DDs cars, gardening, decorating, shopping, walking the dog, etc.

Need I go on? I don't see how he has time to do his job.

you have no idea of his actual working hours

I worked from home for several organisations, with time at my work bases varying between once a week to once a month, almost continuously from the early 1990s. Much of my work was out and about on other sites and locations (the one thing I miss about work is the extensive travel) but I still wanted a separation between home life and work, so I always had a separate office in my home, with a firm rule that I was not to be disturbed if the door was closed.

I also rarely in that thirty years had fixed hours, just a number of hours I was contracted to work, so within reason I could work to suit the needs of clients and partner organisation stations, and myself, which was an additional flexibility that I valued.

I only had one job in that time that didn’t fit those parameters, and I didn’t stay very long, as it didn’t offer me enough other professional benefits to offset the loss of autonomy.

I was highly productive, efficient and effective, as were the vast majority of my colleagues working in the same way. I do understand that it doesn’t suit every organisation, or every individual, but it was great for me and my employers, and not by any means a way to skive.

I only work 2 days a week both from Home.
I run a Hospital clinic from home as all the information I need is on line, via the Hospital IT system. All secure as I have to go through a set process also have a secure app to communicate to team on site. If I need to speak to a patient I just ring them, the biggest problem with that is getting people to answer the phone!
I'm part of a team that works this way . We get through far more work doing this , on site you get constant interruptions. This will be the normal in quiet a clinics in the future.

My son works from home a couple of days and in office the other quite a good balance says he gets more done at home. And yes he does put his washing out!

Various family members have to work from home , none of them will appear out of the “office” until finishing time!
Sometimes my daughter next door will pop in for coffee at 11 , but with one eye on the clock , she leaves after 10 mins , or if summoned by her phone
Another daughter does the long commute to the office one day a week ,
One son asked to go back into the office , he missed interacting and bouncing ideas around ,
It does seem to be good but with the odd blip , but that’s life

My neighbour works from home. This seems to include washing his and DDs cars, gardening, decorating, shopping, walking the dog, etc.

Need I go on? I don't see how he has time to do his job.

My son and girlfriend worked from home during lockdown, their spare bedroom had to be turned into an office. In their sphere, publishing, productivity increased everyone was buying books. They enjoyed it initially it gave them the opportunity to acquire a puppy. Eventually they returned to the office two to three days a week, my son likes the split he enjoys interaction with colleagues. They have had to acquire a dog walker for their pooch, but were glad to support a young woman acquaintance in her new venture in that respect.

I worked from home for several years before retirement in a dedicated room next to the front door. Plenty of space, laid out to suit me, a comfortable working environment which allowed for 1:1 meetings with no intrusion into the home environment. It was so easy and non stressful. Distractions were minimal, friends and family knew if I was working I’d not answer door or phone. There was a split phone line with two ringing sounds, one for personal calls the other for my work calls. We had plenty of parking available for work callers so no aggravation for neighbours. It’s necessary to be disciplined and not let work intrude on family time, to take breaks. I tried to have a short walk at lunch time. I loved it but am less sure I would have without the luxury of dedicated space and by then a child free home. Whether it works well for people does I think depend on personality.

Three of my ACs work from home very successfully. They all say they can get more done without the busy commute every day and taking more cars off the road is surely a good thing.
I remember being interrupted at work by colleagues who wanted a chat or the endless collections for birthdays etc. I would have got more done at home.

I've worked from home since the pandemic. My choice I sold my house and moved far from the office to be nearer my daughter and grandsons.

Many of the positives are listed above.

But I hate the loneliness, lose of office banter, feeling excluded from all the social side of office life and interaction with the youngsters.

If the company moved the office closer I go back to full time working in the office like a shot.

I worked from home in the 90’s particularly as I worked across time zones, so I’d be working with colleagues in the USA in our evenings.
I changed jobs in 2000 and by 2008 was working from home again as and when it seemed sensible as my house is equidistant from the office and the major development site I was responsible for. I enjoyed it, the flexibility, being trusted, I had meetings in my kitchen/diner and rarely had to change for an office meeting. Good broadband and a separate mobile phone were essential.

One daughter and at least 3 of my adult GC work from home it seems to suit them all. My daughter does admin for 2 estate agent office and loves the freedom it offers from not driving in rush hour traffic and allowing her to organise her day as she pleases with breaks away from her computer to take a walk just sit in the garden with lunch etc. They are all less stressed and have a better balance between work and leisure time and my daughter now lives out of London in peaceful surroundings. A lot of people are enjoying the freedom it gives I can’t see things going back to how things were.