That may be the case for you but don't assume that everybody will feel that way.
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Remote working preferences (in the longer term)
- Thread starter yorkie
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I'm not that bothered about DSE regulations for my WFH set up.. I'm perfectly capable of deciding myself whether it's comfortable or not.
I would be entirely happy with working from home almost entirely going forward, and only attending the office for meetings or events.
I am however changing jobs in the coming months so a lot will come down to the view of my new employer.
Tracked
Established Member
Working from home except for one day a week, more out of a feeling that I should probably at least go and see my colleagues every now and again, which I might change my mind about if we do get back to normal working! I'd have gone for Only Going in For Meetings Otherwise. The only thing I can't do at home is keep an eye on the Stationery cupboard, I do the ordering and know from experience people won't mention things running out until it's too late 
After nearly four months at home I've found that being in work is worse for getting distracted, there's a big decline in the amount of communications with me & the rest of my team from certain people; we've always thought it was happening because we were there. If I'm dealing some of the more complex areas of my job - making a series of threats to increasingly complex spreadsheets - I can get stuck in with few distractions, which wouldn't happen at work. It's a lot easier to not respond straight away to Skype, and get to an appropriate place to leave stuff, rather than in person with the sleeve-tuggers
Probably makes it easier to separate work from home as I've a spare room that I've set up my office in, before all this it was just used for storing my bikes and winter coats!
After nearly four months at home I've found that being in work is worse for getting distracted, there's a big decline in the amount of communications with me & the rest of my team from certain people; we've always thought it was happening because we were there. If I'm dealing some of the more complex areas of my job - making a series of threats to increasingly complex spreadsheets - I can get stuck in with few distractions, which wouldn't happen at work. It's a lot easier to not respond straight away to Skype, and get to an appropriate place to leave stuff, rather than in person with the sleeve-tuggers
Probably makes it easier to separate work from home as I've a spare room that I've set up my office in, before all this it was just used for storing my bikes and winter coats!
I think its important for the mental health of workers to get back into some sort of routine and that IMHO means getting back into the normal routine of commuting to and from work and not working regularly from home. For many working from home will create tensions as not all homes are conducive to home working due to the presence of family, no spare rooms, cramped space, poor IT connections etc. Also it might become difficult to maintain a work / life balance if you are at home all the time and answering emails at 3am or at the weekends.
I think you should have put "who find it difficult working from home" between "workers" and "to get back"
No not really - social face to face interaction at work is also important for mental health. That is my opinion.
telstarbox
Established Member
I think that's a sign of some people who can't switch off rather than WFH directly - some people did that before the lockdown.
But you say that people shouldn't work from home regularly. Is that choice not specific to every individual as to whether it is good/bad or indifferent to their mental health?
Scrotnig
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Bugger that. The less I have to see of my colleagues face to face, the better my mental health is.
Though, I do see your point, it's not like that for everyone.
Tracked
Established Member
Evidently you've not met some of the people I work with
I've been working from home since day one of the lockdown and at times I have found it boring but now I have been going to the office once or twice a week for a few hours it has been a lot better. In the longer term I think working from home will become more common maybe once a week or so.
Quite agree. Don't see the appeal at all. Perhaps a couple of times a week at most.
VauxhallandI
Established Member
Give me a normal out of work hours world and I could do 4 days a week at home
Indeed, we've pretty much gone straight to the top level of WFH, Working from home, no occasional office visits, and no normal life outside that. I do perhaps worry that some employers will mistake Lockdown Fatigue for Working from Home fatigue when disucssing their future working arrangements.
birchesgreen
Established Member
My company looks to be bringing us back in August 10th (though their plans are so vague at the moment i wonder if they were drawn up by the government!) I haven't really enjoyed WFH that much though will enjoy the commute again a lot less.
nlogax
Established Member
Some weeks or months after I voted here (I can't remember, lockdown time is a nebulous thing) I'm definitely moving towards a preference of half my time WFH and the other onsite or with colleagues. WFH allows me to get more done. No coffee distractions, no annoying drive at the other end of the day and no random chats.
The downside is finding myself working longer hours. WFH is a discipline that I'm usually well versed in. But when every day is WFH day the rules you set yourself start to slide, and before you know it, bang, you've done a twelve or thirteen hour day and it's almost time for bed.
The downside is finding myself working longer hours. WFH is a discipline that I'm usually well versed in. But when every day is WFH day the rules you set yourself start to slide, and before you know it, bang, you've done a twelve or thirteen hour day and it's almost time for bed.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I sometimes do a slower, longer day, e.g. a long lunch or just working slower. But unless you absolutely love your job (in which case you might do a 12 hour day in the office anyway) why would you do that? I don't find stopping work difficult
nlogax
Established Member
I sometimes do a slower, longer day, e.g. a long lunch or just working slower. But unless you absolutely love your job (in which case you might do a 12 hour day in the office anyway) why would you do that? I don't find stopping work difficult
I absolutely love my job, if I didn't I wouldn't nearly so much. But there's been a trend towards longer hours and / or shorter deadlines while on lockdown. Not sure if it's just my team, company or the wider IT industry.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I've not noticed it but then I have been a long term remote worker anyway.
I don't think my views have really changed much over the past 4 months - For me the right balance is probably around 50:50 though completely accept that different people will have different views depending on the sector they work in and frankly the extent to which you are an introvert or an extrovert.
I do think there are some things that are easier in an office environment - be it your weekly catch-ups or we have had a couple of new people start recently and it feels a little more difficult to do inductions (though my last member of staff was in another office anyway so it isn't all that different)
On the other hand some things work better at home - It can be easier to get on with stuff on your own and perhaps not be dragged into the day to day panics that can take lots of time but are not particularly productive. I also feel much more productive due to not having to think about the long commute which can only ever start / end your day badly.
The social side and work-life balance is a difficult one - I am a natural introvert and don't particularly mind not having people around although after 4 months even I wouldn't mind an in-person conversation with someone. I am probably doing a little more than usual...but that is mainly because I have more time on my hands and not much to fill it with.
I do think there are some things that are easier in an office environment - be it your weekly catch-ups or we have had a couple of new people start recently and it feels a little more difficult to do inductions (though my last member of staff was in another office anyway so it isn't all that different)
On the other hand some things work better at home - It can be easier to get on with stuff on your own and perhaps not be dragged into the day to day panics that can take lots of time but are not particularly productive. I also feel much more productive due to not having to think about the long commute which can only ever start / end your day badly.
The social side and work-life balance is a difficult one - I am a natural introvert and don't particularly mind not having people around although after 4 months even I wouldn't mind an in-person conversation with someone. I am probably doing a little more than usual...but that is mainly because I have more time on my hands and not much to fill it with.
Also it depends in the medium term on how dystopian the office is. I'm happy to go back to the office as it was in February. But I'm not going to want to go back to an office with no common facilities, hazard tape everywhere, nervous people, and everyone wearing a mask at their desk all day.
Saw a few posts on twitter this afternoon demanding masks be compulsory in offices too. If you want to wear a mask in an office then do, if you're annoyed others don't then stay at home. I certainly wouldn't be going back to any office that has masks and jumpy people all around. Hancock did rule out masks in offices today - not that this really means much, and not that this would be the first u-turn from the government, but at least they're not actively embracing the idea like in shops.
The media probably won't parrot Twitter mask enthusiasts demands for them to be compulsory in offices because that would mean that journalists would have to wear them!
RomeoCharlie71
Established Member
I agree - if you want to wear a mask in an office feel free, but if you're not going to be happy coming into the office where I'm not wearing one then continue working from home.
And this.
A very good point. All's well until it actually affects them.
I agree entirely, if everyone is being jumpy if someone comes near them, or coughs, there seems very little point in being in the office.
They’ve scheduled 1st September for our office to open in a widespread manner, although I don’t know what they have planned for the set up. Normally we are all in an open plan office and we are all sat close together generally directly facing two other people so I’m guessing some mitigation will have to be thought about.
Jamesrob637
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No please don't everybody go back to the office at once. Evening peak-time driving around Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester today was agreeable although traffic levels have picked up since the days of "full" lockdown. The roads can easily cope with current situations barring accidents.
I must say that although I can’t work from home (I work on other people’s homes
). The difference in traffic around Exeter is very noticeable even now when we’re supposed to be getting back to normal.I think the percentage that haven’t gone back to their normal workplaces yet must be almost the exact same percentage that tips the city into rush hour gridlock normally.
I’m finding that if I go across the city in rush hour it’s taking me virtually no extra time than off peak because it’s just that bit quieter.
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