The working from home thread

[mx wcfc]

Encouraging noises from on high today. The big boss did an online video broadcast and one of the topics was how the company is using this time to figure out how permanent WFH might work. They sound genuinely positive about it.
It seems many colleagues are desperate to get back to the office, and it is recognised that different home circumstances/commutes are a factor in this, but the way it is looking, assuming I still have a job at the end of this, the days of going into the office 5 days a week, because that's what is expected are over.

 

[a_chap]

Have been emailed to say all our offices (regional and head) are remaining closed and we're expected to work from home until at least 1st September.

 

[cybershot]

I’ve been using this as my zoom background (instructions in the description to download) people seem to enjoy it. But will obviously get boring quick.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I heard about someone who works for a county council, and the 'o' key broke on their keyboard.

h bllcks

We now have a branded Teams backdrop for video calls, so you can be on screen, with the firm's logo and strapline in the top left corner of the screen and a "professional" looking background. What fun.

colleague set up a background of themself at computer

then when colleague b said "are you still there? think you have frozen" they walked in

(colleague b is the one who was getting a's alexa to play weird music when they went to the bog)

 

[mx wcfc]

Have been emailed to say all our offices (regional and head) are remaining closed and we're expected to work from home until at least 1st September.

I can't see us being back even then. I work in a tall building and the building management have given up trying to figure out how to maintain social distancing in the lifts whilst getting people up to the nth floor.

Ho, ho, fucking ho at "prestige" skyscraper office blocks!

 

[Roadkill]

Oh great, another online training course on Friday, with yet more videos to watch in preparation.

 

[stavros]

By covering the camera on my laptop whilst working I was able to dance along in a very silly manner to the music I was listening to. I think I achieved some other things today too.

 

[Supine]

Starting a new job soon. First two weeks will be working from home. That will be a weird introduction to the organisation.

 

[PursuedByBears]

I work in university administration. We were told today that we're not going back on campus until at least January.

 

[a_chap]

I work in university administration. We were told today that we're not going back on campus until at least January.

Yeah but it's not as if university administrators actually do any work though...

[runs]

 

[May Kasahara]

Our office building is reopening (in a restricted fashion) in a couple of weeks' time, so lots of risk assessing and discussions about who might be allowed back, when and how. I suspect a sort of bubble/rota arrangement for those that want to return. Management are fine with continued WFH, but I get the sense that lots of people (including me) are feeling the strain and would like at least a little office time.

In other news, I'm working in one of our college centres tomorrow. So excited

 

[gentlegreen]

Virtual team meeting - HR still sending out H&S reminders - including manual handling .. would virtual manual handling training actually be a good use of time since everyone's working from home ...

 

[quimcunx]

Has there been an update from the government I've missed? quite possible as I avoid them.

Specifically has there been anything saying people who can work from home, as of 1st of July you are to return to your offices? Or from 1 July you may return to your offices if you want, even though you can work from home.?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

HR still sending out H&S reminders

That's normal though - we've all had to do risk assessment things, basically questionnaires about our home working environment. We used to have to do them in the olden times so nowt has changed.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Has there been an update from the government I've missed? quite possible as I avoid them.

Specifically has there been anything saying people who can work from home, as of 1st of July you are to return to your offices? Or from 1 July you may return to your offices if you want, even though you can work from home.?

Not seen anything myself. It seems likely many employers are just letting it continue for now, as they won't be able to accommodate everyone back in the offices, packed in like sardines.

 

[Cerv]

we've been told today that they're targeting August 3rd to reopen the office but only for those who have issues working from home or need access to something on site.
otherwise, January.

 

[May Kasahara]

Our office is cautiously reopening to staff from next week. On a strict rota basis, with clear protocols in place, and with the proviso that anyone who can WFH and wants or needs to should do so - there's no management requirement to be back in at all.

 

[MBV]

Have decided this evening to tidy the spare room and use that as my wfh space rather than working downstairs. I feel need more of a boundary between work and home.

 

[a_chap]

Working from home has a few downsides.

I've just finished a Teams call with one of our contractors.

At 11:50pm

 

[hegley]

We've just had an email stressing the importance of blocking time out in diaries, where possible keeping virtual meetings under an hour, not over lunchtimes, and not on Fridays; basically self-care for the wfh age. What we haven't had is any sort of timeline about when we might get back to the office and I think the vagueness of that message (even though I quite like wfh) is playing on my mind.

 

[NoXion]

Fellow home-workers, I'd really appreciate some advice. How do I avoid the temptation to look up shit like current events and politics and get myself all worked up? I need a distraction that doesn't substitute boredom with agitation. I feel knackered at the end of the workday.

For the sake of my cortisol levels, please help.

 

[Numbers]

Smoke weed.

 

[stavros]

How do I avoid the temptation to look up shit like current events and politics and get myself all worked up?

In knowledge of the standard of person currently running the world, remember that it'll just piss you off more.

 

[kabbes]

Fellow home-workers, I'd really appreciate some advice. How do I avoid the temptation to look up shit like current events and politics and get myself all worked up? I need a distraction that doesn't substitute boredom with agitation. I feel knackered at the end of the workday.

For the sake of my cortisol levels, please help.

Do you want to replace it with more work or with an alternative non-work distraction?

 

[NoXion]

Do you want to replace it with more work or with an alternative non-work distraction?

The latter. My work can get a bit monotonous and I need something to break it up.

 

[kabbes]

The latter. My work can get a bit monotonous and I need something to break it up.

Bolt it into something you already regularly do, so that you have a trigger for your alternative activity. Eg when and only when you’ve performed task X at work, at that point you go and read up to one chapter of a book or some other predetermined thing you like the idea of

 

[mx wcfc]

Bolt it into something you already regularly do, so that you have a trigger for your alternative activity. Eg when and only when you’ve performed task X at work, at that point you go and read up to one chapter of a book or some other predetermined thing you like the idea of

This works for me, in a "you must complete task x before logging onto Urban" way.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Fellow home-workers, I'd really appreciate some advice. How do I avoid the temptation to look up shit like current events and politics and get myself all worked up? I need a distraction that doesn't substitute boredom with agitation. I feel knackered at the end of the workday.

For the sake of my cortisol levels, please help.

I have my laptop on next to the work one on the desk, and have a look at the news and stuff when I want a change, but it looks like the news is winding you up. Maybe youtube videos of kittens or something, whatever you find calming.

 

[kabbes]

I think it’s about not reacting in the moment to being bored but rather deciding in advance how you’re going to fill your time away from the keyboard. And then defusing the triggers that lead you to load up the news sites by preempting them with specific routines.

 

[Badgers]

Fellow home-workers, I'd really appreciate some advice. How do I avoid the temptation to look up shit like current events and politics and get myself all worked up? I need a distraction that doesn't substitute boredom with agitation. I feel knackered at the end of the workday.

For the sake of my cortisol levels, please help.

I have started doing a long morning walk or cycle but leaving my phone at home. Then another walk after lunch again without phone.

Listening to a lot of podcasts and baking too.

It is hard to avoid the horror of the news at the moment.