The working from home thread
- Thread starter BoatieBird
- Start date
mod
A modernist
It’s getting easier imo. Plus I’m now very used to it.
I think they will be a much more relaxed attitude for several years to come now. WFH a couple of days a week for to foreseeable. A much nicer balance.
It’s one of very few positives to give from all this. On society I mean.
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
Christ no. But companies recruiting remote staff are keen on splashing out on kit. My current employer gave me a pretty flash laptop which I never used. The last few weeks I've been bombarded by offers of desks, chairs, PC kit and now this headset thing. I understand that being remote saves them money but I've been remote for 20 years and so already have everything I need.Are you working for Facebook?
mod
A modernist
Occasionally happy to if it means doing 5 or 6 hour days sometimes and getting to spend more time with my daughter and not commute from Brighton too (which would mean another 3 hours our of each day). This is the most content I've felt about my working routine for years. But that could be because I'm also 5 months sober and feeling very happy and positive generally. Who knows.
mod
A modernist
Its where its heading. Metaverse etc.
NoXion
Craicy the Squirrel
Even before covid, I had colleagues in the office running off to pick up their kids and as far as I could tell, nobody gave a toss.
mx wcfc
Well-Known Member
It wouldn’t have been acceptable at my work.
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
Depends what job you’ve got and if your a manager.
Funny enough at my last place it was never the first line service desk who were nipping off to sort out the kids at 3pm
rubbershoes
not the only raver in the village
Pre covid I wanted to change my hours one day a week so I could collect my children from the school bus on the one day Mrs Shoes couldn't do it. It would involve me leaving 90 minutes early once a week. I'd always hit my time and billing targets and had been their star performer for years. It would have been easy to just say yes.
But my boss insisted on me making a formal request "making a business case for it", and explaining how I'd make up the hours on other days. But she couldn't just look at that and agree it. I had to go to a meeting at her office (45 minute drive away) last thing on a Friday afternoon. The meeting lasted less than 5 minutes.
Now I've been wfh since March 2020 and have unilaterally changed my hours so I work 7.30 - 4.
They said people who wanted a change to their arrangements, such as being wfh, had to put it in writing. So I emailed asking for that and my changed hours. That was months ago and there's been no reply.
Basically, fuck them. I'm going to do what I want and they'll do nothing about it. They need me to keep on making the money that I do. And if I left, they'd have to pay me everything they owe me, which they probably can't.
The downside for me is that I can't leave. They're paying off what they owe slowly and if I leave they may not be able to.
But my boss insisted on me making a formal request "making a business case for it", and explaining how I'd make up the hours on other days. But she couldn't just look at that and agree it. I had to go to a meeting at her office (45 minute drive away) last thing on a Friday afternoon. The meeting lasted less than 5 minutes.
Now I've been wfh since March 2020 and have unilaterally changed my hours so I work 7.30 - 4.
They said people who wanted a change to their arrangements, such as being wfh, had to put it in writing. So I emailed asking for that and my changed hours. That was months ago and there's been no reply.
Basically, fuck them. I'm going to do what I want and they'll do nothing about it. They need me to keep on making the money that I do. And if I left, they'd have to pay me everything they owe me, which they probably can't.
The downside for me is that I can't leave. They're paying off what they owe slowly and if I leave they may not be able to.
cybershot
Well-Known Member
Do you have documentation of the hours your owed?
rubbershoes
not the only raver in the village
It's not a question of being owed hours. I do the number of hours in my contract, but at the times I want to rather than when the contract says I should
cybershot
Well-Known Member
Only if you're happy to go into it, then what exactly is it they owe you?
rubbershoes
not the only raver in the village
More than £1k in expenses and around £80k in loans that they're repaying to the bank
Elpenor
Dancing as fast as I can
Been told again to go back into the office 1 day / week. Don’t really want to but suppose I ought to as I want to go permanent. My dad keeps telling me “it’s good to be in, and get to know people and to be seen by your boss” except she works in a different office and I never saw any managers at all when I worked in the office for my first three months. Am also very happy just doing my work.
Usual system, book a desk (more people than desks). So I either go into the office on a Tuesday or Thursday when there’s other people from my team in, or go in on the other days when I’d be on my own (so erm why bother going in?!).
I’ve not managed to find a docking station which works with my laptop and lets me use dual screens. I find the office stuffy and the chairs uncomfortable. Last time I was there there were 8 people behind me talking loudly and one of them apparently had come in feeling ill but it turned out he later had COVID.
I definitely save money wfh as I don’t have the heating on at home. Petrol isn’t much but would be a bit more than the cost of electricity etc. I guess I’ll do the supermarket on Tuesdays now.
Usual system, book a desk (more people than desks). So I either go into the office on a Tuesday or Thursday when there’s other people from my team in, or go in on the other days when I’d be on my own (so erm why bother going in?!).
I’ve not managed to find a docking station which works with my laptop and lets me use dual screens. I find the office stuffy and the chairs uncomfortable. Last time I was there there were 8 people behind me talking loudly and one of them apparently had come in feeling ill but it turned out he later had COVID.
I definitely save money wfh as I don’t have the heating on at home. Petrol isn’t much but would be a bit more than the cost of electricity etc. I guess I’ll do the supermarket on Tuesdays now.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
New job resolution will be to make more of an effort to get out in the evening more often - wasn't really possible during lockdown / working silly hours job
Did see something on tweeter a few weeks back about an 'after works social but with random local wfh people rather than your colleagues' thing, but it wasn't local here...
Did see something on tweeter a few weeks back about an 'after works social but with random local wfh people rather than your colleagues' thing, but it wasn't local here...
cybershot
Well-Known Member
Look on meetup.com there's probably something similar for your area.
Voley
🐀
We're all officially hybrid workers now - there's leeway for managers to insist you come in if they think it's necessary but I'm lucky enough not to have a manager like that.
I've yet to agree when or if I'll go in but I'm fairly certain it's just going to be whenever I need to. Suits me just fine. Wfh has been the biggest improvement to my working conditions in years - you'd really have to twist my arm to get me to give it up now.
I've yet to agree when or if I'll go in but I'm fairly certain it's just going to be whenever I need to. Suits me just fine. Wfh has been the biggest improvement to my working conditions in years - you'd really have to twist my arm to get me to give it up now.
Buddy Bradley
Pantheistic solipsist
Our office has opened up again, but I still have no desire to go in. Apart from it costing me an extra £20 in train fare and lunch every day (and an extra hour of travelling), I don't even work directly with any of the people that would be there. Completely pointless aside from socialising.
rubbershoes
not the only raver in the village
They're talking about getting more people back in.
Fuck that. I'm staying at home. I've got an elderly dog and she needs tickles during the day
Fuck that. I'm staying at home. I've got an elderly dog and she needs tickles during the day
Voley
🐀
That's my situation too. My team is spread out over Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. Even if I went in to my local office I wouldn't see any of them. So yeah, pretty pointless really.
I vaguely mentioned about us all meeting in Devon - in the middle of the three counties - at some point in the near future and it was met with a collective shrug of the shoulders.
mx wcfc
Well-Known Member
We are back to going in once a week, twice if there's a good reason to. I'm comfortable with that, It's a change of scenery, and I'm not at home all day with only the M-i-L for company (!). Pub afterwards to catch up with a few Reading mates, so all good.
I dread having to go back full time. Mrs mx has to go into work (unless she absolutely cannot), we have my M-i-L living here and now my daughter has moved out, it only works because I'm around to give M-i-L lunch and generally keep an eye on her. Mrs mx will have to WFH tomorrow as I'm going in.
My biggest grumble about going in is that my trains still aren't back to the pre-pandemic timetable, which is a PITA getting home sometimes.
I dread having to go back full time. Mrs mx has to go into work (unless she absolutely cannot), we have my M-i-L living here and now my daughter has moved out, it only works because I'm around to give M-i-L lunch and generally keep an eye on her. Mrs mx will have to WFH tomorrow as I'm going in.
My biggest grumble about going in is that my trains still aren't back to the pre-pandemic timetable, which is a PITA getting home sometimes.
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
Just came across a job listing I'm quite tempted by, I'd probably get better pay but on the other hand I might have to actually a) work and b) go the office more than once a week.
Not sure I'm ready for that yet. Maybe I'll apply and use it as leverage to get the pay rise they've skipped this year.
Not sure I'm ready for that yet. Maybe I'll apply and use it as leverage to get the pay rise they've skipped this year.
KatyF
Barren of fucks
So as of last week we are now in for 60% of our working week with Tuesdays and Thursday being compulsory. I did point out it was daft us all being in in case we all get ill but no one was bothered. I'm split across 2 different offices as well so double the germs.
I've just got a contract through for a new job that is happening and there's no word of hybrid working in there, even though it's been discussed so I'm going back to them on that.
I've just got a contract through for a new job that is happening and there's no word of hybrid working in there, even though it's been discussed so I'm going back to them on that.
ruffneck23
front left
My company seems to be well on board with WFH and looking into unlimited PTO, which if happens il rinse the shit out of it before moving on
But I love working from home, and think im more productive, yet still spend most days playing games, saying that I do the odd Sat ( from home) for nowt so dont feel bad.
But I love working from home, and think im more productive, yet still spend most days playing games, saying that I do the odd Sat ( from home) for nowt so dont feel bad.
Elpenor
Dancing as fast as I can
1 day a week seems to be the minimum commitment I need to make and officially we are classed ashybrid workers. My line manager works in a different office which is a few hours drive away.
Went in yesterday - there were 7 or 8 people in an office that seats 36. 1 of those is retiring next week (he came in every day during covid and during the storm last week as his wife likes him out of the house apparently).
One colleague has to go in every day “to do the post and printing” and we get approx 2 letters a day in the mailbag and only print a few hundred payslips and the odd letter every month. He’s fed up as he will be on his own most days. His manager is being a prick about it and insisting that if he does overtime at the weekend he will need to come to the office
Went in yesterday - there were 7 or 8 people in an office that seats 36. 1 of those is retiring next week (he came in every day during covid and during the storm last week as his wife likes him out of the house apparently).
One colleague has to go in every day “to do the post and printing” and we get approx 2 letters a day in the mailbag and only print a few hundred payslips and the odd letter every month. He’s fed up as he will be on his own most days. His manager is being a prick about it and insisting that if he does overtime at the weekend he will need to come to the office
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