Is this the end of WFH?

[Deleted member 23270]

I'm with Paul James on this one.

Every study so far seems to suggest that wfh is a positive for both productivity and mental health, the outlier here seems to be you, who appears to have an inbuilt negative attitude on the work ethics of your staff. Ever considered the problem may be your lack of trust, and problems kick on from there?

Every instance I've experienced of WFH is poor. Every organisation now blames Covid for long response times etc because people are no longer in the office. Recent insurance claim.....5 weeks to resolve. Previous claim with same company......6 days. Go figure........

 

[Papas1982]

I'm with Paul James on this one.

Every study so far seems to suggest that wfh is a positive for both productivity and mental health, the outlier here seems to be you, who appears to have an inbuilt negative attitude on the work ethics of your staff. Ever considered the problem may be your lack of trust, and problems kick on from there?

I haven't said that WFH is negative for everyone. But as I can see productivity in and out of the office.
I'm not sure how them in theory being away form the horrible boss I'm perceived to be would translate into that as surely being away form me would cheer them somewhat and have them work harder....

 

[DCB]

Enough of the bickering, personal insults and bad language please.

General warning, please heed it.

 

[Deleted member 30522]

Every instance I've experienced of WFH is poor. Every organisation now blames Covid for long response times etc because people are no longer in the office. Recent insurance claim.....5 weeks to resolve. Previous claim with same company......6 days. Go figure........

I've highlighted the problem, it's not the staff

 

[Deleted member 30522]

Enough of the bickering, personal insults and bad language please.

General warning, please heed it.

I beg your pardon?

 

[Deleted member 23270]

I've highlighted the problem, it's not the staff

I thought the staff did the work?

 

[Ethan]

WFH is working out quite nicely in several different contracts I am doing. I have been doing work for 3 different clients for over a year, and have never met any of them face to face or been in any offices. These are international jobs, with people around the UK, Europe and US, and with WFH nobody has to waste time on planes, waiting at airports, or miss nights staying away. WFH does work a bit differently, though. You need to have more focus and tangible outcomes from meetings because the bumping into people in the corridor where issues are resolved doesn't happen. I use Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet, depending on the client. We also collaborate on document wiring and review using various document management systems. There is the occasional glitch but no worse than someone being late due to traffic.

 

[Deleted member 30522]

I thought the staff did the work?

They're not the "organisation" are they? Just because companies are hiding behind covid to excuse their poor customer service, doesn't mean it's the staff's fault, or indeed that the excuse holds any water.

I lose at least an hour of my day due to idle chit chat in the office that I could totally do without, and which wont happen at home. WFH is far more productive, my work however wants me in week about, that's down to them that I do less than when I am WFH

 

[Deleted member 29109]

We’ve just been told that we need to do 3 days in the office. For no other reason than being ‘visible’ is more important than what people are actually doing ??‍

It appears that some management can’t actually manage their teams unless they are watching over them and micro managing. So everyone now has to be treated like children.

 

[Ethan]

We’ve just been told that we need to do 3 days in the office. For no other reason than being ‘visible’ is more important than what people are actually doing ??‍

It appears that some management can’t actually manage their teams unless they are watching over them and micro managing. So everyone now has to be treated like children.

You have bad management. Presenteeism is a curse of poor quality middle managers who lack the leadership skills to properly manage their teams.

 

[Deleted member 23270]

They're not the "organisation" are they? Just because companies are hiding behind covid to excuse their poor customer service, doesn't mean it's the staff's fault, or indeed that the excuse holds any water.

I lose at least an hour of my day due to idle chit chat in the office that I could totally do without, and which wont happen at home. WFH is far more productive, my work however wants me in week about, that's down to them that I do less than when I am WFH

I disagree. My last job was for an insurance company and the office was mainly call centres dealing with claims for motor, travel, household etc. A very large percentage of employees are young kids. It's low paid with very little incentive to work hard as there isn't much in the way of career progression. They would often hang around the coffee machines and breakout areas chatting. If they are like that in the office then working from home is a free pass to them to do as little as they can get away with.

 

[Deleted member 30522]

I disagree. My last job was for an insurance company and the office was mainly call centres dealing with claims for motor, travel, household etc. A very large percentage of employees are young kids. It's low paid with very little incentive to work hard as there isn't much in the way of career progression. They would often hang around the coffee machines and breakout areas chatting. If they are like that in the office then working from home is a free pass to them to do as little as they can get away with.

That's a totally different, and very specific scenario.

We're talking about general office work, not call centres

 

[Deleted member 23270]

That's a totally different, and very specific scenario.

We're talking about general office work, not call centres

Not at all, working in a call centre is still office work. I agree many (most?) people are motivated and mature enough to manage their own time and workload but many aren't and they need to be micro managed in an office environment.
As stated in an earlier post, I'm waiting for companies to respond to me and they are taking unacceptable amounts of time to do so but there wasn't a problem pre covid.

 

[Fromtherough]

You have bad management. Presenteeism is a curse of poor quality middle managers who lack the leadership skills to properly manage their teams.

Agree. Presenteeism is the crux of what JRM is trying to impose on the civil service.

 

[Marshy77]

I disagree. My last job was for an insurance company and the office was mainly call centres dealing with claims for motor, travel, household etc. A very large percentage of employees are young kids. It's low paid with very little incentive to work hard as there isn't much in the way of career progression. They would often hang around the coffee machines and breakout areas chatting. If they are like that in the office then working from home is a free pass to them to do as little as they can get away with.

Think you've highlighted the problem with low pay, no incentive and no progression.

Don't think the issue in a lot of cases in the thread is WFH it's staff management. If you let staff take the p then they'll take the p, WFH or in the office. WFH has probably highlighted issues with poor management more than anything.

 

[IanM]

Agree. Presenteeism is the crux of what JRM is trying to impose on the civil service.

Only on the little bit he's responsible for!

Some processes are best done on-site, many it doesn't matter a jott! But, poor leadership can operate in any environment.

 

[need_my_wedge]

I’ve been working from home two days a week for the last 10 years or so, and permanently since Covid. My office was an hour and forty minutes each way, and I work 7:00 -15:30 to skip traffic. Now it’s 30 seconds and I don’t have that daily challenge at all, I’m more refreshed, sleep better, and longer, and am way more productive. No problem staying online an extra hour if needed, still finish before I would have gotten home, and saving a shed load on diesel cost, not to mention reducing my Carbon emissions. What’s not to like…

The company has changed my contract to once a week in the office, but currently don’t plan to return other than the odd meeting. We have also introduced flexible Fridays, make up two or three hours in the week and take Friday pm off. I can also get golf in on Tuesday evenings and Friday afternoons, which I couldn’t do previously. It’s all been working very nicely thus far.

 

[Deleted member 23270]

I’ve been working from home two days a week for the last 10 years or so, and permanently since Covid. My office was an hour and forty minutes each way, and I work 7:00 -15:30 to skip traffic. Now it’s 30 seconds and I don’t have that daily challenge at all, I’m more refreshed, sleep better, and longer, and am way more productive. No problem staying online an extra hour if needed, still finish before I would have gotten home, and saving a shed load on diesel cost, not to mention reducing my Carbon emissions. What’s not to like…

The company has changed my contract to once a week in the office, but currently don’t plan to return other than the odd meeting. We have also introduced flexible Fridays, make up two or three hours in the week and take Friday pm off. I can also get golf in on Tuesday evenings and Friday afternoons, which I couldn’t do previously. It’s all been working very nicely thus far.

Similar to my experience. Pre covid I worked from home every Wednesday, I was on the tee by 4.15 every week in the summer. Fulltime from home when the pandemic kicked in, also a 1hr30 commute each way so gained 3 hours a day. As you say, what's not to like

Problem still remains with companies being less productive though and blaming everything on the pandemic.

 

[need_my_wedge]

Similar to my experience. Pre covid I worked from home every Wednesday, I was on the tee by 4.15 every week in the summer. Fulltime from home when the pandemic kicked in, also a 1hr30 commute each way so gained 3 hours a day. As you say, what's not to like

Problem still remains with companies being less productive though and blaming everything on the pandemic.

I work 3rd line support, I don’t deal with customers and have no need to be in an office to resolve problems, all my systems are available via internet, I have 500mb fibre to property. I’m a team oc one and use Teams to deal with anyone I need to speak to, it works well for me, if anything, I’ve gained productivity.

 

[Mudball]

Well.. another angle. You can now WFH got 20% less

Law firm says staff can work from home - for 20% less pay https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61298394