Working From Home Again

[GreiginFife]

There is a new hybrid model of working. Many are deciding to work from home on a Monday and Friday.

Commuting to an office on a Tuesday, Wednesday And a Thursday is becoming more common. There is even a name for this model, ***'s around the country are utilizing using this model of flexible working.

Are you a ***? or do you know any ***'s?

Back in 2002 whilst still at Sky 8 teams trialled a new shift pattern which was Tues, Wed & Thurs doing 12 hour shifts, my team was one of them and we were always referred to as the TWATers.
Sky was never great at acronyms as the Special Heights Install Team was testament to.

 

[clubchamp98]

Short answer to the separation in our case is with great difficulty. Home was never set up with an office, so one of us working from the kitchen table and the other one off the dressing table in the bedroom. It’s like you never leave the “office”. I’m convinced the elbow problems I now have are due to the change in set up with the laptop, as that is the only change that has been made (kitchen table much higher and chairs much lower than the office desk set up).

I’m actually quite envious of those who have been able to “go into work”. I’m now having to go in to cover the building for a few days pre Christmas but sitting on your own in an office designed for 30 isn’t a lot of fun either.

And before anyone starts, yes I know I’m fortunate that I still have a job, but the current set up isn’t without its own issues.

Ergonomics are very important and you should sort it out.
You can cause yourself lots of problems.
Can you claim any help for this ?
I remember MPs had 10k expenses I think.

 

[fundy]

Been working from home since 2007. I was ahead of the game!

2004

 

[HeftyHacker]

Working from home has been a blessing and a curse for me.

A blessing in that I've seen far more of my 6 month old daughter than I ever would have done had I been in the office full time like I used to.

A curse in that My productivity has definitely dropped and I feel slightly more out of touch with the comings and goings in our firm, the "cooler talk" that you get in the office.

I'd recently just started going back into the office for a day or two a week and was really enjoying the hybrid working.

In summer wfh is a godsend for golfing. Cutting out a 35 minute commute means I can be at the course much quicker!

 

[Reemul]

I worked from home until July this year, wasn't keen on going back but having gone back I love it at the office and dislike working from home. I can, from Monday work from home if I wish or stay in the office. It's a big office with just 10 of us well spread out. My office is excellent at home with Dual monitors as well as Sky TV in there as well but I just prefer working with my colleagues.

I found when I permanently had to work from home I did not want to return because all I could remember with the crap things about the office. However once I got back I realised I had forgotten all the good things you got from working with other people. We have a great office and office atmosphere and the support and mental well being you get from that is worth more than locking myself away at home. The 10 of us in the office will continue in the office the rest who come in occasionally will now not come in at all.

 

[Billysboots]

I’m glad I’ve retired now because, much as I didn’t particularly miss the office during my last twelve months, supervising staff remotely was a nightmare.

 

[need_my_wedge]

Worked from home 2 days a week for the last 10 years, and every day since March 2020. I have a desk set up in the spare room with my office system, multiple screens etc. It works well and I'm happy to do it forever more. My office commute is 60 miles each way, I haven't missed it at all. I've gained an extra 3-4 hours a day, less tired, more productive, it's win win for me. My contract has now been changed so that I only have to go in once a week if/ when we go back.

 

[CliveW]

"Working From Home" has been an excuse for poor response and poor performance for too long as far as I'm concerned. I have been trying to obtain planning permission for an infill plot and so far it has taken over 16 months to get a response from the council despite many attempts on my behalf to try and speed it up despite them taking payment. I have also had the same problems with getting a new water and electricity supply to outbuildings and the response is always "We're having to work from home." I realise at the outset of lockdown it was best to work from home but since the early summer it was not compulsory, yet it is still an excuse.

 

[Funt1m3]

?? I had not heard the *** analogy but we’re one of them. We’ve been told to wfh, but I’ll continue to go in as I cannot comprehend how people wfh 5 days a week. Cannot be good for your health

and for those managing teams, are you convinced the wfh model works? On the days where my team are at home, I’m convinced they are not as productive as they are in the office

 

[chrisd]

I'm working from home, not least because I had to make all the rest of the employees redundant last week ?

 

[Blue in Munich]

"Working From Home" has been an excuse for poor response and poor performance for too long as far as I'm concerned. I have been trying to obtain planning permission for an infill plot and so far it has taken over 16 months to get a response from the council despite many attempts on my behalf to try and speed it up despite them taking payment. I have also had the same problems with getting a new water and electricity supply to outbuildings and the response is always "We're having to work from home." I realise at the outset of lockdown it was best to work from home but since the early summer it was not compulsory, yet it is still an excuse.

Whilst it may not be, or have been, Government guidance to work from home, local authorities have been pushing their employees to work from home throughout this pandemic regardless. Those of us at the coal face realise it is not the best thing, but it is still the directive. So maybe cut those who are being made to work from home despite it not being the best for productivity or their mental health a bit of slack?

Oh no, I forgot, they're public servants so it's open season for slagging them off.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Whilst it may not be, or have been, Government guidance to work from home, local authorities have been pushing their employees to work from home throughout this pandemic regardless. Those of us at the coal face realise it is not the best thing, but it is still the directive. So maybe cut those who are being made to work from home despite it not being the best for productivity or their mental health a bit of slack?

Oh no, I forgot, they're public servants so it's open season for slagging them off.

Companies, the public sector, whoever, have had 18 months or more to get their house in order on this. If you are going to have working from home the wrinkles and problems should have been resolved by now. If the problems are still there in any volume then they need to have a look at how they work. It has been going on for long enough that it should no longer be an excuse.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

"Working From Home" has been an excuse for poor response and poor performance for too long as far as I'm concerned. I have been trying to obtain planning permission for an infill plot and so far it has taken over 16 months to get a response from the council despite many attempts on my behalf to try and speed it up despite them taking payment. I have also had the same problems with getting a new water and electricity supply to outbuildings and the response is always "We're having to work from home." I realise at the outset of lockdown it was best to work from home but since the early summer it was not compulsory, yet it is still an excuse.

I'd agree councils have done this very badly, but that's more an indictment of the ethos in councils, which is to over-staff and underwork and has encouraged the wrong type to slack even more (imo of course )

 

[Neilds]

I'd agree councils have done this very badly, but that's more an indictment of the ethos in councils, which is to over-staff and underwork and has encouraged the wrong type to slack even more (imo of course )

I really hope your post was tongue in cheek!!! If you are being serious then you need to have a bit of a reality check!

My wife works for the county council, dealing in housing benefits and during the pandemic they have seen a massive rise in claims - not all of them legitimate (see news today on benefit fraud) and there has been no gap in the service they have offered. As for being overstaffed, I cannot believe any council is overstaffed at the worker level, in the case of the council my wife works for they have a spending deficit of £40 million so having too many staff is certainly not the case.

 

[CliveW]

Perth & Kinross replied to my planning application over a year ago with "According to our aerial observations...." when questioned it meant Google Maps shows...

 

[Swango1980]

I've chosen to continue going into work. Working from home was a nightmare from a practical point of view (poor working environment, slow computer, etc). But, mentally it was doing my head in. I need that separation between work and home.

 

[PJ87]

I've chosen to continue going into work. Working from home was a nightmare from a practical point of view (poor working environment, slow computer, etc). But, mentally it was doing my head in. I need that separation between work and home.

Do you have a choice? Not a dig. Genuinely thought it was work from home if you can

So if you can didn't think you get a choice

Only thought it was if your work like stacking shelf's, being a Dr, driving a bus that can't be done from home meant you go to work

 

[IanM]

One size never fits all... organisations need to remember this. If you want to read some utter codswallop on the subject have a look at Linked-In. It's hilarious!

 

[Reemul]

Do you have a choice? Not a dig. Genuinely thought it was work from home if you can

So if you can didn't think you get a choice

Only thought it was if your work like stacking shelf's, being a Dr, driving a bus that can't be done from home meant you go to work

It's not compulsory, my work prefers us in and I prefer being in, 9 of us in the office today.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not got the option. Been working since the first outbreak (well the first death was adjacent to my office!) and will continue to do so. We need to maintain an admin presence and so I need to be in if my admin team are working. We have moved location from being on the main unit at times to a small office but that brings its own challenges. While we are able to work normally we will