Would you rather...WFH full-time, return to the office full-time or hybrid

[greenvelvet]

I work in London and live about 1 hour, 40 minutes away (I know ). The train is massively expensive, even for two days, but it still works out that I have more money than I would if I worked locally, and there’s scope for pay rises etc.. I do wish I had a nice commute and that I could bike 15 minutes to work.

My work is asking us to come back in 2 days a week and of course it’s hard on the rest of my life - harder to do chores, blows a couple evenings out of the water a week, etc. etc..

However, I went in recently and found that one of my colleagues, who’s been a huge source of anxiety and intense workload for me, is actually a straight up head and a bully. My coworkers all spotted this and now the work he gives me and way he treats me is under observation by management. He generated several complaints on our first day back which was a bit impressive, and helped me understand that it’s not just part of the job to accept his BS - it’s him being nasty. I do think it helps to go in every so often because it’s easier to suss people out and understand certain dynamics.

 

[rememberwayne]

Pinning all my hopes on being able to go back to the office full time and actually see another human

My friend is currently the opposite of yourself, she is possibly having to go back to office and dreading it. We are all different and would be great if we had a choice, the ones who like office can go in more, and vice versa.

 

[Tublet83]

To be fair my current employer is basically leaving it open to us to do what we want unless there is a business need. This won’t start until Jan at the earliest though (local government) and they haven’t made any modifications to the offices for conference calls etc.

I’m moving to the civil service and again saying really flexible wfh but I can go an work in an office if I want (may do a couple days a week to make some friends ) but this won’t be with my team who are spread nationally

 

[Icing _on_ the_cake]

I find working from home isolating. We've had a lot if people leave and I don't have a relationship with the new people at all, people are mentioned in meetings and I'm like 'Who is that again?'

My shared house also isn't designed for wfh. No space for office chairs and ergonomic set ups, bad lighting etc. I've been going back in 2 days a week and being in a space designed for work has been great.

My work is going hybrid - I've opted to go in full time. I've found the last year and a half torturous and don't want anymore of it. I'll have a permanent desk - I would hate the anxiety of having to book desks and since we are decreasing desk space do there's only enough for a third of the staff, there's no guarantee you'll get one.

I'm worried my line manager however will be nearly entirely wfh. They speak about the office in a way where they seem to see it as a nuisance that gets in the way of their work. I think they will come in once a week for meetings and then leave. They seem to see the interpersonal stuff as a pain when actually, especially if you are managing people, its an intrinsic part. I've already been quite unhappy with lack of any feeling of team working under them and I don't feel its going to get better under the new system.

 

[Homebird44]

I find working from home isolating. We've had a lot if people leave and I don't have a relationship with the new people at all, people are mentioned in meetings and I'm like 'Who is that again?'

My shared house also isn't designed for wfh. No space for office chairs and ergonomic set ups, bad lighting etc. I've been going back in 2 days a week and being in a space designed for work has been great.

My work is going hybrid - I've opted to go in full time. I've found the last year and a half torturous and don't want anymore of it. I'll have a permanent desk - I would hate the anxiety of having to book desks and since we are decreasing desk space do there's only enough for a third of the staff, there's no guarantee you'll get one.

I'm worried my line manager however will be nearly entirely wfh. They speak about the office in a way where they seem to see it as a nuisance that gets in the way of their work. I think they will come in once a week for meetings and then leave. They seem to see the interpersonal stuff as a pain when actually, especially if you are managing people, its an intrinsic part. I've already been quite unhappy with lack of any feeling of team working under them and I don't feel its going to get better under the new system.

I really hope you get to go back full time. Wfh isn't for everybody.

 

[emm]

I am about to change jobs and a big factor in it was that the new role allows some WFH, my current job has insisted that we are all in the office 5 days a week, despite being more than able to do our jobs from home. Of course this has now resulted in 4 people being off work with covid in the past 2 weeks

 

[jaymie]

I am about to change jobs and a big factor in it was that the new role allows some WFH, my current job has insisted that we are all in the office 5 days a week, despite being more than able to do our jobs from home. Of course this has now resulted in 4 people being off work with covid in the past 2 weeks

Well done and congratulations . Those lunch time lay in is unreal love it. I eat on my desk and go lay around my bed for 45min hahah

 

[jaymie]

I have never heard of VSA Capital but it sounded toxic af

 

[Kezzle]

Pinched from memes thread

 

[Tublet83]

My new role will be permanent wfh I’m investing in fleecy socks and more lounge wear for my new job

 

[emm]

I have never heard of VSA Capital but it sounded toxic afView attachment 777174

I don't get comments like these, if your job involves so little you are doing nothing from home, why would you be doing anything more in the office? I find office work often just consists of a few hours of work and then just time wasting meetings, chatting etc etc

 

[justbeingnosy98]

For those that started jobs in the last 18 months - how long was it before you met your colleagues in real life?

I started a job (not a remote job) 9 weeks ago now and still have had no effort to meet in real life. Two new graduates started in the team at the same time as me and I really feel for them as it can’t be easy. I went into the office last week on Monday and Tuesday with one of the grads and none of the rest of our team came in. Various team members do go in to the office on an ad hoc basis but haven’t asked us if we want to go in on the same days.

I don’t do well working from home anyway and so much harder to start a job remote so I’m really really struggling. I just think it’s poor form from the team.

Sorry if this isn’t the right thread for this Q, maybe need to start my own thread!?

 

[Giggling Squid]

We’ve had a few new starters in our team over the last 6 months and haven’t met as a whole team in person. We’ve got one team member who has massive anxiety about being with a lot of people (pre-covid), another who is clinically vulnerable. There are also a couple who are just antisocial.

I’ve met them all, in person, but that was because 2 of them asked if we could as it was sensible for a piece of work we were doing.

It must be tough not meeting your team face to face, but I don’t know that it’s poor form. Perhaps they’re not comfortable?

I know our business is still actively discouraging people getting together unless necessary.

Have you tried suggesting meeting up if there are specific things that it would be worth meeting for?

 

[Allthatglitters666]

For those that started jobs in the last 18 months - how long was it before you met your colleagues in real life?

I started a job (not a remote job) 9 weeks ago now and still have had no effort to meet in real life. Two new graduates started in the team at the same time as me and I really feel for them as it can’t be easy. I went into the office last week on Monday and Tuesday with one of the grads and none of the rest of our team came in. Various team members do go in to the office on an ad hoc basis but haven’t asked us if we want to go in on the same days.

I don’t do well working from home anyway and so much harder to start a job remote so I’m really really struggling. I just think it’s poor form from the team.

Sorry if this isn’t the right thread for this Q, maybe need to start my own thread!?

I haven't been in for any newbies either. I always add them to the teams chat and make an effort to call them and let them know I'm there if they need any help. We do team lunches every month or so at a pub central to where most people live.

 

[justbeingnosy98]

We’ve had a few new starters in our team over the last 6 months and haven’t met as a whole team in person. We’ve got one team member who has massive anxiety about being with a lot of people (pre-covid), another who is clinically vulnerable. There are also a couple who are just antisocial.

I’ve met them all, in person, but that was because 2 of them asked if we could as it was sensible for a piece of work we were doing.

It must be tough not meeting your team face to face, but I don’t know that it’s poor form. Perhaps they’re not comfortable?

I know our business is still actively discouraging people getting together unless necessary.

Have you tried suggesting meeting up if there are specific things that it would be worth meeting for?

I haven't been in for any newbies either. I always add them to the teams chat and make an effort to call them and let them know I'm there if they need any help. We do team lunches every month or so at a pub central to where most people live.

Thank you both - it’s good to get some perspective. I don’t have much to go off so not sure if I’m being a drama Queen or not!

At my old place they got new starters in ASAP and this years new grads/trainees had to go in full time for training. I was going in 3 days a week partly because I had to help them with training and also for normality for me.

Official firm guidance at new job is to go in 2-3 days a week and my new colleagues do go in once or twice a week so it’s not COVID hesitancy. I physically couldn’t get in to the office without a pass so I spent the first 6 weeks saying “oh let me know when you’re in next time and I’ll come too” or “oh you should have said I really want to come into the office soon” when someone was in but nobody ever took me up on it.

Eventually I befriended one of the admin girls who helped me last week because I had to go in for a client meeting. Asked the manager who used to deal with the client if he would come to the meeting too and got a vague “ok maybe” and obviously did not come in.

None of them are keen to socialise either and have shot down any suggestions.

We have Teams calls 3x a week and I’m happy to call them/message whenever but it’s just not the same at all. Took me ages to pick up the new processes/learn new software, it’s really difficult to get a feel for the juniors abilities over messages and hard to keep track of where work is etc. Also finding it difficult to know what the Partners want exactly with the work I do for them.

The kicker is I could have just stayed at my old job (which I loved) and been 100% remote