Over the years, I worked from home when I needed to get away from the office to concentrate on a big project and cut out my long commute. I’ve worked from home for family reasons for the past 2 years and was just about to go back into the office when the pandemic hit. I love WFH, as the flexibility is perfect for my preferred lifestyle. I am very productive at home, just on my terms. The hours are strange, but that works well for me and everything gets done. I’d be happy to WFH permanently or on a 3/2 WFH/Office schedule. I can definitely see WFH being more acceptable at my company going forward.
I’m realizing when I read this that work culture has a lot to do with missing or not missing going into work.
Those that have a great work culture (my D’s company does, @MomofWildChild seems to, @Nhatrang seems to) seem to miss the experience more. It’s more about than just missing co-workers, it’s missing a good office vibe, perks, camaraderie, etc.
I would say I don’t have much of that at my job. Everything is “fine” but not really an encouraging culture.
I think it makes a difference.
Before this started, I had 2 different WFH patterns. During soccer season (roughly 2 9 week blocks in fall and spring), I worked from home at least 2 days per week. It was purely to making getting to my coaching gigs easier. Outside of the season, I only worked from home 1 day a week and even then I didn’t always do it.
I’ve adjusted fine to the new pattern, but there are definitely challenges. We’ve had to find new ways to get data from agencies when staffers are working from home and don’t have CD burners.
I miss the interactions with my office neighbors but otherwise my days are pretty similar.
The upside is similar to others, I don’t miss having to unnecessarily dress up. Our code is business casual which I find to be really stupid. I can do my job equally well in jeans
or khaksis. I also find I’m eating a better lunch.
I also like the lack of commute. I start my day earlier and end it earlier which is great.
The head of my agency has made it clear that we will be in this mode for awhile. It isn’t my favorite way of doing things but it will be fine
The only people (3 to be exact) who have questioned the hours we have billed them were all lawyers. Kind of ironic. We will never work for an attorney again.
Lot of common themes on this thread. One of the things I think a lot about is WFH for a late career vs. the kids starting out. As someone who has been at it for over thirty years, WFH is fine and I actually prefer it. That said, looking back over those thirty years, there were so many experiences (live human to human in person) that shaped my career, some internally at a company, and some with my clients. So many great friends and colleagues all over the world due to time spent together. Sales meetings and conferences and multi day offsites where I would learn a lot AND have a blast. I can’t imagine how someone just starting out will fare without that camaraderie, networking, socializing. For them. it’s like all the fun will be sucked out. Pretty sad.
They won’t know any different but I think they’ll miss out on a lot. Kind of like classes moving online. It’s just not the same without the campus experience,
I love (most of) my coworkers, especially the ones who just retired. We used to have a lot of fun. we were/are like a big dysfunctional family. We all are quirky, tease each other constantly, maybe a fight here or there, but we would all give one another the shirt off our backs if needed. We aren’t like that as much, but we still all get along pretty well.
But even with that, I NEVER would go to lunch with anyone. I would hate that. Everyone knows, you don’t mess with my lunch hour. It’s one of my (many) quirks. I go home and the last few years, I curl up in a little ball in my recliner and nap. my phone alarm is set to wake me up, and I literally roll out of the chair, into the car and drive back. Good thing it’s a short, straight drive. I’m pretty grouchy when I get back and we all like to laugh at my state as I come groggily staggering and stomping back in.
But also, even though I love my coworkers, I find I don’t miss them that much. I like being with my family just as well. And I still call/text/email for stuff and we chat. Maybe if I knew I’d NEVER see them again, it’d be different.
I have been WFH since middle of March. We are told we won’t go back to the office until at least September. Some of my teammates WFH occasionally prior to all us going home but I never had any desire to WFH. I am doing better than I thought I would but can’t wait to get back to the office. I miss my team. I miss just being able to ask someone a quick question without having to instant message. I miss the laughter and fun. One positive for me is that I have been forced to learn some things that I was putting off in order to WFH. I also love sleeping later!!
@CountingDown - There are lots of good online instructional/learning materials for ESL teachers and students. Many textbooks come with optional online packages. I used to teach in a program that made use of some wonderful materials. The two programs where I am teaching now have not opted (so far) to use the online materials that accompany the textbooks because of the additional cost to the student for the online access. Maybe that will change in the future. At present, we teachers do have access to the teacher sites.
I think you make a great point @abasket .
I do miss some of my co workers, but at the same time I don’t feel the way I used to about the company I work for. There was a time when I would wake up and look forward to going to work, but over the years the culture changed a lot. Add to that what I can’t post here, but will forever recall as the “incident” in 2017 (which was a difficult year for me personally, too)which devastated me and I’m not feeling it anymore. My original plan to work another 3.5 years has been revised and I’m now at under 8 months and counting.
One thing I like about WFH is that I feel like I get more fresh air. I try to exercise outside every day anyway (unless weather or something interferes), but we keep our house open if we can- i.e. windows open- and I can go out on the deck easily. While I can certainly go out of my building at work and we do have some grounds there, I tend not to. It’s just harder to do so- go down 3 floors, etc.
Free stair climbing exercise when you go back up?
I did the stairs (8 floors of flights) at least once a day at my workplace. I don’t miss that! And my office space at home is on the second floor so I probably get even more flights cumulatively when I’m home.