WFH and the new normal ? Happy, sad, indifferent ?

[weeksy]

So how's the WFH treating you lot ?

Have you had to sort new office space ?

Are you struggling with non-interaction with colleagues ?

Any plus sides ?

How are you getting on with weight and exercise ?

Any house updates/extensions/moves to allow for WFH more ?

[slowsider]

Self employed with a home office. No change, except the roads are quieter when I travel.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Apparently I'm so fecking important I've got to attend work.

[JamJar]

I've been WFH since the first lockdown and I quite like it, my problem is I get quite bored because I am not busy at all but I get to novice them for every day

[MingtheMerciless]

I have to go to work, the Electrical Control Room has to be manned as it’s a statutory requirement.

[Mr. Dazzle]

We're fortunate in that we've got 2 spare bedrooms which are now two offices. Both of our employers have furnished us with monitors and keyboards etc. for home.

Mrs D works for an online company, so its basically not really effected her.

My lot make stuff for a living, but I don't personally get involved with that side much. Therefore they've prioritised people who do hands on roles at the factory and told all us soft palmed nancies to WFH as much as humanly possible. I think I've been in maybe 10 times since this started.

I certainly don't miss commuting, but I do miss the face to face occasionally. Longer term were probably gonna go "blended working" where I only go into the office 1 or 2 days a week, which would suit me fine. The company actually grew lots in 2020 so there's not space for all the employees we've got now!

[gremlin]

I'm supposed to be doing one day in four in the office, but having recently been Moby for a month then having to use up holiday at year end I've hardly been in. If I'm being honest,I'm really struggling with the whole lockdown thing and WFH in this dining room is beyond depressing.

Hopefully being in on Thursday and getting back into that whole 'rota' routine will get me out of this rut, but after yesterday's announcement, I feel like there's a huge black cloud hanging over my head, seeing the best part of this year going the same way as the last.

[crust]

Will you lot shut up about WFFH

I'm still in the factory, sorry Facility, with all the covidiots who think that a mask is a chin protector

[Nidge]

WFH since 13th March, and I really miss the office environment, colleagues, and somebody else having to worry about things like network, the serendipitous "water cooler" conversations etc etc. But mostly I dislike that home and work life are even more merged than usual, the "decompression" time commuting isn't something I thought I would miss, but in hindsight it's a nice demarcation. That and my home office door doesn't have my name on it....

[Skub]

I'm the 'what's work' vote. Yorick will be along shortly to boost the number/s.

[Noggin]

I'm signed off sick till the end of March, but if I could work, I wouldn't have any bookings!! So doing 'stuff' here at home as normal, just don't have to leave the apartment, not so normal!!

[v8-powered]

Still commuting, bit indifferent to WFH if I'm honest. At least I get legit social interaction.

[Horse]

At home since Mid-March. With that and neck, car hasn't moved since July.

Saving 2 hours commute every day. Get up later, start earlier, finish much earlier and 'home' up to two hours earlier.

Work has changed to require less site work and involvement with the public, but we'll cope if we need to. Teams has almost made face:face meetings unnecessary, has saved hours of train journeys to clients too.

Already had a spare bedroom, so I stole Foal's desk. He now has a replacement, Filly has a new desk downstairs.

Weight went up in LD1, then has been reducing, that should continue.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Fitness and health wise, lockdown has been beneficial to me.

I no longer commute 60-90 minutes each way and I am (obviously) at home during lunch. It means I can do all my bullshit work like laundry during the day and have plenty of time to go for a lunch time run etc.

Not so much at the moment TBF, it's bloody freezing.

Edit: Mrs D proper shows me up in that regard though, she's gained thousands of followers on Instagram and cultivated a few relationships with running brands! She has received £££ worth of free shirts, shoes and all kinds of other kit since lockdown started.

[Trinity765]

I dont like it though I've been doing it since March. I like to get out every day otherwise I turn to mush (body and mind). Collaboration worked better when we could all be in the office and we've also rolled out some big changes which would have been easier if we could have done walkarounds. Before lockdown work was very flexible and we could more-or-less work from home when we needed or wanted to which was the ideal situation. I won't be going back unless I can claim it's damaging my mental health - so I'm putting a case together

[Mussels]

I love it, I bartered for 2 days a week WFH when I started there so was completely ready.
My company are desperate to get people back in the office, I'm not looking forward to going back to 4 hours a day commuting and trying to find quiet spaces for client calls.

I'm not sure I'll like the affect it will have on London pay rates, if they can find the right skills I suspect lots of companies will be happy to hire cheaper people living in the middle of nowhere. Then the adjustment of house prices following that as the money moves away from big cities, I'm not worried much as I'm far enough from London that it probably won't make much difference.

[derek badger]

I didn't really have a choice. They closed my office in April. It was either work from home or commute to London. As it happens, it's worked out quite well. I do the school run in the morning...or did...then come back home and work from the summerhouse which I've converted half into an office. We've also been able to get a dog, which we both wanted but were unable to commit to as we both work.

[Horse]

I'm not sure I'll like the affect it will have on London pay rates

Realistically, how much difference does that make - I honestly have no idea. But an annual train ticket is C £5-6k, plus time. That might be a bargain some are prepared to make.

[Mussels]

I'm not sure I'll like the affect it will have on London pay rates

Realistically, how much difference does that make - I honestly have no idea. But an annual train ticket is C £5-6k, plus time. That might be a bargain some are prepared to make.

It depends how far out you are, I spend a lot on the train and I'm away from London house prices so for me it probably won't make much difference. For someone owning a house in London with cheap travel and big mortgage it might hurt.

[Funners]

No such thing as WFH for me, busy busy year, altering peoples work places to accomodate new layout for you know what, installing screens, speech transfer system (if you can get hold of them) and generally being like a blue arsed fly, still cant complain