United Kingdom VII: Taking Pride in Your Success

[Cassius_Smoke]

I've really enjoyed working from home. Its not for everyone but I'm the kind of person that works best when I'm just left to manage myself. Its done me a world of good for my mental health and spirituality too. I get to see my kids so much more and help round the house. I feel much more useful as a father and a husband just being available.
I come in to the office every so often just for a change and to refocus, but otherwise I'm fine.

[Brad]

At home I have an office to myself vs just a medium sized desk at work, faster and better IT and I'm still in regular contact with colleagues so WFH all the way for me!

[Cassius_Smoke]

At home I have an office to myself vs just a medium sized desk at work, faster and better IT and I'm still in regular contact with colleagues so WFH all the way for me!

In fact, that's a good point. I've got an office to myself too, so that helps. I guess if you are sitting on a kitchen chair it's going to be different.

[fishbowlhead]

I think even if faced with a pay cut most people would choose to WFH just for the better quality of life, hopefully most employers don’t follow suit but the floodgates are open now with the big tech firms looking into, and some already implement them.

[Asura]

I think even if faced with a pay cut most people would choose to WFH just for the better quality of life, hopefully most employers don’t follow suit but the floodgates are open now with the big tech firms already looking into, and to implement them.

I still don't get how people can have a better quality-of-life sitting in the same room at home all day, every day.

I get it if you have kids, or care responsibilities; I imagine in that case it's hugely useful, and you at least probably get out twice a day for the school run. But I just feel like a troll living under a bridge, because I spend so many hours each week in my office room, alone. There's something depressing about it that's hard to articulate.

[fishbowlhead]

-You haven’t got anyone looking over your shoulder.
-No nob head fellow employees to put up with.
-No need to worry about food or bathroom breaks.
-No travel expenses.
-If you have kids you can deal with them and spend more time.
-If you have pets more time with them.
-No wasted time travelling.

There's a laundry list of benefits.

[Asura]

-You haven’t got anyone looking over your shoulder.
-No nob head fellow employees to put up with.
-No need to worry about food or bathroom breaks.
-No travel expenses.
-If you have kids you can deal with them and spend more time.
-If you have pets more time with them.
-No wasted time travelling.

There's a laundry list of benefits.

To be fair, I guess this depends on where you work.

I generally like my coworkers and enjoy the atmosphere in the office. My employer doesn't micro-manage our time (we don't even clock in/out). I don't have kids or pets, and I moved somewhere close to my workplace so I'd have a walkable commute in a nice location.

I guess if you have a job you kinda hate but put up with, I can understand that the extra separation afforded by being at home must be nice.

[Hirst]

Irrelevant to my personal preferences, the quality-of-life argument is easy for me just by giving an idea of a typical day.

For a start I don't have to get up so early to get ready and drive over to work, so I get more sleep. My diet is better, because I've got access to all my normal household cooking facilities rather than having to bring in sandwiches to eat cold or hope the flask keeps my soup/stew at least lukewarm (I don't really get paid enough to buy food in town). So many chores that are reliant on me being there for a brief period can be done while I'm there - I can put the washing machine on first in the morning, put it in the dryer on my lunch break. I don't spent at least one day a week having to retrieve parcels from the sorting office in my lunch break or wait until the weekend. Talking of lunch breaks, they're great too - instead of eating my cold sandwiches in the car or wandering aimlessly around town, I can sit in the comfy chair and watch TV, have a quick go on some games or just catch up on some more chores so I've got even more free time after work.

Do I see less people? Yeah, but they're not exactly quality relationships, just people I don't have a lot in common with and our mutual gripes about the boss and the weather. The upshot is because I'm more happy, less tired and there's more free time left in the day that I can actually speak to my friends more instead of being fed up after work and wanting to basically just have my dinner and go to sleep.

[Asura]

For a start I don't have to get up so early to get ready and drive over to work, so I get more sleep. My diet is better, because I've got access to all my normal household cooking facilities rather than having to bring in sandwiches to eat cold or hope the flask keeps my soup/stew at least lukewarm (I don't really get paid enough to buy food in town). So many chores that are reliant on me being there for a brief period can be done while I'm there - I can put the washing machine on first in the morning, put it in the dryer on my lunch break. I don't spent at least one day a week having to retrieve parcels from the sorting office in my lunch break or wait until the weekend. Talking of lunch breaks, they're great too - instead of eating my cold sandwiches in the car or wandering aimlessly around town, I can sit in the comfy chair and watch TV, have a quick go on some games or just catch up on some more chores so I've got even more free time after work.

Thing is, I agree totally with all of this - I mean I've lost a lot of weight and am generally much healthier as I'm eating much better... But I'm not happier.

[kryss]

Having my cat meowing at me constantly for the time I needed to live stream to my students was the most annoying and distracting thing I have had to deal with while working. I love her to pieces but holy ****.

I'm back in the classroom full time in about 3 weeks, I'm happy to be back, even if we will be back fully masked again.
But there will be fewer cases! ...Because they won't be testing unless you are super sick. ****wits.

[charlesr]

[MENTION=9333]kryss[/MENTION] is this your cat?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CScrdlvHsbM

[kryss]

[MENTION=9333]kryss[/MENTION] is this your cat?
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CScrdlvHsbM

That is annoying, and makes me glad that there isn't space for her to sit next to the blinds.

[nakamura]

Thing is, I agree totally with all of this - I mean I've lost a lot of weight and am generally much healthier as I'm eating much better... But I'm not happier.

I believe that's more to do with the last 18 months. Life is crazy at the moment. Not saying you don't prefer office, but I bet if WFH happened without pandemic, you'd be happier. Maybe not happier than office, but less not happy if that makes sense.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2021/aug/13/plymouth-shooting-tributes-victims-gunman-jake-davison-named-latest-updates-news

Incel guy in Plymouth goes on a pump action shotgun spree killing five people in the street including a little girl before pulling the gun on himself before police can get to the scene. There are the words, but they're not appropriate for the forum.

[Asura]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...t-updates-news
Incel guy in Plymouth goes on a pump action shotgun spree killing five people in the street including a little girl before pulling the gun on himself before police can get to the scene. There are the words, but they're not appropriate for the forum.

This incel thing needs to be taken more seriously; it's like the flat earth stuff - it started as somewhere between a meme, a fad and a joke, and over the last decade this kind of thing has happened a number of times.