Working From Home Megathread

JoChervil

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

You're being taken for a ride. Your employer never cared about how long your commute was or what you spend on transport, lunches and work clothes in the past. They didn't give you an increase every time bus fares or petrol prices went up or when commute times increased. They were your issues to deal with.

But now suddenly, employers are happy to take the savings on transport, lunches and work clothes into account when negotiating with employees.

Your employer should be paying for heating and lighting in your workspace. Your employer should also be paying for your workspace.

If you let your employer away with taking all the savings from a WFH environment, you're a fool.



It's not an either/or choice. You should be able to negotiate a WFH arrangement while your employer still pays for renting, heating and lighting your workspace.

Don't get taken for a ride.

I wouldn't dismiss your logic entirely. But it can only work, if employer gains from it. Like downsizing office space etc. So it would be fair to share some of these gains with employees.

If everything stays the same and they have simply emptier space, so such demands would be a trouble making for everyone involved.

At the moment I am happy with working from home. I gain enough from it.

Naos

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

You're being taken for a ride. Your employer never cared about how long your commute was or what you spend on transport, lunches and work clothes in the past. They didn't give you an increase every time bus fares or petrol prices went up or when commute times increased. They were your issues to deal with.

But now suddenly, employers are happy to take the savings on transport, lunches and work clothes into account when negotiating with employees.

Your employer should be paying for heating and lighting in your workspace. Your employer should also be paying for your workspace.

If you let your employer away with taking all the savings from a WFH environment, you're a fool.



It's not an either/or choice. You should be able to negotiate a WFH arrangement while your employer still pays for renting, heating and lighting your workspace.

Don't get taken for a ride.

Myself and the missus are both WFH and have been since March. We did not work near each other.

Yes, it is costing us extra on heating / electricity however:

- We were able to take one car off the road, reducing tax/insurance/maintenance costs.
- No longer paying for two commutes, in fact paying for none.
- No longer spending time on said commutes.
- No longer spending time the evening before (which a lot of people never take into account) getting work clothes ready (ironing/washing) & breakfast/lunches prepared.
- Increased free time in the evenings (nice saying light during Winter for once).

I would happily trade all of that for the cost of some heat/electricity and if my employer will not allow it when this all ends, I will be looking for somewhere that does.

JDD

We're paying about €20 more a month on light and heat.

I'm personally saving €40 a month on transport, and €30 a week on lunches. My husband probably saves €20 on transport and maybe €10ish on lunches a week (he was always frugal).

The pros far outweigh the cons. I wouldn't dream of asking my employer to contribute to my home bills. This is a saving for them. So what. Just because they are saving money through a change in working environment, that doesn't mean the saving has to be passed on to their employee.

If the increase in home bills is so annoying, then just go back and work in the office, it's that simple.

Jim Root

a_squirrelman wrote: »

Many of us are happy with all the benefits from working from home. If it ends up that some of my colleagues start demanding 'rent' from the company I would expect that (after first laughing at them) the boss would cancel it across the board.

It takes a small number of trouble makers to ruin things for the majority.

Exactly. Well put. That other posters comment was ridiculous. Sounds like a public sector attitude.

average_runner

An Ri rua wrote: »

10 minute walk! Home office must be at the end of a fierce long garden!! Now don't be boasting square feet and say kitchen...

Good old irish attitude, how can I milk a good thing even more.

J Mysterio

average_runner wrote: »

Good old irish attitude, how can I milk a good thing even more.

Why is it an 'Irish attitude'? That's just as irritating a comment, I abhor that type of self hating stereotype. It's just a plain old whiney, shıt attitude, end.

beauf

Jim Root wrote: »

Exactly. Well put. That other posters comment was ridiculous. Sounds like a public sector attitude.

Slag off the unions and public sector all you want. But many of the terms and conditions people take for granted, came out of people not being taken for granted in the past.


WFH suits some people but not other people. If you were sharing a house and you went out to work every day, but the others didn't but had the heating on all day. Would you feel when it came to time to pay the bills there should be an even split? With all these things there's some give and take and some middle ground. I prefer WFH and will sacrifice a few things to retain it. But not everyone is in the same position.

I don't agree that a minority of people with issues, will cause the a majority to be overruled. If WFH home has so many advantages, an employer is not going shoot themselves in both feet, to prove a point. Most won't anyway.

beauf

J Mysterio wrote: »

Why is it an 'Irish attitude'? That's just as irritating a comment, I abhor that type of self hating stereotype. It's just a plain old whiney, shıt attitude, end.

Yeah I don't get it either. Its a real 1950s attitude, sssh don't talk about anything.

Sultan of Bling

Jim Root wrote:

Exactly. Well put. That other posters comment was ridiculous. Sounds like a public sector attitude.

Will you ever p**'s off.

What has the public sector got to do with what was posted.

Plenty of troublemakers in both sectors.

I love wfh and wouldn't dream of asking my employer to pay me rent for wfh. I haven't heard any colleagues suggest it either.

An Ri rua

average_runner wrote: »

Good old irish attitude, how can I milk a good thing even more.

You've a strange take on humour. I wouldn't like to be working in your office, sunshine. Jesus wept. The poster said they struggle with 850 out of bed. Hence my humour. Why such a jaundiced remark?

Ps hours worked are hours worked, and tasks completed are tasks completed, whether you sashay up at 850 from your bed or spend an hour on a bus after sashaying up to that bus from your bed after dressing/preparing for work.

Your reply is downright odd to be honest. Are you ok? Delirium can be s sign of Covid. Better safe than sorry.

AndrewJRenko

JoChervil wrote: »

I wouldn't dismiss your logic entirely. But it can only work, if employer gains from it. Like downsizing office space etc. So it would be fair to share some of these gains with employees.

If everything stays the same and they have simply emptier space, so such demands would be a trouble making for everyone involved.

At the moment I am happy with working from home. I gain enough from it.

I would expect that you'll see all kinds of employers pulling back on office plans and dropping leases as they come up for renewal, yielding very significant savings over the coming years. It is already happening.

https://easypm.ie/2020/09/tech-giant-google-pulls-out-of-office-deal-in-dublin-docklands-the-irish-times/

Employees and unions need to get agreement now on the sharing of these spoils.

Naos wrote: »

Myself and the missus are both WFH and have been since March. We did not work near each other.

Yes, it is costing us extra on heating / electricity however:

- We were able to take one car off the road, reducing tax/insurance/maintenance costs.
- No longer paying for two commutes, in fact paying for none.
- No longer spending time on said commutes.
- No longer spending time the evening before (which a lot of people never take into account) getting work clothes ready (ironing/washing) & breakfast/lunches prepared.
- Increased free time in the evenings (nice saying light during Winter for once).

I would happily trade all of that for the cost of some heat/electricity and if my employer will not allow it when this all ends, I will be looking for somewhere that does.

JDD wrote: »

We're paying about €20 more a month on light and heat.

I'm personally saving €40 a month on transport, and €30 a week on lunches. My husband probably saves €20 on transport and maybe €10ish on lunches a week (he was always frugal).

The pros far outweigh the cons. I wouldn't dream of asking my employer to contribute to my home bills. This is a saving for them. So what. Just because they are saving money through a change in working environment, that doesn't mean the saving has to be passed on to their employee.

These savings are all your savings, folks. The employer didn't give a toss about your lunch bill or your commuting costs, so they don't get to claim credit for your savings there.

Your employer is working towards very significant reduction in cost, by taking space in your homes. It's your space, not their space.

JDD wrote: »

If the increase in home bills is so annoying, then just go back and work in the office, it's that simple.

That's the problem - I can't. My office is closed, except for tasks/roles that can only be done on-site.

There is no question of 'do you have space to do this' or 'are you OK with us taking space in your house' or 'do you have a desk and chair that aren't going to cripple your back'. Just a swift 'feck off home' and we'll let you when/if you can come back.

I appreciate that we were in an emergency situation, but that was last Marck. Employers ave had more than enough time to put alternate plans in place. In my case, all it would take is a bit of a rota to make sure that there is no-one else sitting around me.

I am aware of several med device and pharma companies who have broken their office staff into 3 categories

1. Full time onsite, perm desk
2. Flexi onsite, shared desk Mon+Tue/Wed+Thu
3. Full Time offsite, hot desk booking

Several of these companies are now looking to change office space into cleanroom space as a result of WFH and most intend on maintaining the categories above post covid.

Personally, I'm wfh since Apr 2020 and the role I'm in means I never need to be onsite (work with offices around the world). I've already been asked if I want to make this permanent and I jumped at the opportunity.

The financial benefits have been huge. I'm saving 600 eur a month on car costs alone!! The personal time benefits have been huge. The inconvenience has been negligible as I already had a home office.

As for additional benefits, I've already applied for the wfh allowance and the planned changes in the next budget will be warmly welcomed by me.

While it might not suit everyone due to their respective home situations, I don't subscribe to Andrews rants and I wager few others do too. Truly off the wall stuff.

Personally I don't plan on ever working onsite again after this. If my current employer can't offer me wfh, I'll switch employment. If they keep it going, I'll probably stay until I retire.

Fireball81

Anyone bothered claiming the tax relief on WFH?

Employer is not paying the €3.20 per day directly, doing it through ROS means its peanuts

sonyvision

Wfh going really well. Just spent my budget allowance buying a new screen and office chair in excess of 500 euro (company will refund that).

Still getting mileage to drive to and from the office, this is taxable so no issue with revenue.. now getting a monthly allowance to WFH. I would say overall I'm 12 - 15 hours a week plus 60 - 100 euro a week better off staying wfh.

I now get easy 10,000 steps a day, walk before work, at lunch then after work.. beats my previous 2 hours a day on the m50!!.

Employer happy with us WFH post covid plus we have flexi hours so your not expected to be online 9-5. Flex your day as you need it just get the work done. I'm sure we are probably not the normal, I still see all the neighbours heading off at 7:30 to the office...

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Apparently traffic into Dublin City centre is back up
to 60 per cent of pre covid times. Some people, both employers and employees are obviously still not getting the message.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

I appreciate that we were in an emergency situation, but that was last Marck. Employers ave had more than enough time to put alternate plans in place. In my case, all it would take is a bit of a rota to make sure that there is no-one else sitting around me.[/QUOTE]

That is not the advice we've been given. The advice is to wfh unless your work is both essential and cannot be done from home.

ixoy

The advice at Level 1, never mind Level 5, is to try to WFH.

ThunbergsAreGo

Must say, I do like WFH, but its starting to drag a bit (or its the Covid/January blues).

Not sure if its the dark nights, the bad weather, but it feels like going to the same screen every day in the same place is getting a bit old. Would hope or a few days in the office to meet people, build relationships and feel more like a team again.

Naos

Naos wrote:

Myself and the missus are both WFH and have been since March. We did not work near each other.

Yes, it is costing us extra on heating / electricity however:

- We were able to take one car off the road, reducing tax/insurance/maintenance costs.
- No longer paying for two commutes, in fact paying for none.
- No longer spending time on said commutes.
- No longer spending time the evening before (which a lot of people never take into account) getting work clothes ready (ironing/washing) & breakfast/lunches prepared.
- Increased free time in the evenings (nice saying light during Winter for once).

I would happily trade all of that for the cost of some heat/electricity and if my employer will not allow it when this all ends, I will be looking for somewhere that does.

JDD wrote:

We're paying about €20 more a month on light and heat.

I'm personally saving €40 a month on transport, and €30 a week on lunches. My husband probably saves €20 on transport and maybe €10ish on lunches a week (he was always frugal).

The pros far outweigh the cons. I wouldn't dream of asking my employer to contribute to my home bills. This is a saving for them. So what. Just because they are saving money through a change in working environment, that doesn't mean the saving has to be passed on to their employee.
These savings are all your savings, folks. The employer didn't give a toss about your lunch bill or your commuting costs, so they don't get to claim credit for your savings there.

Your employer is working towards very significant reduction in cost, by taking space in your homes. It's your space, not their space.

AndrewjRenko wrote:

These savings are all your savings, folks. The employer didn't give a toss about your lunch bill or your commuting costs, so they don't get to claim credit for your savings there.

Your employer is working towards very significant reduction in cost, by taking space in your homes. It's your space, not their space.

Yes, you're right they are my savings. But if I am forced to go into the office, I don't get those savings.

I really don't see what you're getting at - I am saying I will happily trade a bit of space if it means I (a) Save money per month and (b) Save time per month.

I cannot buy time and will value every hour that I can get. It was nice seeing daylight during the winter for the first time in years instead of that dark trek to & from work that has become the norm.

Padkir

Fireball81 wrote: »

Anyone bothered claiming the tax relief on WFH?

Employer is not paying the €3.20 per day directly, doing it through ROS means its peanuts

It's not a huge amount to be honest, but I don't understand why everyone wouldn't claim for it.

It took me well under an hour to pull the various invoices and calculate what I'll be getting back, which is about €65.

If I got €65 per hour for everything I did, I'd be pretty happy!! :P

2lazytogetup

ThunbergsAreGo wrote: »

Must say, I do like WFH, but its starting to drag a bit (or its the Covid/January blues).

Not sure if its the dark nights, the bad weather, but it feels like going to the same screen every day in the same place is getting a bit old. Would hope or a few days in the office to meet people, build relationships and feel more like a team again.

yeah agree, im feeling gloomy too.

though im happy to wfh forever as ill have option of getting out in the evenings. and meet people then. maybe one day in the office for meetings would be nice.

plus, last monday was blue monday for a reason. its generally a bad time of year. its not like pre-covid you were loving life in january.

2lazytogetup

anyone else finding they are less productive during the day, as they know they have the option to work later into the evening to get the work done.

biko

Not me anyway. I work from home and work solid all day, expect for lunch.
(I do post on boards while some work stuff is happening and I have a few minutes )

stefanovich

2lazytogetup wrote: »

anyone else finding they are less productive during the day, as they know they have the option to work later into the evening to get the work done.

You need to learn some self discipline.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

2lazytogetup wrote: »

anyone else finding they are less productive during the day, as they know they have the option to work later into the evening to get the work done.

No, the opposite. Because I know I don't have to clock up a certain number of hours a day no matter how much work I have on hands there's more incentive to put my head down and finish up as early as possible and get out for a walk or something.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

I couldn't bear the thought of having to get the laptop out again after dinner and plug into the world of work again. It'd be like years ago having to trudge upstairs to finish my homework when the rest of the family were settling down in front of the telly.

Irish Gunner

Padkir wrote: »

It's not a huge amount to be honest, but I don't understand why everyone wouldn't claim for it.

It took me well under an hour to pull the various invoices and calculate what I'll be getting back, which is about €65.

If I got €65 per hour for everything I did, I'd be pretty happy!! :P

WFH since the start of all this.

So got my Gas, Electricity and Broadband bills from the suppliers as company not paying the daily rate.

So totalled these up and logged into Revenue and inserted the figures and got a tax deduction of a massive €100 then got my P 21 Balancing statement PAYE/USC statement of liability for the tax year.

I did not upload the utility bill statements.

So net amount is €40 just the price of half of my monthly BB bill

Not saving on commute as cycle in and Miss Gunner still using car as front line worker in hospital.

Can't spend money so saving bit but noticed supermarket prices increasing

After the Madness ends, and I'm not talking about suggs and Co, I will do a hybrid of WFH and office.

Northernlily

Enjoying the wfh and on flexi hours as working across multiple projects. I've always been introverted and disciplined so the wfh situation is not bothering me.

Rent renewal up shortly. Its a good opportunity to renegotiate lower rent but I think my heart is set on relocating to the South of Spain or the Canaries for 6 months to lower my living expenses whilst getting some decent weather. My plan is to increase savings for a deposit on a house in that time.

AndrewJRenko

Naos wrote: »

Yes, you're right they are my savings. But if I am forced to go into the office, I don't get those savings.

I really don't see what you're getting at - I am saying I will happily trade a bit of space if it means I (a) Save money per month and (b) Save time per month.

I cannot buy time and will value every hour that I can get. It was nice seeing daylight during the winter for the first time in years instead of that dark trek to & from work that has become the norm.

It's not an either/or choice. Be a good negotiator and you can continue to work from home AND get your employer to pay for the space in your home that they are using, or at least share the savings on rent.

Shawn Sparse Sunstroke wrote: »

That is not the advice we've been given. The advice is to wfh unless your work is both essential and cannot be done from home.

That is the current advice in Level 5, but that wasn't the advice a few weeks ago, and probably won't be the advice in a few weeks time.

The advice was always 'work from home if possible'. So if I don't have adequate facilities or a safe environment, then it is not possible.

Fireball81 wrote: »

Anyone bothered claiming the tax relief on WFH?

Employer is not paying the €3.20 per day directly, doing it through ROS means its peanuts

I claimed mine along with health costs which were much larger. I'm not sure I'd be bothered to claim it on its own, but it came out around €100. I didn't have all the utility bills for the full year, so it's probably a little bit understated.

AndrewJRenko

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

It's not an either/or choice. Be a good negotiator and you can continue to work from home AND get your employer to pay for the space in your home that they are using, or at least share the savings on rent.

Truly bonkers stuff lol

Herein lies your issue. You are looking at this as being a massive benefit to the employer whereas the inverse is true, its a massive benefit to the employee first and foremost.

Why you are struggling with this is beyond me. Fair enough it might not suit you and its pissing you off having to do it, but go way with the silliness.

Any saving an employer makes on office space is likely to go towards additional investment (manpower, expansion, R&D etc).

To say you want the saving put in your pocket is fine.....if you plan on paying your employer for the privilege of sitting in an office again....crazy I know