Working From Home Megathread

Working from home should be encouraged in every company, for at least a day or two a week anyway.

Traffic and stress are killing personnel in Ireland (bosses included). I have been working from home for a few years now and it's made a huge difference to my life, much as you have described. I still see colleagues on a weekly basis but I don't cry on a Sunday anymore about the week ahead.

Not sure about having the kids at home though, I'd imagine that wouldn't be suitable for everyone.

magic_murph

Its a no brainier for jobs that can be done at home and if I were moving job I would seriously considering declining an offer of the option of WFH wasn't there.
There are days where you work longer hours or finish earlier than normal based on the day but the main this is the work always gets done.

gmisk

I have quite enjoyed working from home so far.
Bar the dog wanting to sit on my lap when at the laptop
The key is probably to have a schedule I think.

dartboardio

How long have you been doing it OP?

Oranage2

When you're young you probably want to work at the office, but when you don't give a **** about your coworkers, WDH is a great option

jrosen

It absolutely has its ups for many people. I think younger people like the social interactions plus they benefit hugely from a work environment where they can observe and learn from those around them.
I do think there will always be a need for face to face but I think wfh should be an option where possible. The companies would need to caveat in the event of lost productivity that it could be revoked.

The chan chan man

jrosen wrote: »

It absolutely has its ups for many people. I think younger people like the social interactions plus they benefit hugely from a work environment where they can observe and learn from those around them.
I do think there will always be a need for face to face but I think wfh should be an option where possible. The companies would need to caveat in the event of lost productivity that it could be revoked.

Agreed, I’m forgetting that of course.. I learned everything from listening and interacting. True that there is no replacement for that.

Beasty

Threads merged

podgeandrodge

A significant amount of office jobs will more than likely allow for a couple of days wfh. This virus will probably be the catalyst.

Imagine the societal benefits, and even the drastic reduction in traffic jams from even a 20/30% reduction in travel as a result.

They won't need bus connects!

suicide_circus

Jim Root wrote: »

What this will show is which roles are actually important and which are superfluous. Cronic pointless meeting organisers may soon find themselves dispensable.

Diversity Officers beware!

timhenn

I know someone who works for a multinational company. They have the capability to work from home but the company says they have to come into the office for work. Is anyone else in the same position? What can be done about it? They are putting their staff at risk of picking this virus up!

Eric Cartman

The traffic is a dream, would be lovely if it could continue but sadly not. I run an IT services company and have already had multiple issues related to people working sh*tfaced drunk in the middle of the day, out poor broadband infrastructure rendering some staff unable to work from home, lower productivity and a lot of time being lost to having skype/teams meetings every 2 hours to discuss progress.

I think the workflows just arent there to allow it at present. Perhaps 1-2 days a week going forward but not full time

jimmycrackcorm

FG got a lot of stick about the national broadband plan and the cost of it. But now we have the call for people to remote work where possible, suddenly this looks like a solid plan.
But you know, people voted for free houses...

c68zapdsm5i1ru

As somebody said upthread if they used the money intended for busconnects to improve and widen broadband instead of turning suburbs into corridors for even more people to pile onto the roads during the same time every morning and evening it would be a better plan.

If everyone who could worked from home at least 2 days a week it would hugely reduce rush hour traffic. I suspect a lot of the workers who are taking the piss are just not used to being given any autonomy which is why they're behaving like kids whose teacher has left the room.

reg114

BellaBella wrote: »

As somebody said upthread if they used the money intended for busconnects to improve and widen broadband instead of turning suburbs into corridors for even more people to pile onto the roads during the same time every morning and evening it would be a better plan.

If everyone who could worked from home at least 2 days a week it would hugely reduce rush hour traffic. I suspect a lot of the workers who are taking the piss are just not used to being given any autonomy which is why they're behaving like kids whose teacher has left the room.

I can assure you that any capital expenditure plans relating to infrastructure are out the window now completely. You're looking at an economic crash in Ireland and abroad. This will reset things to 2008. Businesses have already laid off 150,000 staff with another 200,000 staff to lose jobs in the coming weeks purely because businesses can't open. The fiscal ramifications are huge. You'll see an exodus of foreign nationals from Ireland once flights resume. Property prices will fall, rental prices will fall, cost of living will fall.

Backstreet Moyes

Positives

I usually go into work at 7.30 but i am now logging on at 8.30 meaning an extra hour with my son

I am using my lunch time to use a treadmill I bought months ago but with work and a kid I was to tired late at night to use

Instead of eating canteen food i am cooking healthier food

I can prepare dinner instead of rushing home and throwing something in the oven I am going to make a stew in a few minutes

Negatives

I am not set up with an office from home and instead of using two screen's I am sitting on a chair using a laptop which I do a lot of analysis work so I would say my productivity is down 50%

My son is at the age where he wants constant attention and is pulling at the laptop or pulling at me to play with him again productivity down

I have calls internally with business people and while I go on mute when I can I have a meeting today where I will be hosting and I have a kid who is going to be shouting in the background

I have a call with an external client tomorrow where again I have a kid shouting in the background

I sit around good friends in work who I get to chat around personal interests e.g. football banter which breaks up the day

In the office it is easier to walk to somebody's desk if you need to talk to them about something work related

--=================

Obviously these are different times where when the virus passes I wouldn't be working and looking after my son which cuts out a lot of the current issues I have

She is still working so if her place closes down it would help with the kid but for financial reasons we don't want that

Overall for me I think 2 days working from home a week would give me a better work life balance when we get back to normality

boring accountant

Ray Palmer wrote: »

Then all the houses built out from the cities would have playooms or offices already. So not definitely affordable. It is a luxury the same as a double garage

An office is just a bedroom with a desk but anyone advertising a house for sale would rather say 5 bed than 4 bed. Definitely affordable considering houses outside the city tend to have more bedrooms in them.

jrosen

An office is just another bedroom. I think its worth sacrificing if it means one or both parents are commuting less.

The Cool

I'm a freelance translator and have worked from home since 2013, I love it but it definitely took some adjusting at the start and takes some management to stay sane. Even now though, I'm going up the walls. Work is quiet as my clients are on lockdown and when I get stressed, I'd usually head to the gym or meet up with friends which I can't do at the minute. Anyway thought I'd share some advice for everyone sitting at home, either working or just bored out of your trees, in case it's of help. Maybe this is all obvious to yous but sure look!

There are 2 keys to staying sane when you are within your own 4 walls most of the time:

1. Routine

Still get up at your normal time, and go to bed when you usually do.
Don't like in til 11 every day and sit up late watching Netflix.
Get dressed. Put on makeup if it makes you feel better, even if you're only home with the dog. Have your breakfast, lunch and dinner, and eat your normal weekday food.
If you normally go to yoga class on a Thursday night, find a youtube video to follow instead.
If you and your work bestie have a standing Tuesday lunch date, then schedule in a phonecall over your lunch at Tues 1pm instead.
If you walk to and from work, then still get out for a walk before and after your working hours. If you're used to coming in from the cold to your desk in the morning, making a cuppa and then tackling your day, then stick to that. Same in the evenings, if you are used to "getting in from work" at 6pm, then arrive home from a walk or a drive at that time, as your mind is used to needing that routine to switch off.
All the better if you can get your hands on an office chair, because that is familiar to how you feel in your actual office. I find if I sit on a wooden dining chair, I feel like I'm in 5th class doing Maths homework.
It's about making your Monday feel like a Monday, Tuesday feel like a Tuesday etc. Don't sit in your PJs like it's a Saturday because you'll lose all sense of time and reason. Part of what makes a Saturday so great is that you've "earned" it after Monday-Friday.

2. Social interaction

We're all going up the walls not being able to see friends face to face, but remember, your friends are probably in the same boat. If they live near you, maybe meet up to go for a walk. It's still allowed, just stay further apart than normal.
Let your friends know you are available for phone chats. Don't just text. You need proper human interaction and voices is second-best to face-to-face.
Don't be afraid to go for walks in public places where there are lots of people at the minute; of course, keep your space, but subconsciously it's important to be reminded that there's a whole world out there besides whoever is in your home.

Other than the above:
Exercise. Walk the dog. Start a couch to 5k app. Run out to Argos (or any smaller businesses that are open, #supportlocal) for a couple of dumbbells, and find exercise routines on Pinterest. Follow a youtube fitness video. It will get those endorphins going to beat the isolation blues plus you'll feel you've accomplished something with your day.
Mind yourself. Be conscious that you might feel down in the dumps. These are scary times. Allocate time in the day for no social media or news, put down Twitter and give your mind a break from it all.
Try to find the positives in being at home. Get on top of your household to-do list. Read those books you've piled up. Create or make something. Do an online course. Here is all that me-time you've been waiting for!

Remember, this too shall pass

What's everyone else doing to avoid losing the plot?

Gretas Gonna Get Ya!

The Cool wrote: »

1. Routine

Still get up at your normal time, and go to bed when you usually do.
Don't like in til 11 every day and sit up late watching Netflix.
Get dressed. Put on makeup if it makes you feel better, even if you're only home with the dog. Have your breakfast, lunch and dinner, and eat your normal weekday food.

Okay... however I'm a guy.

But if you think it'll do some good?

In the name of mental health!

The Cool

Gretas Gonna Get Ya! wrote: »

Okay... however I'm a guy.

But if you think it'll do some good?

In the name of mental health!

Never underestimate the power of a red lip :cool:

timhenn

Womens knickers!

Fireball81

Who knew....you can claim €3.20 per day for WFH for heating, power and broadband

Not COVID-19 related it seems.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/personal-finance/people-remote-working-can-claim-tax-relief-for-lighting-heat-and-broadband-1.4207169?localLinksEnabled=false

ednwireland

did realise how knackered my office chair was at home so had to order a new one

Jim Root

oh my god some people really love the sound of their own voices on conference calls dont they? wouldn't say boo to a mouse in person, but acting the big man from the safety of their bedroom.

beauf

Shawn Sparse Sunstroke wrote: »

Why would they? You're paid for the work you do not the amount of time you spend sitting at your desk. If he's getting twice as much work done he should be paid more not less.

So many people confuse presenteeism with productivity, including many managers.

This is so true.

This is very true. I do a lot of automation. Often it takes a lot of thinking and planning, and trial and error. So the first time you do automate a task it takes far longer than doing it manually. But once you have it done, from then on it takes a fraction of the time. But some people think spending this time, especially planning and thinking is not actually working.

It can be subtle things. When I dd support I shifted most of the telephone support to email. As people have a tendency to be vague and inaccurate on the phone but much more accurate in email. Also means I don't be near a phone to deal with an issue.

But some people are not lateral thinkers, once they know one way of doing things they struggle to change.

beauf

Colonel Panic wrote: »

I find working from home kind of crap. I recently took a job where even prior to the current situation, a load of people never bothered coming into the office. Tools like Slack/Teams on top of processes like Agile are fine and the work gets done, but it doesn't feel like I'm on a team.

It's not even about office banter, which I REALLY miss, it's about having someone to cast their eye over something, it's about body language and the nuances of an in-person conversation.

Don't get me wrong, it's great that I can work from home and be productive, but this new normal isn't all it's cracked up to be!

I like a mix some times in the office and sometime not.

But as for not feeling part of a team. TBH you can get that in some offices due to poor culture and office politics.

beauf

Jim Root wrote: »

What this will show is which roles are actually important and which are superfluous. Cronic pointless meeting organisers may soon find themselves dispensable.

Unfortunately those kind of people and also those people who like to big things up, tend to become email spammers when they are cut off from an audience.

Its like people and offices new to remote working they all tend to reply to things that don't need a reply, just to give the impression they are working.

HildaOgdenx

beauf wrote: »

I like a mix some times in the office and sometime not.

But as for not feeling part of a team. TBH you can get that in some offices due to poor culture and office politics.

+1 to both points.

A mix is the best, for me. Cutting out a long commute for one or two days a week was a new lease of life for me. I had to fight hard to get that, simply because of a control freak manager.

And yes, one place I worked recently, the politics and nonsense...glad I'm not there anymore.

OU812

Fireball81 wrote: »

Who knew....you can claim €3.20 per day for WFH for heating, power and broadband

Not COVID-19 related it seems.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/personal-finance/people-remote-working-can-claim-tax-relief-for-lighting-heat-and-broadband-1.4207169?localLinksEnabled=false

UNfortunately it doesn't tell you *how* to claim it back off your own tax bill. Been all through revenue & los & cant find it.