Working From Home Megathread

Natural periodic downtime is what I mean. I can't go for a stroll around my neighbourhood outside of my breaks unless I choose to skive, which I don't/wont.

I don't "prefer" it, this is just my observation about productivity (which is important to me)

No, can you? I'm expected to be at work during my contracted hours.

As I say, I believe natural downtime is important for long term productivity. That said, I'm not permitted to do the things you mention, and would never get permission to do these things daily, e.g. taking half hour off from 3pm to 3:30pm. I could do them without asking permission, but this would be skiving and I wont do this

Your suggestion is to leave work when you're meant to be in work, and I'm a troll? I'm serious.

What kind of place do you work that means you can't step aside for 5 minutes to take a break.

My boss encourages me to take breaks so I can relax my mind.

I would certainly be more productive by taking short breaks than working non stop and not giving your brain anytime to relax.

You must work in a horrible play if you think taking a quick break is skiving.

Natural downtime. That's another new buzzy saying to add to urban dictionary that pro office chort seem to be creating.

In reality it's bollix. What your saying is there's plenty of time in the office to do things other than work but at home its consider skiving. Pull the other one my friend , it honks.

What kind of job would take aim at you for takin time to go for a walk, get the shopping done, workout, clean etc? Sounds dire.

All that matters is that you get your work done, who cares how long it should take. Results are what matters, and you can get them done just as easy at home if you are vigilant with your time.

You do you its in the law that you have to be given a break after a certain amount of hours so in the morning and evening yes. You seem to try and make issues where there is none. Your looking for problems and not solutions. Each of those "down time" moments you can do at home from getting up to stretch (very important) to flicking on the kettle. I love how in your previous mail you call it down time but if it is at home you must be "wasting time".

In saying all that I don't think working 100% at home is a good thing either as I feel its important to go into the office meet the people once a week ot two

Remember, if your WFH job has you staring at a screen all day, you should be taking a 5 min break from looking at the screen every hour. Health and Safety and all that jazz.

I do like that comic strip that DaCor posted above, sums up my place perfectly, except they wouldn't offer anything else to try and retain you. Starting to see more and more places offer permanent WFH but I'm not sure if I'm ready to join the daywalkers again, so I'll tough it out in my place until they send me back in. Then I shall have a notebook and note every single breach of H&S regulations and I will refuse to come back in if I get sick even once (18 months sick free now!!).

The laws for breaks are far less than what people are describing here. There's no law saying you're allowed a 5 minute trip around the garden every hour, 15 minute trip around the neighbourhood, half hour to go get the kids from school, etc.

I feel like you all are. You're all working harder from home but are also taking half hour breaks, going on school runs, etc. You in particular seem to have difficulty understanding that a 5 minute walk to a meeting room is natural downtime in an office that you aren't obligated to get at home.

This makes me want to cry.

You are confusing working "harder" with working more efficiently. Big difference.