OT: I hate working from home...
Like REALLY, REALLY hate it.
Our building had a major, all-floors-affected, water leak over the weekend. Our office space is pretty much destroyed, electronics fried, ceiling tiles collapsed, standing water - you get the picture. Optimistically they expect everyone to be back next week. Realistically? I give it a month before we're even able to get in to do inventory, much less work.
That means I am set up at home and HATE IT. I am a social person who works on a team that constantly bounces ideas off each other. It's how I productively work, as do the others, and it makes sense for the work we do. Being at home feels like being on an island, and it just drags the day out so. Freaking. Much.
Anyone else hate working from home? Or have tips on how to not go stir crazy? I already feel confined by the weekend because my routine during the week doesn't get me out much. I may snap!
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I am the exact opposite. I
I am the exact opposite. I LOVE working from home and would much rather be there. Several of my coworkers think that EVERY conversation must be on speaker phone. *dash1* I am the LAST person to complain about swearing - and that's a good thing. Three guys in my vicinity swear loudly and often. And that doesn't include with they're in their little gaggle, b!tching to each other.
I am an introvert who prefers little to no conversation at work and I am much more productive without all of the interruptive behavior going on around me.
I just can't get behind this
I just can't get behind this trend. I like my routine of go to work and work, then come home and be home. Plus, our house is not set up for a long-term, work-from-home office. I do have a desk, but it's in my living room next to unfolded laundry and a window that desperately needs cleaned.
Ugh. Maybe I'll feel better after a pot of coffee and turning on some tunes.
Ah, now I see that as a
Ah, now I see that as a problem. Your office space should be it's own little work sanctum.
I had a job (turned into a bloody nightmare) where I worked from home and only went into the office once every 3-4 weeks (loooong drive). I LUVD the WFH part. Roll out of bed, fire up the computer, pour a mug of coffee, wash the sleep grit out of my eyes, sit down and get to work. Sometimes i'd start work at 4am. Sometimes 6am. Doc appointment? I took a lunch break at 9am. Insomnia? Log on at 1am. I accomplished MUCH more than when I was in the office.
Coffee and tunes - that's a win/win!
I wish working from home was
I wish working from home was an option.. I pretty much live by myself so I wouldn't have many distractions. It would also save me a lot of money because I wouldn't own a home and have other places that I could stay for free (too far for regular commutes). Also, I get distracted by conversations around me. I have a young, female intern sitting next to me and I know it's not her fault but a lot of guys are over there talking with her throughout the day and it's difficult to concentrate.
I guess you could try to work from a different location than your home? Maybe go to a local starbucks or similar location with wifi? Or.. maybe another coworker would be interested in working with you at home.. yours or theirs?
To break up the day, I would take several quick walks to get my blood flowing.. you probably can actually get more work done in a shorter time.. so the walks should not interfere.
I am thinking of going to the
I am thinking of going to the gym over "lunch" and then just working more into the evening hours where I can be home with DH.
I do find my mornings are more productive at home. I can get things done and out, but after lunch, I just feel super drained. It may be because I don't take breaks in the morning and just plow through, so I'm mentally drained after taking a longer break.
I think I also feel like I'm "cheating" work out of time if I don't start right at 8 and end right at 5. I need to change my mentality to be more task-based than time-based. If it takes me 12 hours today to get my stuff done but only 4 hours tomorrow, it really is fine. If I respond to emails at 7pm, or write a policy at midnight, it's fine. The work still gets done, and really, the time it gets done at doesn't (usually) matter.
I"ve never been able to work
I"ve never been able to work from home... But if I can ever earn enough to afford the equipment I thought about freelancing instead of working in an office space... But I guess I didnt' think of the social side.
While I like being left alone most of the time. Sometimes I need breaks and need to be able to talk to people, particularaly if I have a block and can't think of anything.
I think my setup right now, where I have my own office, but people are still close, is pretty good.
I have a shared office space
I have a shared office space with two other people. We have 4 desks with a table, so not totally private but it's just our team in the space. I love it, and I'm missing it so, so much right now. The social aspect is killer for me. I don't necessarily need to talk all the time, but I need to be around people. I work in a field with a lot of human interaction for that very reason, so this is torture, lol.
Any chance you can setup a
Any chance you can setup a group skype with them at all today? Might be good for you all to interact anyways
Both my DH and I work from
Both my DH and I work from home. My work is solitary, even if I'm in an office setting so I enjoy the peace. My DH does more collaborative work so he is constantly on Skype or some live chat. Maybe you could get your team to use a program that allows all of you to communicate in one window.
I do get the Disney's Little Mermaid song stuck in my head some days...
"I want to be where the people are! I want to see...wanna see 'em dancing!"
It isn't helping that the
It isn't helping that the rest of my team is on vacation or travelling for work this week, so they aren't available. It was already going to be a pretty isolating week, but made worse by being around no people and not being able to really reach out to my team.
I think we'll have to come up with some sort of communication solution, though, whether that be morning meetings via Skype or random phone calls throughout the day. Our work isn't set up to be solitary, so we will have to come up with a solution.
And it sounds like it may be up to a month before the building will be reopened. Ugh!
"I love working from home! I
"I love working from home! I'm an introvert though - the constant chatter and need to "bounce ideas" would drive me insane. I have plenty of ideas and don't need to spend my day explaining them to people who don't"
Yep, this is me also-at our job we have 1 day wfh-sometimes 2 if other appts going on-but honestly my boss hates wfh and is very against it-it literally kills him to have us gone 2 days from home. There is not much collaboration needed though-mostly individual work-and honestly meetings once a week to bounce off things is plenty for our work. I honestly don't know why my big company isn't more pro wfh-more companies should be-given the increased commute times and added stress travelling does to its employees- I don't find it right that people lose 2-3 hrs every day in traffic-away from family/friends at NO cost to the company-just the employees well-being.
With the influx of people everywhere-crap roads-urban sprawl-more flexibility for wfh would bring back a TINY bit of quality into workers lives-not to mention save on gas since wages are pretty stagnant and cost of living has increased dramatically
Our office has no work from
Our office has no work from home policy - although "select" people get to do so whenever they want. Our director is working on a plan ASAP because traffic armageddon is coming to our city this fall and people won't be an hour late, they won't be able to get here. I expect to start home work lite - maybe 2x a month. Since my commute is three hours a day (includes a bike ride, so that's like an hour of gym time) even just a couple times a month working from home will be a relief.
However, I do not have dedicated office space like DH does (he works almost exculsively from home, or a cafe, or the library - wherever he has a wifi signal). We cannot share the office. I don't have a computer at home either; thinking about getting one, but part of our work from home plan may involve loaner computers for those who don't have the systems at home - which would be great.
DH goes stir crazy too much at home too, so that's why he goes to different locations sometimes. AND it's why he doesn't understand how exhausting it is to commute every day, three hours, five days a week, no variation over, and over, and over, and over. I don't get to go to other locations. I don't get to take a break when I want or go on a different bike route or walk. *sigh*
I VPN in
Occasionally and go on call but as my life gets more hectic it would be a bit easier to work from home so I don't have to constantly train my unskilled coworkers.