Those working from home

[Kompany Car]

Mine did that but no-one has really stuck to it, there’s some people that go in every day and some that go in once a week, as a manager I’ve not enforced it as everyone’s situation is different. I’d rather people have flexibility, happy workforce and all that and it leads to increased chance of outcomes anyway.

The issue I’ve found is I end up on teams calls all day in the office anyway and all the meeting rooms are booked up with people doing similar. I get more done on the days I work from home but I like the interaction so I do a couple of days a week.

Same here, the biggest issue is that they've reduced all the office space on the basis that people aren't in full time so they are never gonna get back to pre pandemic attendance. It was our biggest fixed cost so it did make sense.

The main problem for me is finding somewhere private in the office when dealing with HR, Finance or commercially sensitive work. I used to share a separate office with another Director, albeit that I used to sit with everyone else most of the time. But there are no separate offices now, just one big open floor. We have meeting rooms but they are booked back to back for client meetings. This results in me working from home a little more than I feel I should and like you im on Teams calls most of the day anyway.

One real concern is that Grads and Apprentices are just not getting the interaction and learning like they used to do, whilst you can try to do some collaborative learning on Teams its not the same as face to face and I think businessess will suffer in the long run as a result.

 

[es1]

One real concern is that Grads and Apprentices are just not getting the interaction and learning like they used to do, whilst you can try to do some collaborative learning on Teams its not the same as face to face and I think businessess will suffer in the long run as a result.

this is definitely correct and something i've found when we've hired new starters over the pandemic and I've been managing them

 

[Barcon]

We have a nice balance here. My wife works from home 100% of the time and I work from somebody else's home 100% of the time.

 

[ob]

Same here, the biggest issue is that they've reduced all the office space on the basis that people aren't in full time so they are never gonna get back to pre pandemic attendance. It was our biggest fixed cost so it did make sense.

The main problem for me is finding somewhere private in the office when dealing with HR, Finance or commercially sensitive work. I used to share a separate office with another Director, albeit that I used to sit with everyone else most of the time. But there are no separate offices now, just one big open floor. We have meeting rooms but they are booked back to back for client meetings. This results in me working from home a little more than I feel I should and like you im on Teams calls most of the day anyway.

One real concern is that Grads and Apprentices are just not getting the interaction and learning like they used to do, whilst you can try to do some collaborative learning on Teams its not the same as face to face and I think businessess will suffer in the long run as a result.

Our last apprentice was first to fail his course in about 10 years of us having apprentices. Think combination of not attending college one day a week and working from home during covid think he lost interest. Left company for another job earlier in year

 

[Sky Blue Thinking]

Just make sure your zoom is off!

Especially if the jiggy jiggy is with someone it shouldn't be.

 

[East Level 2]

The main problem with WFH is you don't get the Monday morning football analysis. Or more specifically' laughing at rags and dippers.

 

[Tommy_Catons_Perm]

WFH? School run? What is this shit? Don't know how we coped in the past. As kids we all walked a mile or so to school and back whilst our parents were out at work. Same for my kids now in their 20s. Too many soft lazy bastards these days.

 

[Coatigan]

WFH? School run? What is this shit? Don't know how we coped in the past. As kids we all walked a mile or so to school and back whilst our parents were out at work. Same for my kids now in their 20s. Too many soft lazy bastards these days.

And I suppose why there were never no mental health issues either.

 

[Coatigan]

this is definitely correct and something i've found when we've hired new starters over the pandemic and I've been managing them

It is very true, but over time will balance itself out with a new baseline levelling it out. It is only obvious now because we are comparing it to such recent different scenarios. But really, office culture, etiquette and general ability level shifts all the time, more gradually. This will just speed it up a bit, or shift the direction somewhat.

Even before the pandemic, graduates were starting new jobs with completely different attitudes and expectations to say only 10 years ago. Comparing the two was pointless. If you are comparing pre pandemic and post pandemic ones, sure there is a difference, but in a couple years that difference will be as irrelevant as the 10 year one had there not been a change to WFH.

There are 'positives' too. WFH young staff, while they lose some of the interaction and passive exposure to experience, have also shown a lot more intuition and self research. As opposed to just asking the guy next to you who has been doing the same thing the same way the past 30 years everything.