[Misc] Does WFH (working from home) reduce productivity?

[METALMICKY]

Personally, I'm MUCH more productive in the office. Partly that is because I don't have a suitable space at home (For a brief period of lockdown I was WFH, sat in a corner of the lounge, with family in and out, and I got nothing done), but partly because I'm easily distracted.

If I had any kind of a significant commute, then I'm sure my personal opinion would be different - as I'd hate that time wasted every day.

But I live so close to my office, that my commute takes 15 minutes door to door, INCLUDING stopping at Waitrose for my free coffee...

It also means that I go home every lunch hour, to see my wife, sit in the garden, or watch a few minutes of SSN while I eat my lunch.

So for me at least, office is better.

This!

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

I feel absolutely certain it does. People seem to try to get away with as much as they can, as a result producing inferior work and missing deadlines.

It's a nice idea as it allows people to save time and money, as well as businesses on office spaces - but in reality, people are usually going to prioritise their private lives over work wherever possible, by doing as little as possible when unwatched.

Thoughts?

What is it that you do that makes you come to this conclusion?

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

Anybody who has to deal with any government departments will know the answer to the question is YES!

I deal with HMRC on a daily basis and their service levels have been appalling since they allowed staff to continue working from home following the pandemic. They rarely answer the telephone (and when they do, rarely can you get the help required), take months to respond to routine letters (written because nobody services the telephones) and the complaints teams are now swamped because taxpayers and their agents can't obtain resolution by telephone or letter.

But lets not stop incredibly poor service stop slippery Sunak bunging HMRC's CEO a knighthood eh?

And we all know what a shambles the Home Office is in due to their failure to process asylum claims on a timely basis.

Maybe it also has something to do with fewer staff?

 

[Igzilla]

I WFH 4 days a week at the moment. I log on at 8am, logoff at 4pm and I get stuff done at my own pace.
When I go in the office, I get in at 9:00am - 9:30am (it's a 2hr+ commute - they moved offices last year), yak to people, make coffee, take 1h+ plus lunches and f*** off home at 3:30pm to avoid an even longer journey home. I do way less work in the office.

 

[dazzer6666]

"Several studies over the past few years show productivity while working remotely from home is better than working in an office setting. On average, those who work from home spend 10 minutes less a day being unproductive and work one more day a week. These same remote workers are up to 47% more productive than office workers according to a Stanford study."

At least anecdotally, I find the days I work from the office a complete write off when it comes to actually getting work done. Might have a solid meeting here or there but it's hard to imagine how we got anything done when we were in the office five days a week - so many disruptions and distractions caused by other people.

It all depends where you work and what industry, I guess. In my line of work, there aren't really any benefits to being in the office and people are almost universally self-managing and motivated. All I would say in regards to the OP is that the second you start to think your employees need to be watched to make sure that they're doing the work then you have a major problem - you've either hired the wrong person for the job, or you're a poor manager who probably needs to put more trust in your employees. If I missed my deadlines and produced inferior work from home or in office, I'd see consequences for it regardless of where I was based.

This is even worse with ‘hybrid’ working. The days when everyone is mandated (for ‘team spirit’ or some other spurious reason) to go to the office are a write-off productivity-wise, as everyone has a good old catch-up over a coffee, followed by a long lunch and then go to the pub because they haven’t seen anyone for a week.

 

[American Seagle]

I don't understand how people can argue and have opinions on this. Collect the data and compare WFH vs in the office and use that.

 

[Mustafa II]

ITT: People who love working from home vehemently claiming that WFH increases productivity, while enjoying dossing unproductively at work.

 

[dazzer6666]

I don't understand how people can argue and have opinions on this. Collect the data and compare WFH vs in the office and use that.

Because everyone is different. The answer to the thread title may be yes or no depending on that data (if the data was reliable, which it won’t be because so much would be subjective) but people are answering for themselves, not a generalisation

 

[American Seagle]

Because everyone is different. The answer to the thread title may be yes or no depending on that data (if the data was reliable, which it won’t be because so much would be subjective) but people are answering for themselves, not a generalisation

If the data is subjective you are taking the wrong data.

 

[dazzer6666]

If the data is subjective you are taking the wrong data.

Ok, explain how you can collect comprehensive data to meaningfully compare productivity between office working and WFH (spoiler - you can’t, least not in the environment I worked in).

 

[robinsonsgrin]

I think your in a minority there, it seems WFH is an excuse to do at least two more car journeys per day than most would have done pre covid

I have 3 days at least where the car is not used...

 

[zefarelly]

Most people do proper/real work at remote and/or variable locations . . . Yes yes, I know, it doesn't make a shit ton of money, but you'd all be crying in a corner without your oat milk cappafrappachino in pissy pants if people didn't do it . . . . . . So It's a stupid question Really.

Or, if it's not a stupid question, then the prefix should be 'are you a slack arsed soft fingered office worker'.

HAving spent 10-12 years working for myself, at home mostly, and all over the place regularly, going back to office life is a holiday camp!

I could do most of it from home, but would need to be there some of the time . . .

The BIG issue and one that's only really come into focus since covid, is that we can work remotely, and people have realised how much time and money is wasted commuting. . . . I really don't understand why people do it. . . . . Up to 5 miles or 30 minutes maybe, but its still a waste. And mostly unnecessary.

I think thats irked everyone I can think of . . . . runs with tin hat!

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Most people do proper/real work at remote and/or variable locations . . . Yes yes, I know, it doesn't make a shit ton of money, but you'd all be crying in a corner without your oat milk cappafrappachino in pissy pants if people didn't do it . . . . . . So It's a stupid question Really.

Or, if it's not a stupid question, then the prefix should be 'are you a slack arsed soft fingered office worker'.

HAving spent 10-12 years working for myself, at home mostly, and all over the place regularly, going back to office life is a holiday camp!

I could do most of it from home, but would need to be there some of the time . . .

The BIG issue and one that's only really come into focus since covid, is that we can work remotely, and people have realised how much time and money is wasted commuting. . . . I really don't understand why people do it. . . . . Up to 5 miles or 30 minutes maybe, but its still a waste. And mostly unnecessary.

I think thats irked everyone I can think of . . . . runs with tin hat!

This is the bread and butter of it. If I wasn’t commuting, I could play 9 holes of golf every morning before I work, or sleep in a bit longer. The mental health benefits of doing more of the things we love can’t be underestimated.

But in reality, office work spaces just aren’t that productive. They never have been and they never will be. There’s just too many distractions, and too much time wasting.

 

[worthingseagull123]

I feel absolutely certain it does. People seem to try to get away with as much as they can, as a result producing inferior work and missing deadlines.

It's a nice idea as it allows people to save time and money, as well as businesses on office spaces - but in reality, people are usually going to prioritise their private lives over work wherever possible, by doing as little as possible when unwatched.

Thoughts?

It does not reduce my productivity.

Without travelling 1 hou

 

[worthingseagull123]

And we all know what a shambles the Home Office is in due to their failure to process asylum claims on a timely basis.

Nothing to do with working from home.

Poorly paid staff, lack of staffing numbers, COVID and huge numbers of asylum seekers arriving have caused the backlog.

Not working from home.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Anybody who has to deal with any government departments will know the answer to the question is YES!

I deal with HMRC on a daily basis and their service levels have been appalling since they allowed staff to continue working from home following the pandemic. They rarely answer the telephone (and when they do, rarely can you get the help required), take months to respond to routine letters (written because nobody services the telephones) and the complaints teams are now swamped because taxpayers and their agents can't obtain resolution by telephone or letter.

But lets not stop incredibly poor service stop slippery Sunak bunging HMRC's CEO a knighthood eh?

And we all know what a shambles the Home Office is in due to their failure to process asylum claims on a timely basis.

I have had a lot of issues with HMRC but I’m not convinced it’s home working which causes the problems.

I had a VAT query some time ago and explained I needed an answer as I was worried I might be penalized. I was told not to worry as they’re over two years behind themselves. I now just work to my own timeframe with them, they get what they need when I can be bothered and take the piss a bit with the VAT. Not heard a peep; it’s really not a way to run a tax collecting department.

 

[Brovion]

Personally, I'm MUCH more productive in the office. Partly that is because I don't have a suitable space at home (For a brief period of lockdown I was WFH, sat in a corner of the lounge, with family in and out, and I got nothing done), but partly because I'm easily distracted.

...

So for me at least, office is better.

That is the other side of it. Both my children have grown up so I have no family distractions - except when my grandson comes round! I can imagine if you have no workspace and/or a young, demanding family then WFH may not be the right choice.

Also see the thread below. In service roles and dealing with customers a blanket 'WFH if you want to' approach doesn't work.

http://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/thre...il-pension-staff-all-we-needed-was-one.409611

 

[Swegulls]

I feel absolutely certain it does. People seem to try to get away with as much as they can, as a result producing inferior work and missing deadlines.

It's a nice idea as it allows people to save time and money, as well as businesses on office spaces - but in reality, people are usually going to prioritise their private lives over work wherever possible, by doing as little as possible when unwatched.

Thoughts?

No it doesn't for me. Generally I guess it depends of what you are doing.

 

[ozzygull]

I have worked from home for 7 years, full time. I like it, but I am antisocial and happy in my own company. I always login on time sit at my desk during working hours and am more available then people that actually go in to an office. I am lucky to have dedicated room to use as an office, that is where I work and when I leave it I have finished for the day. It would be very obvious if I was not doing what I should be doing. I look after networking for the whole of Europe for the company I work for, as well as India since the network engineer there left and not been replaced for over a year. So I walk in to all of their non issues and question's, before I get actual issues and requests from people in Europe. So as you can imagine it can be very busy.

If you don’t have self discipline, I guess it could be a problem.

 

[Dr. No]

... but in reality, people are usually going to prioritise their private lives over work wherever possible, by doing as little as possible when unwatched.

Thoughts?

No.