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

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wardy wonder land

wardy wonder land

Active member
Dec 10, 2007
791
all depends on the job, colleuges / enviroment i work for a supplier for a vehcile OEM and have had several versions of the work place :

(the work alawys got done)

A) inside the massive OEM site - huge, muliple builds - was easy to slack-off as you could justifiably be away from your desk for hours

B) off siite in a small office - hard to hide from the cock of a boss - but he had a WFH benifit on a tuesday - so we would slack-off to the max on that day

C) WFH full time since covid - so now have to plan to meet-up with collegues to slck off (play par 3 golf mostly)

TBF, i finish at 12.30 on a friday - but will always check e-mails around 5.30 / 6 after playing golf to catch any big iusses before the weekend
 




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dsr-burnley

Well-known member
Aug 15, 2014
2,625
If you're 50, in a steady job that you know backwards, and have a house with a spare room as a study - working from home may very well be wonderful, and profitable for both employer and employee.

If you're 18 and in your first job and have half a bedroom which you share with a school age brother - not so much. Not only are you in a bad place to work from, you're in a very bad place to learn anything.

Of course, as time goes by and home working becomes more universal, there will be no reason to employ 18 year old Brits. Those jobs could be done far more cheaply by experienced personnel overseas.
 


hans kraay fan club

hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
62,759
Chandlers Ford
dsr-burnley said:
If you're 18 and in your first job and have half a bedroom which you share with a school age brother - not so much. Not only are you in a bad place to work from, you're in a very bad place to learn anything.
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I do agree this is another valid argument.

I know my own job very well (I've ought to, after 30 years) and I could absolutely do 90% from home, if that were allowed by my company (as it happens, it isn't, and personally, it wouldn't be my preference anyway). But there are 2 other people in my office, and 2 in my workshop downstairs. Both the admin staff have been here less than a year (one for just a month), and never does a day go by without somebody asking me for help with something.

If they want to ask anything, they can easily judge an appropriate moment, and just ask, across the office. for help. I can give a short answer if that solves the query, or can go over to their desk and help them out.

However good the technology becomes, such interaction will NEVER be as simple, if you are all remote from each other. I hate that my own boss is not in the office (in his case with ill health rather than WFH by choice).

Judging the moment isn't possible. How busy is your boss? What kind of mood are they in? I think I'll just not ask.
 
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American Seagle

American Seagle

Well-known member
Jun 14, 2022
896
dazzer6666 said:
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).
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You measure the output of the company/team over a significant period where they work at home and compare it to the same period when they are working on the office. Historical data must exist for the later already: task burn down rates etc etc.
It worries me you don't think productivity can not be measured at all.
 


dazzer6666

dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Mar 27, 2013
55,518
Burgess Hill
American Seagle said:
You measure the output of the company/team over a significant period where they work at home and compare it to the same period when they are working on the office. Historical data must exist for the later already: task burn down rates etc etc.
It worries me you don't think productivity can not be measured at all.
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I didn’t say at all …….you just can’t do it comprehensively. Qualitative assessment of written reports for example…..maybe the report written in the office was much more difficult/much easier than the one written in the office, dealing with completely different counterparts with varying degrees of co-operation etc etc. There’s a massive subjective, non-data element to a lot of output. Why do my thoughts worry you ?
 




American Seagle

American Seagle

Well-known member
Jun 14, 2022
896
dazzer6666 said:
I didn’t say at all …….you just can’t do it comprehensively. Qualitative assessment of written reports for example…..maybe the report written in the office was much more difficult/much easier than the one written in the office, dealing with completely different counterparts with varying degrees of co-operation etc etc. There’s a massive subjective, non-data element to a lot of output. Why do my thoughts worry you ?
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You obviously would not compare those two reports in your example. What makes you think they should be? That's what worries me.
 


S

Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
24,779
GOSBTS
For me yes - when I commuted to London 10-15 years ago I was getting up at 6am, getting into the office just before 9 and pretty tired by the time I started work. I’d always leave bang on 4:45 so I was home a relatively sensible time.

Now I’m fresher, less distractions and generally will have no problems if I work a bit longer or do a few bits in the evening if I had to. It never happened when I commuted.

In the office twice this week (Reading) which is a horrible drive and no doubt being distracted by people I haven’t seen in person for ages 😂😂
 


Herr Tubthumper

Herr Tubthumper

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Jul 11, 2003
62,683
The Fatherland
Springal said:
For me yes - when I commuted to London 10-15 years ago I was getting up at 6am, getting into the office just before 9 and pretty tired by the time I started work. I’d always leave bang on 4:45 so I was home a relatively sensible time.

Now I’m fresher, less distractions and generally will have no problems if I work a bit longer or do a few bits in the evening if I had to. It never happened when I commuted.

In the office twice this week (Reading) which is a horrible drive and no doubt being distracted by people I haven’t seen in person for ages 😂😂
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I hated commuting and decided I’d only accept remote work around 20 odd years ago now. Literally, a complete waste of time. I still remember the initial feeling of having an extra 2-3 hours in my life each day.
 




S

Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
24,779
GOSBTS
Herr Tubthumper said:
I hated commuting and decided I’d only accept remote work around 20 odd years ago now. Literally, a complete waste of time. I still remember the initial feeling of having an extra 2-3 hours in my life each day.
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Agreed - except for that ‘short’ 2-3 year stint (coinciding with Southern’s reliability problems) and my first job I’ve been remote pretty much always. Maybe that’s the difference as i know more remote than I do in office
 


pasty

pasty

A different kind of pasty
Jul 5, 2003
31,023
West, West, West Sussex


Chicken Run

Chicken Run

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Jul 17, 2003
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John Byrnes Mullet

John Byrnes Mullet

Global Circumnavigator
Oct 4, 2004
1,299
Brighton
WFH for 3 years now. I have worked my guts out for the company for which I work. Some days ten hours with only a small break giving 100% productivity. If I'd been in the office there would have been at least 2-3 hours of interruptions from other colleagues.
It gives me flexibility for appointments, exercise. I think there is a good balance for employers and staff.
 


ATFC Seagull

ATFC Seagull

Aberystwyth Town FC
Jul 27, 2004
5,350
(North) Portslade
It depends on the person and circumstance. I'm easily distracted and I live in a small 3-bed house with two primary school aged children. I accept they wouldn't be there until 4pm (still earlier than the working day ends) but the clutter, the mess, the chaos after getting them out each day and then ready for football training etc. Terrible working environment.

I think every worker needs to have the option to work at physical office or workplace.
 


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The Mole

Well-known member
Feb 20, 2004
1,365
Bowdon actually , Cheshire
I’ve just been in the office for two days for the first time in two years. The positives were that the collaboration of face to face meetings was far better.
However, I did notice that the office was almost empty by five and people took far longer lunch hours. And of course I wasted a,lot of time travelling.
 




T

timbha

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
10,506
Sussex
John Byrnes Mullet said:
WFH for 3 years now. I have worked my guts out for the company for which I work. Some days ten hours with only a small break giving 100% productivity. If I'd been in the office there would have been at least 2-3 hours of interruptions from other colleagues.
It gives me flexibility for appointments, exercise. I think there is a good balance for employers and staff.
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Is this what they call work/life balance, is it sustainable and is your health suffering from these long uninterrupted days? How does the company and line management check on your well being?
 
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R

rippleman

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2011
4,988
As someone who has to deal with the Civil Service on a daily basis the answer is absolutely YES!
 


RandyWanger

RandyWanger

Je suis rôti de boeuf
Mar 14, 2013
6,708
Done a Frexit, now in London
I came into London today. Left the house at 7am, got in the office about 8:50, popped out to grab a coffee, caught up with our lawyer and just sat down to NSC now at 9:20.
If I was WFH I'd have been online about 8am and already through my morning routine and into bossing about the staff but it won't be until about 10.
Working from the office reduces productivity.
 


T

timbha

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
10,506
Sussex
RandyWanger said:
I came into London today. Left the house at 7am, got in the office about 8:50, popped out to grab a coffee, caught up with our lawyer and just sat down to NSC now at 9:20.
If I was WFH I'd have been online about 8am and already through my morning routine and into bossing about the staff but it won't be until about 10.
Working from the office reduces productivity.
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How useful was the (face to face?) catch up with the lawyer?
 






John Byrnes Mullet

John Byrnes Mullet

Global Circumnavigator
Oct 4, 2004
1,299
Brighton
timbha said:
Is this what they call work/life balance, is it sustainable and is your health suffering from these long uninterrupted days? How does the company and line management check on your well being?
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We have a team call everyday. My Manager is available most of the time for support. There is a company wellbeing support line. It's nice to have freedom. I have more time to exercise than I have ever had.
 


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