Working from home?

[Fryer64 | 68]

Title kind of explains it, I'm sure some members have been sent home instead of an office setting and I kinda wanted to know people's takes on it.

 

It's been over a year for me and it's been.. miserable? Have an extra room in my apt where I keep my collection stuff,  pinball machine, etc, and I rarely go in there unless I'm working now. All of my former office friends got canned (performance apparently) and it gets pretty lonely all by yourself for 9 hours a day. 

 

Anyone else having this problem? Is this common or do people actually enjoy working from home? I'm looking for a new job and thats a bummer 

[Scrobins | 1,727]

I’m sorry you’re having a tough time of it. Dealing with working from home, during a pandemic, while looking for a job is hard. I know several people struggling with exactly that.

I think it defends on the industry you’re in, the day-to-day demands on your time, whether you’re more of an extrovert or introvert.

I’m a government lawyer and my work tends to come in fits and starts. I call myself a high-functioning introvert, because people who know me say I’m cheerful and chatty, but I get my energy in my time alone.

Working from home has been a mixed bag. Challenging at first, but I used to opportunity to try other things. I read more, I’ve chipped away at my movie and tv to-do list, I exercise more and try to have more control over my diet. I engage here on VGS more; around the time of the pandemic is when I ultimately joined the staff and used it as a chance to do more like my homebrew blog.

It’s not that I enjoy working from home more, but I’ve found ways to make it work for me and I’m lucky that my job doesn’t demand my constant attention. The pandemic certainly hasn’t helped with feeling cabin fever at times, but the key is engagement. I struggled early on because my volunteer work stopped for awhile. I found some company digitally here, on the discord, and my reaching out to friends and organizing jackbox game nights over zoom.

Reach out to friends, make use of LinkedIn and connect with people you know or who can connect you with others who have jobs that interest you. Find some activities to occupy your mind in between: some familiar and comforting, some new and curious.

I hope that helps. When in doubt, there are many here to befriend and talk to about just about everything!

[captmorgandrinker | 1,649]

I thought it was pretty cool for the first few weeks, but then it got old fast. 

I was glad to go in a couple days a week, and then all 5 days starting this past January.  

I know other people that love it, get more done, etc.   But I need to actually leave my house.

[B.A. | 1,139]

I love it. My commute was an hour plus each way, and I can't think of a worse way to spend over 2 hours of my day. Plus everyone I work with directly is in a different state. I hope to never go back. 

[Mega Tank | 964]

28 minutes ago, Fryer64 said:

Is this common or do people actually enjoy working from home?

I worked from home for several months and it was amazing. Not having to deal with traffic was spectacular. Having full control of your lunch as you could leave something cooking/warming while you worked was awesome. The amount of money we saved on not eating out was even better. Being able to get ready for work without waking up so early was a plus. I can without a doubt say my work performance was not affected by working from home. Unfortunately, I had to report to my work location before my wife did and I was sad walking out the door in the mornings. My wife got to work from home for a much longer period of time, lucky.

The only issues we had was creating our "work space" at home as far as a set up is concerned and having minor internet connection issues here or there. We ordered a couple of things to make working from home a little more comfortable such as foldable desks and better chairs. Since most people were buying similar items due to the working from home shift, we didn't have many options as a lot of items were out of stock, but we were happy with what we got. Other than that, working from home for us was very enjoyable.

Sorry to hear your working from home experience wasn't that great. Hopefully you find what you are looking for in your next job. Good luck! 

[Californication | 1,477]

I've been working from home for a year and a half now and I get so much more done from home. It's nice, but I think a flex schedule will be a good compromise.

Am not happy about the downward pressure on wages though so I will be transitioning to a job that is required in the office like audit work.

Edited August 29, 2021 by Californication

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,056]

While I haven’t worked from home I already know I would dislike it. I even hayed doing schoolwork at home when in college I would always end up going back to the school building and doing homework. Personally I need that separation. I don’t need my stress space co mingled with my relax space. Im able to focus way more on the job when im at work because thats all there is to do. Way to many distractions at home

[Tulpa | 3,510]

I had to for almost a year, though I went in to my office at least once a week. Since summer I've been going in every day (though not a full eight hours yet, that starts Monday.) My assistant was once a week since summer, and will be half in office, half home come Monday. She has a young child that had to stay home during the school year, though, so she was kind of grateful for it. For me it sucked. I want my office.

[Fryer64 | 68]

Yeah.. I see everyone's points.  It's just so much harder without work friends. 

[Californication | 1,477]

Just now, Fryer64 said:

Yeah.. I see everyone's points.  It's just so much harder without work friends. 

Are you an extrovert?

[Tanooki | 4,934]

Because of circumstances, that have nothing to do with this pandemic panic, I've worked at home for a dozen years now if I remember the dates right.  My company valued my work so much when I returned to CA for 3 years, they sent my PC and 2 screens home and it has been that way ever since.  The only difference now, I don't go in for a monthly/quarterly meeting, holiday stuff, random team events.

I got used to it, very used to it.  Not having to waste 20-30min on the road each day with dumb traffic was fantastic, saves a lot in wear n tear, oil, gas, brakes, tires, and stupid work clothes.  Hell some days I'll be rockin the fun sleep t-shirt and vintage tmnt sleep pants until noon for all I care.

The only downer, it's not the isolation, it's keeping something going because it gets boring, and boring leads to distraction or worse, passing out.  My trick for years, running my home computer at the same time, and I'll leave something running off and on, or for X time then stop it so I still can get what I need to done and accurately.  Netflix, hulu, etc including even just certain non-garbage youtube stuff of a quality high enough it could be on tv(or some service) works wonders.

I have inter-office skype/IM stuff so I can chat whenever just fine too, and a few people I've swapped numbers on when things want to be said you don't want tracked too.

Personally for a time, though it would screw me over, but in the long run I've done it for so long I think I'd have trouble going back in regularly probably slip up and say or do something that would set someone off being confined by lame office rules and politics after being free so long.

Edited August 29, 2021 by Tanooki

[ICrappedMyPants | 302]

I’ve been mostly working in the office since September of last year. I hate it, but mostly because I don’t enjoy my team or my job. If I had a challenging and exciting job with a good team like I had at my last company, I’d hate working from home. Now, I just want to WFH to avoid wasting time in the car and seeing my colleagues. It feels like I work at the DMV sometimes.

Edit: The only thing that keeps me here is the sweet pension I will have when I’m retired. I should be able to live off of that and my stock dividends alone without touching my retirement savings.

Edited August 29, 2021 by ICrappedMyPants

[Daniel_Doyce | 475]

I'm never going back to an office again for more than just a visit. Our office switched to an open office setup a few months before SHTF in order to "foster collaboration." I can say my team is working much more closely together now than we ever did in that nightmare.

I got my boss to agree to me going remote full time. I don't need work friends. They're not really my friends, just acquaintances. I've become fully feral and can't go back that office BS.

[WalterWhiteJr. | 1,162]

I worked remote from March 2020 to last week. I needed to get out of the house. I like having a routine and having work and home life be separate. 

[Estil | 1,265]

I know this is a cute video and all but I don't think you guys would like getting your laptop destroyed like this!  

 

 

[Fryer64 | 68]

Another problem is that calls come in like every 20-30 minutes. I legit at least once a week spend my time doing nothing. That may sound cool but it's very overrated. The position I'm in is designed in such a way that if someone of importance calls in they would never have to wait. They call it "white glove service". So it's not hard to guess what kind of people I deal with everyday, and it's tiresome. Much less tiresome back when we were at the center because like 6 other guys and I would just play our switches. It was a blast let me tell you. Not so much when you play by yourself. I'd take a 50% paycut just so the place I work for isn't like what I'm doing now. 

 

I spent yesterday on indeed and got a bunch of hits, I have decent experience so I'm sure I can find something. Especially something that isn't in my collection room. Really hoping to have a job that will have me office bound. But I'm  going to actually try to find a different job rather then do nothing. I live in a market where there are probably more jobs then people to fill them. 

[Driftwood | 209]

My close friend recently got a job at a higher end pizza (yuppie) place working the bar.

Never seen him happier, after many times swearing to me he would never go back to serving. 
i worked for 10+ years in insurance at an office, it was the very definition of misery. 
never again ever

[Fryer64 | 68]

9 hours ago, Californication said:

Are you an extrovert?

Apparently.  Even though id like to believe I'm not.

[SailorScoutMandy | 782]

My job was trying to get people to wfh before all this started because we needed the space to hire more people. So being forcefully kicked from office helped me test it before commiting and I love it. I no longer have to spend that time getting ready or driving every morning and I'm home sooner to take care of things at home without feeling burnt out from rushing around. 

 

Also my wallet loves it because I'm not getting that that fast food and cafeteria eating that I was before hand. 

 

[Mega Tank | 964]

44 minutes ago, Fryer64 said:

Much less tiresome back when we were at the center because like 6 other guys and I would just play our switches. It was a blast let me tell you

Is this your main reason for not liking working from home? Lol

[Fryer64 | 68]

1 minute ago, Mega Tank said:

Is this your main reason for not liking working from home? Lol

No.. It's mostly the silence. If I wanted to I could play switch all day, pinball the next day, and rearrange my stuff 20 different ways and probably not get a call. I'm not even that big of a fan of the switch but I hsve like 15 games now when before I had one. Just to pass the time and stay alert. 

[a3quit4s | 4,102]

I’ve been working from home since November 2019. When I got my new job it was agreed I could be 100% work from home, so I was in before the pandemic hit. A commute from MD to to VA isn’t bad in terms of miles but traffic is totally redic. I really enjoy working from home. I get on around 7am, hit the gym around 9:30a, and I get off at 4p when my wife and son get home. I spend more time with my family and zero time being stuck in a commute everyday. Plus I don’t live far enough away where going to the office once a week or two isn’t impossible. Pandemic hasn’t helped that but I’ve been back a few times since it’s lightened up. 

[Californication | 1,477]

2 hours ago, Fryer64 said:

Apparently.  Even though id like to believe I'm not.

I mean at its core an extrovert/introvert is whether a person gets energy while being around others or when they are by themselves. I don't really assign positive/negative feelings toward either one.0

I just ask because most of the extroverts on my team started getting antsy relatively fast. I am an pretty heavy introvert and the isolation started getting to me as well, but it took much longer. 

I think we're social creatures at the end of the day and we need some physical connection.

Edited August 29, 2021 by Californication

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

I can't do my job from home so I've been in every day since the pandemic started. There are certainly some aspects of working from home that sound awesome (no drive, easier/cheaper access to food, sleeping in, etc), but I actually really enjoy going to work. I love my house and adore my family, but it's nice to have part of my life that is just for me. And I like interacting with people at work (sometimes).

That being said I can empathize with those who struggle going in to work everyday and those who feel isolated being stuck at home. I think a good work life balance is best for everyone.

Edited August 29, 2021 by DoctorEncore

[Hammerfestus | 3,852]

Tried work from home.