New research indicates that employees are less productive when working from home full-time, with some predicting 2024 as the year employers finally clamp down. Studies have linked remote work with productivity declines of between 8 and 19. A recent study of over 30,000 US employees claimed that one day per week spent working from home could boost productivity by 4.8. However, perception is a problem, as workers thought productivity was higher at home (about 7 higher) while managers thought it was.
Researchers compare two recent studies conducted with home workers in Japan during the pandemic, suggesting that the average productivity of home workers has increased but is still lower. Analyzing the relationship between GDP per hour growth and the ability to telework across industries shows that industries that are more adaptable to remote work did not experience a bigger decline or increase in productivity. Employers expect to move about 44 of workers to work from home during the pandemic, according to the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2020. However, 78 of business leaders think that work-life boundaries are blurring and managers worry about productivity.
A new study asked over 1,000 workers how productive they were at home, and the results shine a light into how companies should approach remote working in the future. A study showed a 10-20 productivity decrease in remote work, sparking discussions on work models and the need for leaders to balance efficiency and employee satisfaction. On average, remote work productivity was over 7 times higher than in-office productivity. However, the impact of fully remote working on productivity is typically mildly negative, as fully remote workers can struggle with mentoring and may experience 10 to 20 lower productivity than fully in-person work.
📹 The Truth About Productivity While Working from Home | #culturedrop | Galen Emanuele
Are remote employees productive? My take on nurture vs nature when it comes to how productive (or not) employees are being …
What are the performance issues with working from home?
Remote work can lead to reduced productivity due to various reasons, including communication challenges, network degradation, reduced creativity due to multitasking, and a decrease in learning, mentoring, and feedback. Additionally, discipline and self-control are significantly affected. According to a Stanford paper, people spend more time on non-work activities like social media, shopping, watching shows or movies, and planning trips.
They also spend time away from their computer doing household chores, errands, napping, going to the doctor, or drinking. Some people report working only three or four hours per day when they are remote. These factors contribute to the overall decrease in productivity in remote work.
What is the negative of working from home?
Working from home offers numerous benefits, but it also has drawbacks such as increased isolation, home office costs, risk of overworking, productivity risk, distractions, workplace disconnect, work-life balance imbalance, less face time, and increased isolation. To avoid loneliness and isolation, schedule outings with friends and family and participate in regular team events. Home office costs may be high due to the need for specific equipment like headsets, webcams, or software for essential tasks. To keep costs low, spend only what is necessary for your job and avoid unnecessary expenses.
Why is working from home so tiring?
Work from home fatigue is often caused by lack of physical activity, which can lead to heart weakness and reduced oxygenation. Regular exercise helps strengthen the heart, which pumps more blood with each beat. Sedentary work, which naturally requires sitting, can result in lower oxygenation and fatigue. Office life provides structure and rules, while home life offers flexibility. Some thrive with flexibility, while others need structure and routine.
Cabin fever, a response to the new environment, can also contribute to work from home fatigue. Cabin fever is a feeling of itching for a new environment, which can lead to fatigue and decreased energy levels. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain a healthy routine and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Has work productivity decreased?
Worker productivity has been declining, with a 2% drop between mid-2021 and mid-2023, the highest drop in the last seven decades. The reasons for this decline include the loss of education during the pandemic, stress from inflation and the pandemic, changing attitudes towards work, the shift to new jobs, and the rise of remote work. However, some argue that recent labor productivity is not bad because it surged during the pandemic.
Is human productivity decreasing?
The U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a nearly three percent decrease in worker productivity in Q1 2023, the sharpest decline in 75 years. The reasons for this drop include the pandemic, shift to remote work, the Great Resignation, and “quiet quitting”. Despite these changes, worker productivity initially increased during the pandemic, with many firms shifting to online channels, automating production tasks, increasing operational efficiency, and faster decision-making. Employers can take steps to reverse this trend by implementing strategies such as promoting remote work, implementing flexible work arrangements, and fostering a culture of innovation.
Why am I not productive at home?
To maximize productivity, it’s essential to separate work and home life, as they can be distractions and personal responsibilities. A dedicated space can help, but a separation mindset can also be beneficial. Relaxing throughout the day can help with productivity, as it allows you to view tasks from a new perspective and stay focused. Decluttering your home can also contribute to a cluttered mind, making it harder to focus and negatively impacting your mood.
By focusing on a clear space, you can maintain a healthy work-life balance and improve your overall productivity. By implementing these strategies, you can create a more productive and efficient work environment.
Why has my productivity decreased?
Low productivity can be attributed to various factors such as poor time management, unclear goals, inefficient processes, excessive workplace distractions, inadequate skills, low motivation, and high levels of stress or burnout. Examples of low productivity include consistently missing deadlines, subpar work output, frequent distractions, procrastination, frequent errors, and lack of progress. The level of productivity measures the output or work accomplished within a given time frame, evaluating the quantity, quality, and efficiency of completed tasks or projects. High productivity indicates that significant work is being done effectively and efficiently.
Is remote work ending?
As COVID-19 is managed better, employers are resuming in-office work, with companies like Zoom and Meta requiring at least a few days of in-person work per week. KPMG’s Global CEO Outlook shows 63% of CEOs predict a full return to in-office work by the end of 2026, while only 7% believe full-time remote work will continue in the long term. Companies across the U. S. are also attempting to bring workers back into the office at least part-time.
Is remote work decreasing?
A Live Data Technologies study published in The Wall Street Journal revealed that remote workers were 35 times more likely to be laid off in 2023 than their in-office counterparts. The study also revealed that only 7 of in-office jobs were cut in 2023, compared to 10 of full-time remote roles. Some upper management believe it is easier to lay off remote staff due to lack of close relationships. The number of people working from home has dropped by 3.
2 million nationwide, and currently, 15. 2 (24. 4 million) of Americans work from home. This has led to the “chopping block mentality”, with some CEOs like Sam Naficy arguing that leaders should not make decisions based solely on their location, as this could lead to a workforce that is disengaged and disloyal. The research highlights the need for organizations to weigh the impact of their decisions on their workforce.
Is remote work to blame for lower productivity?
Experts dismiss the idea that remote work is a major driver of reduced productivity, stating that evidence suggests it actually boosts productivity. However, Denise Macik, manager of strategic HR advisory services at G and A Partners, warns that remote or hybrid work can harm productivity when not properly managed. Metcalf emphasizes that the decline in productivity is not due to remote work or recession, but a combination of factors. Experts offer seven suggestions to boost workers’ output, whether they work in the office or remotely.
What is the biggest problem with working from home?
Regular routines and time management are essential for a productive workweek. Google Calendar offers features to block off specific hours for projects and meetings, making it easier for home office employees to manage their busy schedules. It also allows for easy planning of meetings with people in different time zones, making it a lifesaver for frequent travelers or team members with large time differences. Additionally, creating a to-do list and assigning tasks to each day can help maintain a sense of order and motivation. Scratching tasks off lists can be both satisfying and motivating.
📹 How Remote Work Destroyed My Mental Health (feat. @Katherout) | Future of Work
Katherine Berry (@Katherout) was living out her dream life — or so she thought. After graduating a year early from USC Business …
I find learning about other people’s experiences to be eye opening. I am having the opposite experience working from home. Also work in tech and typically worked 60-80 hours a week for the past 13 years of being in tech. Mental health was not great. Feel much more balanced and connected since starting to work from home.
Just take a step back to get a big picture macro view and think about how messed up and crazy it is how North American work culture has normalized sacrificing your personal life and mental health to work 60-80 hours a week. Don’t let any employer convince you that this is normal or healthy. Work is done for the purpose of paying your bills and if you are further along in your life journey it can also help fulfill a larger mission. That is it. Don’t forget to actually live – aka spend time with loved ones, create amazing memories, and express yourself through hobbies
I love WFM. I’m working more hours at home, but saving 2-3 hours a day on the commute, which ends up more or less evening out. In return, I get to spend more time with family (the people that actually matter to us in life), eat and cook healthier, and get fitter (with my previous commute, there was no time to sneak in regular exercise into the day). It’s important to schedule in your own breaks throughout the day and get enough sleep to make the new schedule work. Your employer will never watch out for you no matter how much overtime you do, you have to take initiative to protect your own sanity in the corporate world.
There is a connection between trying so hard in school and overworking yourself once you get out that needs to be more prominent. I’m sure she was very happy succeeding, getting straight A’s, and graduating quickly .. And that’s great for her, it just leaves out the expectations that go into it and how your brain gets used to performing at unhealthy levels just so you can make a teacher happy, a parent happy, and as we saw, a boss happy. Glad she could afford a therapist and seems like she learned her lesson in time management, but the messages about overachieving are still being pushed to kids and these conversations need to be more widespread instead of people thinking “young people are just lazy” or “hard work isn’t for everyone”
I found that working remote helped/improved my mental health. I finally feel like I have a better balance of what is truly important in life vs what is just passing circumstances. Goodluck to this lady, it seems like she just needs to learn to prioritize better, but we have different perspectives and life experiences, so we’ve come to different conclusions. Therapy helps y’all, give it a real honest try.
I am the IT systems administrator for one of the largest non profits in the US. Remote work has been a true blessing for me. I can’t imagine working inside an office ever again. The pandemic allowed us to become serverless and we are entirely on the cloud which I can administer and maintain from anywhere in the world.
I am so glad that Katherine was able to work through this and came out on the other side where she places value on other things besides work. I think a lot of us were there at one point…especially while trying to prove yourself. I remember a time where we could wake up at 6 AM, commute from 7-8 AM, work or attend meetings from 8 to 5:30 PM while barely sneaking out for 15 minutes to eat, and then apologizing for leaving at 5:45 PM and promising to sign on and be available as soon as you get home. I remember the looks I’d receive as if I somehow wasn’t doing my part on the days I opted to leave work after 9 hours–not factoring in the hour it took to get there and the hour it took to get home. That should not be the goal! I was so burnt out from that period that I’ve never had the energy to do it again. Your life, your time, your health (mental, physical and emotional) all matters…usually more than whatever title is printed on your business card. Most jobs are no longer the life-long commitment they used to be. We should start acting like it.
I really have mixed feelings about working from home. I do see the benefits of it, especially being that one can get up and take breaks or do other things without constantly being beholden to a supervisor nagging at them to get back to work. But I also do sometimes find it exhausting. Getting out of bed, walking ten feet to my desk which is the same desk that I work/draw/play article games at, with the only time I get up being to cook my meals or go to the bathroom. The days just seem to blend together into this grey mush and I feel both under and overwhelmed somehow. It’s hard to find anything worth doing when everything just feels the same, same room, same food, no friends or coworkers to talk to besides to get updates on work. I’m sure that work from home is good for a lot of people and I do think that offices should at least have it as an option for workers, but I think I need to have a hybrid model where I go into work a few days a week to ground myself and feel connected to my work.
Pre-pandemic I worked at home on Monday and Friday – during the pandemic I just wanted to shut the office/spare bedroom door and make it disappear on the weekends – it was just too close a connection. It seems younger workers have a harder time setting boundaries since many managers are more than willing to take advantage. I had one manager tell me I could work the same commute hours I was saving – no, that is NOT work/life balance. Thanks for sharing.
I would absolutely love to see this series explore the cohort of people who worked from home full-time before the pandemic, either self-employed or as employees, and deeply investigate the differences in both remote-first people and remote-first companies from their counterparts, what changes the pandemic wrought on us, if any, and what lessons we might have for the rest of the workforce.
I watched a minute and twenty-five seconds and already I know this article is about the insane way employees are treated in the US, not about remote work. It’s about being treated as slaves. Which is what we all are. Slaves in varying degrees. Slaves to money which society decided is more important than good air, good water, good food, good shelter, good living, and humanity. No. It’s more important to make the stockholders profit before the world is uninhabitable by humanity.
So… you mean remote work in ISOLATION DURING A PANDEMIC destroyed your mental health? That sounds about right. But more so, it sounded like her company took advantage of her and workers like her during the pandemic. My experience was very different and positive. I personally don’t care about making the most money possible if it means working myself to death. So no, I don’t have the highest salary possible as far as engineers in tech go. But I have a decent work-life balance. And I personally think that’s way more important. The end of the workday is the end of the workday for me. Period. Non-negotiable. If I want to stay a little late to finish something, I leave early another day. It’s balanced in that way.
Your workstation shouldn’t be in your bedroom. When working from home, there must be a boundary between work and home life. If you’re constantly looking at a workstation, it’s like you never leave work. The best part of ending my work day is closing the office door and not looking at that stuff until the next work day.
I have a different experience, I really enjoy working at home. I have ADHD and the over stimulation of a workplace environment and constituently being under surveillance and around others is really distracting and draining to my emotional health. Working at home has really improved my work life, before the pandemic i was miserable and i hated all jobs. Now i love being at home where i am not distracted and i can do my job and i really love it.
Something I think they need to consider here is a sense of validation from the employees who are struggling versus the amount of ask those who are struggling. I work in tech as well, and when I was in an office I constantly felt like I had to hide part of who I was, felt worse about my boundaries, and was not thriving. I started working from home before the pandemic, and while it was rocky, I am healthier for it.
I lived this at work for twelve years, constant calls, long hours, impossible work load, never catching up. My new job has office hours, which was quite adjustment. I worked a week at home and while it saved travel time, 24/7 in the same place got weird so I was fine with being the essential on-site worker (at the office) The line between who we are and our job us indeed blurry and I think this pandemic has pushed everyone to look closely at that. Working at home, working on-site with the pandemic and even suddenly not working for a long period of time can do that; couples have failed or grown stronger, families have reshaped their lives/routines/priorities and this may be a not-so-bad thing
Its up to you to decide if this type of work is worth it or not. After doing jobs with 10-11 hours i decided that its not worth it. My last job i started to have panick attack going on for a month. I decided that i want to have a life outside of work. Whats the point of earning money if i cant spend it bc im always at work? I couldnt even see my friends so no social life. Now i prefer to work part time even if i dont make a lot of money but my health and well being comes first. But you need to make that decision. Of course your company will never say to you, work less. They dont care abt your well being but how much you can produce.
All I can just see is that when something is promoted as being trendy and revolutionary and blah blah blah, everyone buys into it and some people end up realizing that it’s not really that glamorous. Working from home isn’t for everyone, working from the office isn’t for everyone, it just requires balance and how happy you are with your job. This crowd mentality of deciding to do something just because everyone is doing it, without actually thinking about its consequences is killing us as individuals. If you feel that your job isn’t going well for you and you want a different path, SAVE UP for a few months, do your research on what you’d like to do, get qualified enough, and make sure not to burn bridges in case of the future, then give it a shot, If it doesn’t, go back to your former career. Just because your neighbour started working from home and travelling to luxurious locations doesn’t mean that it’d go that smoothly for you. Aaaagh, sometimes we humans are just too dizzy.
Wow this article and Katherine’s experience have had a profound impact on me. I am currently off sick due to burnout and I have/had the exact same mindset as Katherine initially. I’m working on it with my therapist now too and really hoping to feel better about my work when I return with healthy boundaries set. Odd thing for me is that its not working from home but returning to the office and all its distractions that overwhelmed me and made me have to take time out.
And yet our politics gives these companies so much influence over our daily lives and futures. But at the end of the day, a company’s only goal is to make more money for those at the top. Especially if the CEO or founder feels they have had a particularly hard journey to the top, they expect everyone’s to be exactly as difficult. But in an ever complicated world, it turns out to be much harder. And by only chasing the bottom line they hard no time for people’s “mental health” or personal circumstances. Capitalism and industrial advancement have their benefits, but its all tied up in misery. The term “rat race” continues to hold true.
As a HR professional and Hybrid worker I have had to support workers in different environments. I worked 16 hours a day in person when I was in the hotel industry. Exhausted and my health was affected. I did soul searching and decided to step away from hospitality after 20 years. I am now living in seattle loving my current employer and work environment. Boundaries have to be set in person and remote work to live a healthy life.
Being in an office was draining. Maybe bc I am an introvert, but the constant interruptions, background noise, and bland setting disrupted my work progress. My energy was already depleted just from the frustrating commute. I don’t mind working an extra 2 hours or so or an occasional weekend because I can go at my own pace. I can spend time with my floof, go for a light jog in the middle of the day, or take an extremely long nap. WFH is amazing if the environment is right. It also helps that my company is accommodating, respects boundaries, and shifts the work load accordingly.
an employer does NOT need to offer more guidances on how to manage the employees hours and workload. that is bs! the employer needs to reduce the workload. america only knows how to work, not live. i left. done. the culture in other countries is such that the general public actually value their personal life and consequentially request less workload, NOT more “guidelines on work life balance and managing time skills” … i was part of the creme de la creme in the tech industry …the amount of corporate brainwashing on .. this is your passion … aka work more more more lead to severe burnout from 80 hr weeks. it was toxic.
Remote work sucks, I tried it during the pandemic briefly and went back to office as soon as I was allowed to. Thankfully I live in a republican controlled state that never fell for the COVID theater act that many people bought into in this country. I’m not a registered Republican, but the GOP took a better approach than democrats during the past 2 years in regards to economy and work environment.
As a remote worker who often rolls straight out of bed and sits and the computer from 4AM and spends all day here: These are her choices. She can still get up at 5AM and to the gym and start working at 8. Yes, remote work is a different set of stresses, but there has always been more work than there are hours to do it. Your boss isn’t going to tell you to sign off. You have to discipline yourself to step away from the keyboard.
That’s why I learned to work from my own pace. My job doesn’t offer overtime but you can overwork yourself if you end up doing back to back cases and don’t take breaks. I make sure to take breaks in between and I aim to just reach the goal my job set for me instead of overworking myself to reach beyond the goal they set for me everyday. Also I’m an introvert. I don’t thrive around people and I was tired of working at a toxic environment and dealing with traffic everyday. I personally love remote work. I get so much chores done now as well as more time to myself.
I loved working from home. The only problem were my bosses. I was doing an insane amount of work but they were flipping saying no work was getting done. It got to the point I just called my bosses and I has them review my work, and they saw I did all I had to do yet they felt I should go over everything again since I’d done it all 😐 I no longer work there. Next job I get I hope that I get one with a work from home option.
I tottaly relate to her experience. I also had to start working with a therapist dissociate my selfvalue/identity from work. It’s a work in progres, but it feels good to see what the end result can be. I’m still feeling super guilty when I’m not working (therefore I’m unable to really rest etc.). We’ll get there.
She is going to have a BURNOUT! It happened to me, I used to work like this from 25 – 31. I now have chronic pain in my neck. I realised that if I got run over by a bus, my boss would just hire another person. Don’t do it to yourself! I took my life back and invested in myself! Now I work part time and travel when possible.
I love WFH. My mental health has improved so much. Zero commute and working in my jammies and slippers are the icing on the cake. I am never going back to the jungle that is working in the office if I can help it. I like my peace, well-being and sanity and I intend to do everything I can to keep them intact.
Never liked working in office. Humans are not meant to stay indoors glued to machines for 8-12 hours, depending on your industry, some have workers working far more than that. You sacrificed being with your family majority of your prime life but instead with strangers who dont really care. That is a costly price i’m no longer willing to pay. Her problem is a lot more about her workload than being at home. Imho she burnt herself out.
I’m thankful that my job was able to shift from telework to a full remote job during the worst of the pandemic. I hate remote working. If I wanted to work in a silo I would have applied for remote positions. I thrive off of togetherness and bouncing ideas off of one another, it literally energizes me. I’m considered an “ENFP”, and truly miss the fellowshiping and networking with colleagues. I’ve been this way since preschool. Now I’m not for 100% in the office either 50/50 would be best, once covid becomes less dangerous. I don’t know what I’m going to do career wise,but remote work isn’t sustainable for me.
Some people thrive in an office, sone do not. Remote work is not for everyone. She doesn’t seem like a good fit for remote work. What she enjoys and what gives her fuel at work is different than what remote work offers. I understand it was not her choice at the time but now she can choose an environment that better suits her personality and what she needs from a workplace.
I find these kind of stories interesting. I think it’s less remote work and more that she is not setting boundaries for herself. I have been remote working for the last 20 months. And i have set myself a clear cut off for the day. Yes there are some days where I will remain online longer, but that cutoff allows me to separate work from home life.
I have followed her YouTube website since college and she is the worst example of WFH employee. I really like her website, but her personality is definitely about overworking. Now her new content is about how work is toxic, and how she doesn’t “dream of work”, but in reality she just lacked boundaries.
I have worked having an office in my home starting 1991, 30yrs. At first it was hard if I worked all day at home. I was required to be at the client’s most of the time which gave me the chance to, shower, get dressed, and interact act with people. I live alone so it was no problem. I bought to a 2 bedroom townhome and had a separate room as my office. I could close the door at the end of the day. Then in 1998, I worked 100% in the office. I think the pandemic made it more confining because i could only go and bring things home. No activities like clothes shopping, eating out with friends until after fully vaccinated. I got together with my close friends in the park for a picnic recently the first time this year. It was the best thing ever. It’s harder to focus on work because all my neighbors are working from home and they interrupt my days now.
I love working remote. You need to work on setting boundaries. Wake up early go do exercise also don’t forget about your personal life. In the office I was always getting interrupted, plus commuting takes a toll on mental health. Take your lunch break. Schedule in your lunch in outlook in case you get too busy due to the demands of your job. Overworking should not be idolized you are too young for that.
I have the same experience but opposite problem. My jobs haven’t been busy, in fact I’ve such a light workload that I’m left with all of this time to fill, feeling guilt but not being able to properly switch off in case I do get a teams call. I’ve always been extremely career focused and WFH is inhibiting my ability to actually move forward. Also WFH alone isn’t fun.
I’m working from home too since the pandemic started. In the beginning, it was working more than I used to work at the office, simply because I didn’t want the employer to think I was taking advantage of working remotely. I wanted them to see the productivity, it took a little time to say no, I can’t keep working at that capacity, the burnout was approaching, the employer piling on more facets of work. Now, I strictly stick to a schedule, getting up, getting dressed I think helps mentally, not sitting in pajamas all day, sectioning off the break and lunchtimes, also getting out of the house at least every other day, for a drive or walk. And most of all, logging out no later than 5:30. I also think age plays a role, at 25 you are still proving yourself. If you are older, you care less about the prooving and more about maintaining the knowledge and experience that you bring to the workplace.
I got switched to WFH in the beginning of the pandemic. I learned that alot of my coworkers that lived alone hated it, they missed the socialization and for some of them (like the older folks), the socialization is all they have. I am loving it as i live with family so i have no worry of not having socialization. I have the whole house to myself during the day and get to do chores, make my meals stress free.. i get it’s not for everyone but damn is it working for me.
Grateful my job respects off time, even during the pandemic. When I check out and I’m done, I’m done. I did find myself working more (not necessarily productively, if anything less productive) because I lost all the social time from work that happens when you see your co-workers and chat and that was valuable for my mental health and also inter personal work relationships, which is why you see so many people changing jobs these days. It’s easier when work is just work and you lose that connection with your co-workers and culture
I went thru it too. No therapist, religious I take it to God. I ended up leaving and taking time off for a number of reasons. I’m use to working remote outside sales. But when the shutdown kept getting extended. My hobbies stress relievers where taken away for months given back for two weeks taken away for months again. It got confusing. The rise in everyone’s stress both hear and the company I was working for. It absolutely damaged the relationships. If you worked from home they can relate.
I started working from home a few years before the pandemic, and I definitely was burned out. I thought it was ok the first few years, but once the pandemic hit my mental health started to get worse. I finally realized my current job is not for me which is why I decided to go back to school to change my career to something that has more of an impact on humanity.
Same, the title resonate profoundly with me. College, work, the home environment, all of that destroyed my mental health. Toxic environment in my house, lack of consistency in my routine and double the workload. People was insanely cruel when assigning tasks for home office and College also, altogether destroyed my life.
This is an inaccurate representation. I have worked remotely in and out of tech, e-commerce etc since 2012. It takes a certain type I guess. I love remote work and don’t know how I could ever go back to an office job. Also, I haven’t lived with my parents since I was 18. Also, I’m 40 and have kids so I don’t have time to worry about trivial things.
I think it depends what the work environment is like. Working from home is actually nice. I can multi-task and not deal with micromanagement or office politics. Although I think the stress and burnout comes from the amount of work I do and the long hours, so I have to set firm boundaries to shut my laptop when I’m done with work.
what destroyed my mental health was being forced back into 3-4 hours of commuting daily, only to still have most meetings still be all “online”. employers appear to be doing this not only to get ppl to quit but also to prop up their real estate values, all the while pretending the marginal benefits of in-person interactions somehow outweigh the many downsides to being onsite.
I understand her pain but I can’t help myself thinking that she’s still very lucky to have a job when millions of people have lost theirs because of the pandemic. I can’t help thinking about how lucky we are to have spent the many lockdowns in a confortable and safe home. Yes it was hard because I was jobless for months, living with my parents and all, but I felt so grateful everyday for getting to spend my empty days perusal Netflix with a blanket and food.
Y’all labeled Sacramento as the suburbs; that’s literally the capitol of California and gentrifying. It is NOT more affordable nor a suburb, let’s be clear. It’s a growing urban center. When you posted this I moved FROM Sacramento back to the bay, which is where I was born, because rent is lower and my family is here.
This is an extremely biased report… a lot of us don’t want to go back to the office. As an hourly employee, I’m not getting more done because I’m working more. The hours are exactly the same. I get more done because I’m not as distracted by others. Working from home is great. Don’t say it’s bad and that people are suffering. Many of us are not.
Yea I don’t think about work when I’m not working, you have to set boundaries. They will take, take, take they don’t give a flying F*** about any of us and they never will. My first remote job was awesome, other than having to be on zoom 24/7 and be watched, I hate that more than anything but that was just during training. Other than that it was great, I didn’t have to stress about getting in on time, or commuting and parking, etc I absolutely hate it! I loved meeting up with my neighbors in the spring/summer on lunch breaks for our dogs to play, it was great. I’m having trouble now getting another remote job an dits depressing.
This feels unreal to me. If what we see her going through is “mental health destroyed,” I don’t even know what my reality would be called. I don’t think I cope 80% as well, or get as much done. I’d be in a rubber room or a pine box if I were expected to function at the level of this young lady, even at what this article presented as her lowest.
So it’s not for you. Find a job where you can work in office. Oh no you can’t commute and waste that time or spend money on gas. What a horror story! And wow she’s describing the frustrations of remote work from home as if it were in office. what’s the difference really? you actually think you’re going to get a better experience being in an office where the distractions are just the same?? I feel so much more focused and distraction free at home. I’m so much more productive and stress free Plus this whole notion that you have this work creep is your responsibility. you need to set hard hours in your calendar when you are no longer working. it’s quite simple and our company makes that clear. Your argument that working from home creates more work is your fault and it’s so simple to correct it. I don’t feel burn out because I, as an adult, know how to balance my life and work. remote work challenges you to make that commitment. it’s not hard to achieve
Employers are really trying hard to get rid of remote work because some “bosses” like employees under their noses…..However, most workers/employees love remote work because they do not have to commute unnecessarily. I know some people who commute 2 hours a day (what a waste of time and resource that is)…..
8:28 this is true, my current company is full remote and the boundaries of work hours is non-existent because the management itself is trying to complete the impossible task of pleasing everyone and getting as much work done in a day. I also always end up working way more hours than agreed, and as an employee i feel like i’m in a situation where i can’t just freely say ‘hey, i don’t want to do this until i get severely burned out every single day’
The remote job is not the problem. The problem is she applied to a remote job that is 60 hours or more. Don’t do that, read the job description carefully! If it’s a remote job that’s on call, nights or weekends and that’s not the job for you don’t apply! I rather work remotely then be in the office with toxic people and there’s no ventilation in the office. I work in the office and five of my coworkers left last year. I and another coworker had to do all that work. Pick a remote company that says work life balance and most importantly google and read the employee reviews!!
Nothing like spending your entire existence on this earth in front of a computer screen and cell phone. Wait until one day the computers crash, then what? Oh, no, that will never happen. Hackers can get into any system, period. Really? Listen there’s something for everybody, me, I would go insane spending that amount of time staring at a screen, day after day after day. But, then again, that’s me. It’s nice to be home at the end of your work day, but to spend every waking moment at home? I don’t know about that on a long term basis.
As an employer who has worked the burnout hours, and one who consistently makes sure my team are taking breaks and not working beyond office hours, I can empathize with you. It saddens me that employers/managers don’t always actively tell their team to shut it down at a reasonable hour, if they see folks working beyond typical hours. I think that North American culture seems to disproportionately value work over balance, though I think we are seeing a shift in thinking, at least I hope we are. It makes me happy to see that once you started sitting boundaries, you did not experience any negative feedback- especially in a world where remote working is going to become the norm for a great number of people, we need to start reevaluating the value of work and the value of balance, as well as putting an emphasis on mental health.
The go back to work propaganda is just overkill. You can no longer ‘wow’ management and co workers with your ‘contagious’ personality to distract from the quality of your work. Now all you can show is your performance. Maybe why you are taking so long to do your job is because you never did it exceptionally well in the first place but your colleagues were too distracted by office politics to see it. This is what I like about the increase in work from home. There is barely any leeway for people to use office politics to their advantage and there is an increase in the digital trail to evaluate performance.
The reason people are working more at home is because it’s harder to set boundaries when work is at home. If you’re at home all day and have easy access to your computer, desk, etc. it’s much easier to lose track of time or for your boss or co-workers to ask you to do a task because “well, you’re at home, so you can easily get this done, right?” Working from home has some perks, but some people need that physical separation and balance in their life.
I loved working remote and I found not having to drive to and from office, instead using that time to more useful things that otherwise I would be coming home even later to almost time to go to sleep and had to microwave prepared foods. I was definitely more productive and helpful to my peers. People that don’t have a work ethic usually whine about WFH. Tell me the age group of the people that had a hard time?
Wfh was nice for the first few months but I got bored of it afterwards. It’s nice but it’s not for everyone. Luckily my dept is coming back in to the office a few days a week. 2-3 days a week is perfect. Dnt get me wrong, I like WFH, but I cannot do it 5 days a week. Wfh 2-3 days a week is perfect for me, better balance.
Girl you need to get out of that bed, go to a peaceful place and try to work from mountains or work from beaches…people who are in remote working are heading towards this culture where they can have refreshing and calming peace of mind as well working in a hectice schedule . This has become so popular in india
i hate commuting so much. i hate caring how i present to little kids who dont really care if i wear jeans or not. but prek children need interaction in person. its a big dilemma that ive found myself in after joining the education field a few years ago after college. admins unreasonable expectations, pointless meetings, and low pay isnt worth it. the children are, which is why i am still doing it. but i am getting more burnt out than last year when we were online because upholding these covid standards while also curating the curriculum to suit these high stakes assessment standards that have invaded early education and destroyed creative learning, it seems impossible. i probably will end up quitting in the next few years if covid doesnt stop to find a remote job tbh. teacher shortage will just get worse and it sucks but no money, no job is worth any amount of extra stress.
Working from home is terrible for people who are new starters. If I had to laydown the law so to speak, I would insist that all new starters are to be accompanies by their teams for a few months, and once they’re established then they can work from home. Of course this won’t happen as there’s other factors that still needs to be considered.
I just ran across this article and was introduced to work enmeshment / career enmeshment. This has been me for the past 20+ years and C-VID took my structure away. I had a schedule and structure, wake up at 4:45, drive to CrossFit, workout and shower, drive to work and arrive at 7:00 then leave work by 5. I would have never expected that this schedule would have been so important to me. I no longer work out, I don’t care about myself, and I just work. Home and Work is no longer delineated, I’m always checking my emails. If we all went back to bed, I’d be able to get back to reality. Till then, l’ll keep drinking and overeating.
As a physically disabled, autistic, introvert. WFH is the best thing possible for me. I cant imagine getting up 2 hours earlier to basically sit in traffic unpaid, fuel prices through the roof, whilst also being refused a bonus and any reimbursement. Im exhausted, chronically ill and i can just about hold down WFH efficiently. If i had to RTO id be so exhausted my productivity would drop massively.
@1:00 she says she was suddenly at home with two times the amount of work. Why? That’s a boundary-setting issue. Unless they doubled your pay, why would you do twice the work just because you’re doing it from home? Keep your same schedule, and don’t let the job creep over into your personal time, or let your job take advantage of you simply because they’ve given you the “privilege” of WFH.
Well, it all depends. My sister in law, who uses her bipolar disorder to be a b…to us all, works in the office. She just asked for permission to work from home, and she will be driving us crazy. Yes, my brother thought it was a good idea to ask her to come live in our house. We already dealt with her, when the pandemic started, 24/7, she would hit my nephew, and it might have started before the pandemic, but we never knew because we were also all at work in our office. I am very closed to calling CPS.
WFH tends to be harder in overachievers. I am one and I supervise a team of 25. I was making myself available to all 6am-9pm. As soon as vaccination came around and restrictions eased. I went back to the office and love it. I don’t have a long commute so really WFH only saved me 30 minutes ( 15 min each way) but gave me higher electricity bills and less personal time. I like the clear separation of work and home. I do occasionally work from home but 90% of the time at the office.
I know I’m definitely in the minority but for me personally, I’ve got really high anxiety and ADHD and have a hard time being alone for long stretches of time. I’ve found that after working remote for almost 3 years now, I can’t stand it 100% of the time anymore. (My workload hasn’t really changed at all.) I get so antsy and I feel like I have really intense cabin fever that I didn’t experience before when I was full-time in the office. I think a hybrid approach might actually work better for some people! Like 2~3 days in the office and the rest remote, or half days in the office and the remainder from home. Does anyone else feel the same way or am I just weird?
this is true, my current company is full remote and the boundaries of work hours is non-existent because the management itself is trying to complete the impossible task of pleasing everyone and getting as much work done in a day. I also always end up working way more hours than agreed, and as an employee i feel like i’m in a situation where i can’t just freely say ‘hey, i don’t want to do this until i get severely burned out every single day’
This is basically about personal preference, self-managent and company culture. Everyone will has different experiences because people have different needs. Is this wfh problem? Yes and no, wfh can give you more control, time off from office drama, time saving etc etc but it also gives lesser situational context which actually help certain types of people work and manage their lives better. It would be best the everyone can find and work the way they want! Stay healthy everyone 🙂
I worked from home for a couple of years long before the pandemic, and I can say this is not my reality. Before the pandemic and during it, I stop work at 5:00 when I’m supposed to. I’ll stay a few minute more if something is urgently needed, but that’s rare. I am more efficient because I can get work done faster without interruptions from coworkers or customers stopping by my desk for something they need.
I think its depends on individual circumstances. I work from home and I am getting fed up. I live alone and see no one during the week, I don’t have a car and I moved to a cheaper area so don’t have much friends. The main stressor for me is trying to keep my home tidy. I think it’s underestimated how dirty your home gets due to working from home, you have to cook and wash the dishes three times a day and vacuum everywhere and mop twice a week due to bits of food getting on the floor. I live in a small apartment with no garden. I also have a very noisy neighbour above me.
I live alone with my cat and working from home makes me feel soooo alone. I go to the gym every morning and that’s the only time I speak with people during the week. It’s like, the more time I spend alone, the harder it gets to connect with people for me, which makes me feel more alone. Right now I got a new job and I’m happy cause it’s a huge step in my career with a great salary, but It will be 100% remote without the possibility of going to the office. I’m afraid of what will happen if I keep with this loneliness.
I was working more pre pandemic. Going in on weekends to “catch up” waking up early or staying late to try and avoid traffic. I got a different job in November 2020 that is fully remote and I find I am able to better book end my time and not work late. On Fridays I close my laptop and put it away and do not check it again until Monday morning.
Hoping Gloria you got a realistically know your limits and tell yourself it’s okay to rest!! I know we’ve all been indoors!! Yet eaten so you got to tell yourself it’s okay to rest. It might be an adjustment to finally get out and start working and yeah just like over exert myself mentally and physically
I am struggling with overwork as well and it’s hard to explain to my boss how much work there is because with WFH it is easier for them to think that it’s doable in working hours. But with meetings and calls and everything it’s not. I’m a content creator and although we do save time on the commute, I find myself having to work overtime almost everyday. 🤷🏼♀️ When we worked in the office we were never afraid that our work was not seen. But at home I kind of feel that way. I know that this will end up with me quitting my job because I am unable to draw the line but I did try to make my boss understand. I just couldn’t make her. 😒
Interesting to see a different perspective. I guess may be diff for those of us who has young family/ kids. This remote work situation has been a blessing for us. TBH, I think it’s her work load not due to work from home though. Both my husband and I work for large/ high demand companies, for a moment that we felt guilty so we worked a lot, but slowly we figured out a better way to handle work life balance. Also welcome to Seattle, we love our city…