Working from home decreasing or increasing productivity?

[Addadude]

WD40's comments are WAY too simplistic. There are many people who need the 'social' side of working. If you are a natural introvert, WFH is made for you. But others need that face-to-face interaction. Some people like to have a physical separation between work and home. Others, as pointed out above, have young families and too many disruptions at home to focus productively.

I for one always preferred keeping my work space and my home space as separate as possible. Home was home - where I relaxed. The office was the place where I focused on work. I didn't like to mix the two no matter how late I had to work or how many weekends I had to spend in the office.

However, to my surprise, WFH has actually suited me well in terms of being productive. And I don't even have proper working space - my 'office' is the kitchen table. My day-to-day work doesn't require that much interaction with people that can't be achieved via email and video/call conference.

BUT... WFH as absolutely impacted me in how much more I'm working. I don't take lunch breaks - I literally eat while I'm working. My working hours start and end according to the emails that come in - from 7.30 am to after 10 pm. And believe me, "setting boundaries" doesn't always work with senior management! At the moment, flexible working seems to work in only one direction - me bending over backwards!

Hey, but at least I'm blessed to still have a job!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Good Post, 'dude! My life hasn't been changed too much, I went from newly retired to still retired. My only problem is find lumber for my workshop.

[PNGMK]

Agreed Addadude. I've resorted to taking a mid day siesta (in a different room to my laptop) just to get down time.

[Wd40]

@WD40, so you statement was just because you have only one kid and a wife to serve you. Life can be quite different for 2 full time working parents with more than one kid like P1 kids just got school started. So calling others liars or losers whose jobs are at risk is a bit narrow minded and judgemental. Especially when you just explain that basically your own job could be as well done anywhere.

Not to mention that you work in a place where they or your mind watch after your working hours not your results. I can go to office or not go to office and leave when I'm there at any time and finish my work at home or whichever location I feel like. Obviously not now during Corona time but normally. And it's been like that for 13 years. So maybe it's your company's corporate culture that is not upto 21st century.

Yes, you put it perfectly. It is my company's corporate culture is not for the 21st century. But not just mine. Many companies are like that. Asian mindset. Work from home is perfectly possible, but your manager doesnt trust you. Or they get some sort of weird enjoyment to boss over people face to face. They can call everyone into a meeting room whenever they want, they can go to someone's desk directly whenever they want to talk to. So they just hate it, to let their subordinates to work from home, where they can plan their own time.

Asian bosses like to micro manage, and kind of want to see what you are doing every hour, every day, so obviously they cannot let people work from home.

[GSM8]

However, to my surprise, WFH has actually suited me well in terms of being productive. And I don't even have proper working space - my 'office' is the kitchen table. My day-to-day work doesn't require that much interaction with people that can't be achieved via email and video/call conference.

BUT... WFH as absolutely impacted me in how much more I'm working. I don't take lunch breaks - I literally eat while I'm working. My working hours start and end according to the emails that come in - from 7.30 am to after 10 pm. And believe me, "setting boundaries" doesn't always work with senior management! At the moment, flexible working seems to work in only one direction - me bending over backwards!

Hey, but at least I'm blessed to still have a job!

Totally concur with dude. This could well have been written by me

[PNGMK]

My GP told me of a patient who is on WFH. His employer installed software to monitor if the employee is working and he has to explain absences away from the computer during work hours. If he is away for more than 5 minutes the computer starts beeping at him and his boss gets an alert.

[x9200]

A diarrhea can get him fired, unless he works it out outside office hours.
But I know some bosses who are good candidates to purchase such software and this sort of bosses are linked to the working culture where people spend long hours at work pretending they work but doing de facto nothing. The fundamental question is what the cause and what is the effect.

[bgd]

We can see who is online and who is inactive. No key press for 5 minutes makes you inactive. It's a nuisance because it also locks your screen. Can get locked out if you are reading something or even on a call. For that reason I wrote a small program which keeps me active, even when I'm not.

[SGBoyxxx]

I read that ST article about a WFH survey with 9000 respondents from 90 companies. Apparently, 2 in 5 said that they were less productive when working from home, that it took them much longer to do the same amount of work that they would have completed otherwise.

That was actually quite surprising to me. I mean... Doesn't it make more sense to force yourself to work harder/smarter to complete the same amount of work so that you can have more time to enjoy yourself now that your boss isn't around to give you the stink eye?

Huh? the last i happen to see from ST they claim out of 10 , 9 prefer WFH .

the reason, can spend more time with family
no need rush for work , traffic jam etc crowding .

[ProvenPracticalFlexible]

Hopefully people realise to start looking for a better place to work if you are treated like shit.

I wouldn't think that kind of companies would have the best new candidates applying for jobs. New generation youngsters have quite a lot of expectations from the job and working environment. Maybe older people are so used to it that didn't think working from could be done and now it's a surprise that it is possible.There are already many more modern companies around with better values to chose, so why would you chose a place that's still in 20th century if you have a choice. Not to mention that after covid19 you would think that even the thickest most conservative CIO, CEO and ciso realise that many jobs can be done remotely and cheaper with flexible arrangements and we need to be preoared to remote working options.

[SGBoyxxx]

Hopefully people realise to start looking for a better place to work if you are treated like shit.

I wouldn't think that kind of companies would have the best new candidates applying for jobs. New generation youngsters have quite a lot of expectations from the job and working environment. Maybe older people are so used to it that didn't think working from could be done and now it's a surprise that it is possible.There are already many more modern companies around with better values to chose, so why would you chose a place that's still in 20th century if you have a choice. Not to mention that after covid19 you would think that even the thickest most conservative CIO, CEO and ciso realise that many jobs can be done remotely and cheaper with flexible arrangements and we need to be preoared to remote working options.

WFH is nothing new. The western folks have been doing for some times and yes some of them still prefer back to office work .

End of the day also have to depend individual working culture and society.

as every workers from every countries have different mindset etc.

[Wd40]

My GP told me of a patient who is on WFH. His employer installed software to monitor if the employee is working and he has to explain absences away from the computer during work hours. If he is away for more than 5 minutes the computer starts beeping at him and his boss gets an alert.

I am working towards financial independence just so that I can say FU to such employers.

[CluelessMe]

My GP told me of a patient who is on WFH. His employer installed software to monitor if the employee is working and he has to explain absences away from the computer during work hours. If he is away for more than 5 minutes the computer starts beeping at him and his boss gets an alert.

Wow that's insane. Does Singapore have any manpower law that prohibit such strict monitoring?

It's a job, not a jail sentence. Jesus.

[PNGMK]

My GP told me of a patient who is on WFH. His employer installed software to monitor if the employee is working and he has to explain absences away from the computer during work hours. If he is away for more than 5 minutes the computer starts beeping at him and his boss gets an alert.

Wow that's insane. Does Singapore have any manpower law that prohibit such strict monitoring?

It's a job, not a jail sentence. Jesus.

No law against it. Singapore is very pro employer. It would not surprise me if the various ministries monitor their staff the same way.