We absolutely agree 
This January has seen better news for the government finances. January is always a good month for tax receipts though
Record-breaking budget surplus as government’s tax income rises | Money News | Sky News Record-breaking budget surplus as government's tax income rises | Money News | Sky News
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Capitulating to Europe again… We should be trying to get under the Orange Dome! US possessing Greenland is now critical!
I think a wall needs to be built - from Plymouth to Lowestoft.
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I have never noticed this. In my experience they seem to be the biggest snowflakes around.
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Angry man gets upset after encountering border control after years of complaining about open borders
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Agreeing with your point but also trying to provide a slightly different perspective.
My job usually requires me working away from home. If I eat out, I will try my best to use an independent venue. My view is why travel to a different part of the country to indulge in something I can try anywhere else in the UK.
You can find some cracking places - admittedly also some awful ones - where the owner is literally cooking the food, serving drinks and is all too happy to talk to you as a human being.
There was one in Bournemouth, that I actually made an effort to go back to when working in the area and was saddened to find it had closed down.
I am not informed enough to know the pro’s and cons of the Economic impact of working from home against being office based, on the local hospitality sector, money lost on Business rates, any tax implications, etc.
I suppose you could find arguments for and against, like supporting the local transport infrastructure, getting people walking and cycling to work. Mental health benefits, with people engaging with each other on a face to face basis, getting showered and dressed up, rather than lie in bed and do everything from a laptop.
To cutting down on child support, cost of living, potential benefit in productivity by not having to travel.
It a shame that your serious and worthwhile point about the mental health benefits of people working together in a physical space was spoiled by a lazy dig that people who work at home don’t bother getting dressed or washed properly, and can’t even be arsed to get out of bed.
I work from home, within an organisation where the vast majority work from home, and regularly interact with people outside my organisation who also work from home, and I can confirm that people do get up and get dressed before starting their day.
I honesty feel that this really encapsulates a lot of your points here. You are arguing against a version of reality that only exists inside your head.
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It would be a bit remiss to say the version of reality where a remote worker works from their laptop, in their Jammies, in bed, is a figment of imagination…and the knock on effect of less social interaction as negligable.
i personally dont work from home, apart from some office work as i work for myself…im first to admit it though, im shocking when it comes to staying on task when im at home
i think the mental health aspect of feeling isolated will become a generational problem…might even lead into less empathy and certainly less open mindedness regarding contradicting beliefs on matters
remote working will have many positives and many negatives, personally i think it would be a net negative for productivity, although i can see why it would be a net gain for a certain character type. (unfortunately not me though) …
theres a bond you make with people when you are all slogging away …even though you all complain, theres a collective feeling… i just dont see that bond being anywhere near as strong as zoom meet with someone…
dunno… im far from an expert…i just see long term issues…
thats even before you go into the whole ‘divide the workforce to conquer it’ avenue, and sending jobs offshore…
i wonder if we are only a generation from a worldwide minimum wage…and i dont think it will be the third world matching the first world, if you know what i mean.
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As I said, the point about mental health is a fair one, and I think that needs to be considered. I think the characterisation of ‘shirking from home’ is a bit unfair - it’s not something I come across in my interactions with a mostly home based workforce.
I think we can say with some confidence though that Reform’s attack on home work not is from a deep concern about people’s mental health. Like most of their policies, it’s about creating a division and making you resentful that someone else is getting something you don’t have. Look at those bastards working from home. Why can’t I work from home? Oh yeah, I’m a builder. Fuck that. If I can’t stay at home all day, then nobody is staying at home all day!
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The last I checked, most of the psychological studies conducted on this suggest otherwise to what you’re saying though. Productivity measures were on the whole up, people’s stress levels were lowered, etc.
I think there’s a bigger problem with the thinking around how it has to be remote only, or office only, or fixed hybrid working (particular days in, particular days out).
Flexibility I think is the key here.
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Do you have any links please ? This is something that i would like to present to some of the idiots in charge as they dismiss all this as the politicians just demand we return 60%…even though my office has been close since november for shoddy building work .
Is there anyone here who is able to vote in the Greater Manchester By-election on Thursday? Sounds like it is extremely close between the Greens and Reform, hard for me to believe that somewhere like Manchester could turn to Reform but on flip side if the Greens get in it will help change the national narrative. Begging anyone who can to get out and vote on Thursday and please lend your vote to the Greens.
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I personally struggle to work from home. The whole COVID thing, while manageable as time passed I found my productivity didn’t drop, but I found that I was working later and later trying harder and harder to get a piece of work finished or some arbitrary milestone. In the end there was no observable difference between work and home, and switching off became increasingly difficult. The wake up call came when I sent drawings to a client at 3am Saturday morning, and got a reply.
I am far happier getting up a little earlier, going into work and coming home. As the evenings draw out I can cycle or do something else in the evening.
Having distinct lines between work, home /social life suits me far better.
That said I know others here that are the complete opposite. If they’re actually in the office, they are badgered to such an extent that they simply don’t get anything done.
Funniest one is there is a guy here who actually appears to have an allergic reaction to the office. Something with the lights or air-conditioning completely screws with him.
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I previously had a difficult commute, having to drive to a small town with no bus or rail links. Being able to WFH has been a real bonus for me in many ways. Less time spent needlessly travelling, less expense on fuel, less wear and tear on my vehicle AND on me. I can get more work done in those hours previously wasted on travel and I’m not so shattered by Friday. Also, my company has benefited from allowing WFH because they are now able to employ people from much farther afield, thus increasing their skilled staff base. It’s a win-win that I can see, and if those ignorant people who think we only slop around in pajamas all day get jealous, it’s tough on them. Don’t let people like Farage or Rees Mogg influence you with their bullshit.
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Mandelson arrested. Same old Tories snouts in trough. Oh wait…l
Must be the only one. No wait. Angela Raynor!
It does not matter which side of the house. Power corrupts and they are all in it for themselves.
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Or, alternatively, the corrupt are attracted to power?
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For me the major difference is trust.
It’s much easier to build a rapport with someone in person. The micro expressions and body language which is not communicated in teams. You miss out on coffee or Friday night drinks where you get to know your colleagues in a non professional way. You also miss out on those 5 minute conversations when you become aware of what’s happening . For me being there in person helps build a team.Joking, laughing and taking the piss but also helping one another.
That said I am not opposed to people working from home but prefer a hybrid model. If Tom needs to spend a week focused on writing a report. No problem work from home. Got a bit of a cold, please work from home, need some flexibility with kids let’s help you make that work.
Need to maximise best of both worlds.
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Both can be true can’t they?
Good that Mandelson has been arrested.
yes i agree regarding hybrid
I suppose my suspicious side looks at these results and questions them…
during COVID we had lots of headlines regarding how much more productive the workforce has become, however, dealing with the public agencies i have had to, since the WFH revolution, i would suggest productivity - or at least ACCOUNTABILITY - is well and truely down…
the productivity assessments i always had a tin foil hat theory were more along the lines of asking the worker ‘do you think you are more productive?’ to which the answer was always going to be ’ aww hell yeah…’
now i realise this will go down like a lead balloon on here…but ANNECDOTALLY (and i want to make that 100% clear, its my lived experience so i understand the implications), but annecdotally i just find the service and outcomes have slid, the realtionships have dissappeared and more and more jobs are being shipped overseas…which to me is no great thing …
to also Qualify…yes @Mascot i am one of those builders who cant really work from home…but i assure you my opinion isnt swayed by some form of petty jealousy…if anything, i kinda feel sorry for my mates who dont have the interaction i do…the shared experience
@redalways whilst im happy to be shown studies regarding worker welfare, i honestly think they will prove to be short term bumps from a generation that HAS worked in an office 5 days a week before…my feeling is that within a generation the negatives will far outweigh the positives…i make this call as a layman though, its really just an opinion.
i suppose i look at my kids and think, if they are to have WFH jobs, or even Hybrid Jobs…some of the stuff theyll miss out on…it doesnt make me feel like theyll benefit as humans…
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