Working From Home Megathread

baldbear

Have a 3 yr old and a 6 month old. And 2 of us have to work from home with limited space. I've to set up all my stuff. It's going to be a nightmare. Our employers think both of us can be productive at the same time. Ha ha . They haven't a clue.

beauf

I think even people who are used to working from home are finding it a different ball game once the kids are not at school and you might be looking after elderly family or other people at the same time. Also some people are trying to get kids to do school work at the same.

But there are millions in the same boat.

I find it easier to do some work in the evening once everyones watching TV or playing games etc. But not everyone can do that.

Outkast_IRE

My wife works for a large pharma company who still rely on alot of paper based systems.

They are currently asking her to print documents that are 65 pages plus on a basic home printer. Not offering to cover any of the costs etc. Plus it takes ages on a home printer

Am i right in thinking they should be getting a solid refusal on this. It aint a commercial printer.

_Kaiser_

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

My wife works for a large pharma company who still rely on alot of paper based systems.

They are currently asking her to print documents that are 65 pages plus on a basic home printer. Not offering to cover any of the costs etc. Plus it takes ages on a home printer

Am i right in thinking they should be getting a solid refusal on this. It aint a commercial printer.

Get her to speak to her manager and to approve buying a laser printer/copier that she can expense back.

I have a good home office setup and recentlly bought a Brother all-in-one laser for under 200 quid new. Think I got a deal as it's 250 on their site but it's ideal.

Then just keep receipts and claim back.

beauf

They should set up a print & post room. Have all printwork emailed to it.

You'd be crazy to do that on your own printer.

antimatterx

My office just confirmed that as per government guidelines we'll be WFH until April 19th.

Thats going to be 5 weeks of WFH. Rough. It will probably go beyond that also!

shesty

Have been for over a week now - in fact we are outright banned from the office. Set up desk in the bedroom, as it is the one room the kids don't go into much. Really though, my laptop is on the kitchen counter and I am keeping on eye on emails and one eye on all else. If anything very productive is needed, it's late evening or the OH needs to be home (his office are still demanding physical presence.....).
All we can do is muddle through, the world will keep turning.

beauf

If you look at places who have this since Jan, its likely to be 2-3 months. I don't expect the schools back till Sept.

Lavinia

we have received and email from our CEO today that we may do expect/be prepared for this to go for another 2 to 3 months,
while of course hoping it will get under control sooner..

baldbear

Lavinia wrote: »

we have received and email from our CEO today that we may do expect/be prepared for this to go for another 2 to 3 months,
while of course hoping it will get under control sooner..

I'm guessing it'll be June at the earliest. Creches are getting fully paid for 3 months so I reckon it'll be along the same timescale.

Today I watched Frozen twice with the kids. It's going to be a long few months.

ednwireland

new chair arrived but broadband so crap i can only do one thing on so if im ona call i cant do anything else, but im lucky in that i have a nice warm office with a desk and its pretty well setup

Stheno

ednwireland wrote: »

new chair arrived but broadband so crap i can only do one thing on so if im ona call i cant do anything else, but im lucky in that i have a nice warm office with a desk and its pretty well setup

My chair is also broke, keeps dropping the height

Where you get your new one?

ednwireland

Stheno wrote: »

My chair is also broke, keeps dropping the height

Where you get your new one?

viking direct 2 day delivery

https://www.vikingdirect.ie/en/operator-chair-task-p-7394756

thats a fat git chair upto 150kg

which was actually 176 last week

solidasarock

Today was the first day I felt like I worked a full day at home. Very busy. But having a full kitchen for lunch of great.


The gang of neighborhood kids playing foodball outside kicking their ball into the back garden every 10 minutes doesn't help matters tho.

We had 1 brave soul tell them they shouldnt be playing foodball and their dad came out shouts "WHAT YOU DOING TELL MY KID TO NOT PLAY FOOTBALL. HE CAN PLAY WHERE HE WANTS"

Lovely neck of the woods I love in.

Slippin Jimmy

We used to have the same issue with the kids. There was a football pitch built in our estate and was literally within looking distance. They'd get the message after you gave them a few roars .

It's actually nice to see young people outside again. Can't remember the last time I saw kids out playing football or on bikes.

antimatterx

Any thoughts on the Ikea Markus chair? I need an upgrade. My current chair isn't cutting it.

Rickytumtum

antimatterx wrote: »

Any thoughts on the Ikea Markus chair? I need an upgrade. My current chair isn't cutting it.

I ordered one about 10 days ago...was supposed to arrive on Thursday. No show. No tracking information through an post...order sitting in a void somewhere...my view would be to order a chair from someone who can actually deliver it at a reasonable time if you feel you need one....

beauf

Slippin Jimmy wrote: »

...It's actually nice to see young people Vectors outside again. Can't remember the last time I saw kids vectors out playing football or on bikes...

ummm

Lavinia

Rickytumtum wrote: »

I ordered one about 10 days ago...was supposed to arrive on Thursday. No show. No tracking information through an post...order sitting in a void somewhere...my view would be to order a chair from someone who can actually deliver it at a reasonable time if you feel you need one....

so you paid 49 euro for delivery?


i am puzzled that ikea is not delivering any large products that could require handling of two people, yet their delivery charges are still ridiculously high


ill live with no ikea for few months, not gonna pay 49 euro to deliver a small item..

snoopboggybog

Always thought I'd love working from home full time but no its fecking horrible three weeks in, especially as a single person. No contact with anyone for the last three weeks bar a couple of games on Playstation.

Can't wait to head back to the office now.

My setup is a recliner and have laptop hooked up to 65 inch 4K TV.

Just drag applications to each side of the TV which is working well.

beauf

snoopboggybog wrote: »

Always thought I'd love working from home full time but no its fecking horrible three weeks in, especially as a single person. No contact with anyone for the last three weeks bar a couple of games on Playstation.

Can't wait to head back to the office now.

My setup is a recliner and have laptop hooked up to 65 inch 4K TV.

Just drag applications to each side of the TV which is working well.

I think you have to make more of an effort to communicate with people. Make a daily call to people. Even if it's just friends and family.

That said if you work in a place or a team that is very poor at communication they will struggle with remote working.

Especially if a place has got into a habit of not putting in writing any communications, it's all verbal and informal and not tracked.

snoopboggybog

beauf wrote: »

I think you have to make more of an effort to communicate with people. Make a daily call to people. Even if it's just friends and family.

That said if you work in a place or a team that is very poor at communication they will struggle with remote working.

Especially if a place has got into a habit of not putting in writing any communications, it's all verbal and informal and not tracked.

Was On messenger video having a few drinks with people last night but its not the same as physically having people beside you.

I'm actually going mad. My friends are all about two hours drive as well away but wouldn't be interacting with them regardless with the coronavirus even if i was at home.

Lavinia

snoopboggybog wrote: »

Was On messenger video having a few drinks with people last night but its not the same as physically having people beside you.

I'm actually going mad. My friends are all about two hours drive as well away but wouldn't be interacting with them regardless with the coronavirus even if i was at home.

I havent seen my family in about 7 months now, was supposed to go to holidays on 21st March, needless to say that didn't happen..
My flatmate was ordered to stay with her employer till the situation resolves in some way so I am alone at home too.

Besides talking to my family from time to time via skype, and having daily 'meetings' = conference calls with my work team that's all contact I have.


I also do not find it easy, just thinking how it is a temporary situation, it helps me get through the day..

Stheno

Rickytumtum wrote: »

I ordered one about 10 days ago...was supposed to arrive on Thursday. No show. No tracking information through an post...order sitting in a void somewhere...my view would be to order a chair from someone who can actually deliver it at a reasonable time if you feel you need one....

I ordered a chair from viking direct Thursday morning and it was delivered the next day

Das Reich

Read few pages and still wondering what the percentage of jobs that can be made from home on private sector. 1%? 2%? Any number very close to that?

Stheno

Das Reich wrote: »

Read few pages and still wondering what the percentage of jobs that can be made from home on private sector. 1%? 2%? Any number very close to that?

Out of a few hundred in my office all but 5 are currently working from home so that would be about 99%of my companyŕ

Lavinia

I suppose IT industry surely can work from home 99 percent..

snoopboggybog

Mr.S wrote: »

It's very industry / job function / business specific. My company is currently 95% work from home (couple of thousand people). I fail to see how any office based staff can't work from home, there is no reason why they can't.

I think there will be a major uptrend of working from home when this all blows over, In the private sector specially.

Can cost an employer 15K per employee every year just to have people in the office.

voldejoie

I'm finding working from home very tough mentally. My job is stressful at the best of times, but the pandemic has made it much busier and my already crappy work/life balance even worse so it's hard to switch off. It feels like I'm always on and scrambling and spending so much time on the phone and video calls just to find out what's going on is a nightmare. I honestly don't know how my colleagues with young kids are doing it!

snoopboggybog

Lavinia wrote: »

I suppose IT industry surely can work from home 99 percent..

Anyone really can work from home if there working from a laptop or desktop in an office.

People underestimate the IT industry but we are flat out the last few weeks facilitating this.