WFH

[Rjk]

Rather a strong word ‘forcing’. The collapse of small shops/businesses is a sad thing, it’s something that’s happened before in mining communities, areas around, now closed, steelworks etc. Shouldn’t these people be taken into consideration?

On the other hand working from home I've gone out with the mrs for lunch a few times near the house , thereby supporting the local businesses there. And a lot more pleasant than buying a baguete and a steak bake from a Greggs on a business park and eating it in my car before trudging back to the office.
In terms of quality of life, lunchtimes are much better for me at home. Kids are in school, on a nice day can take a stroll to sonewhere nearby and have a nice meal with the mrs - take a long lunch maybe European style and just work it back later.
If we have to choose to support places to eat near where we live or places to eat near the office I'd definitely prefer ones near where I live.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Rather a strong word ‘forcing’. The collapse of small shops/businesses is a sad thing, it’s something that’s happened before in mining communities, areas around, now closed, steelworks etc. Shouldn’t these people be taken into consideration?

Like everything there will be winners and losers. Yes, it's sad when people lose their jobs, but there are no shortage of similar jobs just in different locations. I concur with replies from Canton Kev and Rjk.

If I take my wife's situation, it would cost her £400 and 75 hours a year just to commute somewhere to help keep a sandwich shop open.

[JamesWales]

Yes, as with any change, there are winners and losers. I think with 'mass WFH' though, we are generally seeing the winners being those further in their careers, those with more comfortable home lives and those with more comfortable homes in nicer areas being the winners and those who are perhaps more vulnerable or with less suitable home lives and younger in their careers being the losers. There is an increasing amount of stuff about how it is fuelling inequalities. It's one thing if you live in a big house in Whitchurch, quite another if you are in a flat in Trowbridge. It makes us mix less as a society, and I'm not sure thats good.

This from the Resolution Foundation
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...concludes.html

This from the guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...nequalities-uk

This from BUPA
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rs-tackle.html

There's also longer term impacts - how many of our friendships we enjoy were fostered through shared work environments? A great deal I suspect. What happens if they aren't allowed to develop? Is that fair on younger people? Are we burning less calories as a society? Are we using more carbon to heat individual homes? Will younger people develop less social skills? What are the mental health impacts? Who suffers when public transport is withdrawn? Are there issues with burnout?

Lot's to unpack, very difficult to extract it from the pandemic itself and of course everything impacts people differently, but I think we all have a social duty as well as one to our families so it's an important thing to keep an eye on.

[rudy gestede]

Almost every issue you’ve mentioned is caused by lockdowns not flexible working locations.

1/5 of people exercising less? What about the other 4/5s? Exercising more?

[blue matt]

Yes, as with any change, there are winners and losers. I think with 'mass WFH' though, we are generally seeing the winners being those further in their careers, those with more comfortable home lives and those with more comfortable homes in nicer areas being the winners and those who are perhaps more vulnerable or with less suitable home lives and younger in their careers being the losers. There is an increasing amount of stuff about how it is fuelling inequalities. It's one thing if you live in a big house in Whitchurch, quite another if you are in a flat in Trowbridge. It makes us mix less as a society, and I'm not sure thats good.

.

A very valid point and of course social interaction is what makes Humans special, we show compassion to others, we share and experience the highs and lows with others and are normally pretty decent about it, I am sure some will argue " but I get my social interaction from spending time with Friends " ( sitting on CCMB "calling out" JamesWales for something you disagree with and being Joined with 3 or 4 others to back you up ( one being your own multi ), isnt interaction with friends, honestly, its not

There's also longer term impacts - how many of our friendships we enjoy were fostered through shared work environments? A great deal I suspect. What happens if they aren't allowed to develop? Is that fair on younger people? Are we burning less calories as a society? Are we using more carbon to heat individual homes? Will younger people develop less social skills? What are the mental health impacts? Who suffers when public transport is withdrawn? Are there issues with burnout?

.

Every argument I see online from WFH'ers are just selfish reasons, Oh I can save fuel money / Lunch Money / I save 2 hours per day ( though FormerlyJohnnyBreadhead comes up with a decent reason, he gets to do the school run, from my humble point of view, and speaking from someone who has been fortunate to do it 4 out of 5 days, its great time spent with your children

[splott parker]

I wonder if a bitter cold winter will tempt office workers back to the workplace? Gas & electric bills are astronomical as it is, having your own heating on and kettle boiling frequently could add to them considerably. Then again I don’t know why I got involved in this thread, I work outside, I’m cree

[rudy gestede]

The WFH’s have such selfish reasons like having a much nicer life!

[nomad blue]

A very valid point and of course social interaction is what makes Humans special, we show compassion to others, we share and experience the highs and lows with others and are normally pretty decent about it, I am sure some will argue " but I get my social interaction from spending time with Friends " ( sitting on CCMB "calling out" JamesWales for something you disagree with and being Joined with 3 or 4 others to back you up ( one being your own multi ), isnt interaction with friends, honestly, its not



Every argument I see online from WFH'ers are just selfish reasons, Oh I can save fuel money / Lunch Money / I save 2 hours per day ( though FormerlyJohnnyBreadhead comes up with a decent reason, he gets to do the school run, from my humble point of view, and speaking from someone who has been fortunate to do it 4 out of 5 days, its great time spent with your children

I'm not seeing how those are selfish reasons. You could say they're altruistic; reducing pollution, reducing the number of cars on the road, reducing costs for businesses, putting more money into the local economy etc.

[OurManFlint II]

Rather a strong word ‘forcing’. The collapse of small shops/businesses is a sad thing, it’s something that’s happened before in mining communities, areas around, now closed, steelworks etc. Shouldn’t these people be taken into consideration?

The supply chain has moved not really disappeared, by my office or by my home. I still buy lunch 3 times a week to save time, i meet friends for a coffee or beer locally rather then by the office. I would say in Cardiff those small "villages" in Whitchurch or Llandaff might get a lease of life rather than Greggs on the Queen Street.

Are there any small business' left in the centre?

[North Cardiff Blue]

Massive implications for outlets (food, drink etc) in commercial areas. People going out to work keep the wheels turning not just of their workplace but of society as a whole. It’s a dilemma that does need solving, could lead to ghost towns.

It just moves from towns to villages, Rhiwbina now has a coffee lab, Groker food place with licence, and the Rhiwbina tap, plus the Deri Butchers and Nine giants are doing more daytime stuff, the village was dead now thriving.
Probably the same all over Cardff, people don't need to go to the City Centre and Drakefords doesn't want it, he's making it as difficult as possible.

[ToTaL ITK]

This is true. One clown at my workplace that was WFH (i can't , public service) posted i apic on FB of bread they had baked on a work day and said...it's great working from home !!!!

[North Cardiff Blue]

And what about all the businesses in suburban high streets like Rhiwbina, Whitchurch, Llanishen, Canton, Roath, etc and the likes of Albany Road, City Road and Cowbridge Road East? They certainly seem busier now on a weekday during working hours than they were pre Covid. I’d prefer to see the likes of Pret, Costa, Starbucks, etc suffer than the smaller, local places that make up the suburban high streets.

Hadn't seen this before I replied but yes spot on, it's changing and local businesses are thriving again, we will need to reduce the size of the City Centre it's not needed anymore.

[Canton Kev]

It just moves from towns to villages, Rhiwbina now has a coffee lab, Groker food place with licence, and the Rhiwbina tap, plus the Deri Butchers and Nine giants are doing more daytime stuff, the village was dead now thriving.
Probably the same all over Cardff, people don't need to go to the City Centre and Drakefords doesn't want it, he's making it as difficult as possible.

5 new businesses in the last year in Whitchurch by my count. Busy as well whenever I go to the highstreet.

[blue matt]

This is true. One clown at my workplace that was WFH (i can't , public service) posted i apic on FB of bread they had baked on a work day and said...it's great working from home !!!!

That must be fine, just making their working day more pleasant everyone loves fresh baked bread, the smell while its baking and then eating it

[rudy gestede]

That guys a doughnut posting that on social media but what is the actual problem? If he’s getting his work done to a good standard what’s wrong with taking some time out to do something different? I do more ****ing around chatting in the office than I do at home, you’re a fool if you think the office environment means people are 100% on task all day.

It seems like this thread is people who can’t work from home (skilled tradesmen like splott and ditch diggers like Matt) looking for any negative about WFH because they can’t and don’t understand why it works because they haven’t worked in an office.

[Dorcus]

I wonder if a bitter cold winter will tempt office workers back to the workplace? Gas & electric bills are astronomical as it is, having your own heating on and kettle boiling frequently could add to them considerably. Then again I don’t know why I got involved in this thread, I work outside, I’m cree

Ha ha, I haven't heard cree for donkeys.

[splott parker]

That guys a doughnut posting that on social media but what is the actual problem? If he’s getting his work done to a good standard what’s wrong with taking some time out to do something different? I do more ****ing around chatting in the office than I do at home, you’re a fool if you think the office environment means people are 100% on task all day.

It seems like this thread is people who can’t work from home (skilled tradesmen like splott and ditch diggers like Matt) looking for any negative about WFH because they can’t and don’t understand why it works because they haven’t worked in an office.

I was just stirring up the workshy office wallahs

[splott parker]

Ha ha, I haven't heard cree for donkeys.

Great word for ducking out of things innit

[Dorcus]

Great word for ducking out of things innit

It's got a lot of credence 😜

[blue matt]

the office environment means people are 100% on task all day.

It seems like this thread is people who can’t work from home (skilled tradesmen like splott and ditch diggers like Matt) looking for any negative about WFH because they can’t and don’t understand why it works because they haven’t worked in an office.

Go on, I'll give you some attention, you have been getting pretty desperate lately

Im a Time served Carpenter who has a HNC in building studies which got me a number of jobs as site Forman and then site agent ( also spent a 6 month secondment as a building grants inspector which meant I spent time desk based in a office )

but of course you knew that as you have had it pointed out to you in the past

[Rjk]

This is true. One clown at my workplace that was WFH (i can't , public service) posted i apic on FB of bread they had baked on a work day and said...it's great working from home !!!!

don't see anything wrong with that at all

[splott parker]

don't see anything wrong with that at all

Nor me, apparently they work for Brace’s

[Rjk]

Nor me, apparently they work for Brace’s

[Dorcus]

Nor me, apparently they work for Brace’s

Using their loaf methinks