Microsoft noted something interesting when their employees started working from home…that aside from teh usual uptick in performance before lunch and again after lunch a third peak or wind presented itself for a lot of them after they had dinner.
they aren’t 100% sure what’s causing it as it’s a new development so they need more time / data to collate but they have sound theories with the biggest being after that after dinner they can accomplish tasks without the phone call, web meetings and other distractions that got in the way of their productivity.
I’ve been working remotely for over 5 years now and this hasn’t happened with me. in fact, I take steps to shut down anything work related once my shift ends and ensure I am not tempted to look at anything during the weekends. of course, having a job where even most of my customers are usually the usual 9 to 5, Mon to Fri probably helps.
I’m on a hybrid remote / in-office schedule. I log out of my work laptop when I’ve done my 8 hours and shut it off over the weekend. I leave it in the office if I’m coming back in the next day. I’ve purposely set up accounts so that it’s a pain in the ass to sign into work email from any device other than my work laptop.
Hourly employees like myself in indurstries like mine have this luxury and should use / enjoy it. Some folks feel like they should be “on” all the time - their home lives are so terrible that work is an escape, they’re addicted to overtime money, they feel obligated to bosses or clients, they want to climb the ladder, etc. My personal feeling is if I’m not on the clock, I couldn’t care less what’s going on at work. My time is the most valuable commodity I have. My company does not encourage overtime, and I tend to avoid it as much as possible. I’m so, so grateful to be with a company in an industry that is flexible / reasonable / understanding about work-life balance. My leaders and colleagues don’t bother me outside of office hours, and I don’t bother them. Few things are so crucial that they are worth interrupting someone’s free time.
My wife is salaried, but she might as well be hourly. Like me, she avoids work stuff outside of office hours / beyond 40 hours a week like the plague. Fortunately her employers rarely ask for anything beyond that.
Attitudes and traditions vary widely between the United States where I work and Asia and Europe. I’ll leave it at that!
9 months remote work or hybrid model and i have enjoyed it, some client visit here and there but no need to go office. The only third wind i would have if somethings are really needed to be done. Like really needed to be done. Not pleasing anyone and it would help me for the days to come.
I could take a short “second lunch” after the work day. Some nice coffee and hit the keyboard for 2-3 hours with some music. Put the extra in the “hour bank” and some days use it back and stop working like 1-2h earlier.
Or if the hours start be near the limit ask the boss if i could have few days off.
Took 4 days off at xmas.
If projects and troubleshooting can wait, they will wait.
Mainly its 9 to 5, Mo-Fri and i turn off the work pc and wont even look messages/emails on phone.
Someone will call if there is actual “fire” since we in the 24/7 buss and they need people.
Sinice Covid, i have been working a bit from home. Still, most days at the office, but try to get a some days from home now and then. I too close down my work laptop as soon as my working hours are done (0800-1600, if i am not working the late shift) and i never open my work laptop when im off work unless i get a call from a colleague.
As for an uptick in performance, i find that if i have work that requires a lot of concentration, i work much better from home than in the “cubicle” at work, where there is more noise and interruptions from co-workers. If i am doing more casual work and answering customer support calls (and this is what i do most of the time anyway), i think my performance is pretty much the same where ever i sit You can get a bit more calm when dealing with more, lets say demanding, customers when you sit at home though, as you don’t feel all your co-workers listening in and speculating in what you are dealing with on the phone
My biggest benefit from working from home though is the luxury of playing music or podcasts in the background (on my speakers), and saving time on the commute…
I can only work remotely. I find it hard to work on a schedule and in an office. Therefore, I can function at any time of the day or night. When I order some work/services, I also try to conduct all negotiations and cooperation remotely and so far I am doing quite well at it
I remember when the “Plandemic” started. We were 100% remote for only as long as it took for them to deem us “vital” and had the legal team draw up papers for us to present to the cops if we got pulled over trying to get in and out of the data center. As the bullshit went on, it got to the point where I was working nearly every day from home because I was in a supervisory role and could delegate work, set schedules and do all my meetings from home.
I found that I was much more productive from home. That said, I never felt like there were any peaks or valleys in overall workflow or performance. It was just “on” all the time. But I had strict hours of operation and didn’t get caught working all hours of the day and night. I simply wouldn’t do it. Eventually, As the plandemic went on and the work dried up, things came to a head, causing them to get rid of the entire DC team.
With the new role, there aren’t many opportunities to work from home, unfortunately. Shame that because I did enjoy it. Saving gas and wear and tear on my body and vehicles was a huge bonus. Not burning that hour plus getting in and out was also beneficial.
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here’s an add-on question. do any of you have space constraints where you had to make an unusual compromise to fit the area available to work in? ie. fitting dual monitors?
I’ve run a home business for years. Separating work and play is dual booting Windows and Linux Mint. I got a Google Pixel 2 on eBay for $30 with free shipping and just use it with Wifi and Google voice for a business only line, email etc. that I can turn off at the end of the day. Camera is epic on those things too. You could make another account in Windows to do the same thing, work and play sign ins.
I was fortunate in that I was able to set up a nice home office in a spare room. That room is now the office/music room. If I would have had to setup shop on the kitchen table or something that would have made things much more challenging.
One of the things I used to get really annoyed with was trying to have a serious meeting with a group and someone in the group had an unruly child that was always disrupting things. Meeting etiquette went right out the window! You just had to take a deep breath and work past it. Other than that, I enjoyed working from home a lot.
Working remotely gives me the flexibility to plan my day, and after a hearty lunch, a breath of fresh air is literally fanning out. When work hours are over, I find respite in a carefully prepared dinner, creating a pause in the day’s worries.
My girlfriend and I can watch erotic movies or commercials. This too becomes a source of energy to accomplish the remaining tasks.
These breaks, filled with good food, exciting movies, and the company of a special someone, infuse my remote work with renewed energy. It is the harmonious combination of productivity and personal moments that makes remote work not only effective, but also rewarding.
When I go into the office i feel forced to go there whereas when I´m at home i feel not as much like a slave because I can do some stuff next to my work.
Especially when there is not much work to do it feels like such a waste of time to drive somewhere to not work much the whole day and just be bored in an office.
And when there is a lot of work to do I am much more focused and effective when I´m for myself and not surrounded by people/chit-chat/noise all the time
But from time to time I also enjoy going to the office because my colleagues are great
You can get a bit more calm when dealing with more, lets say demanding, customers when you sit at home though, as you don’t feel all your co-workers listening in and speculating in what you are dealing with on the phone 