Extending Commute times...

wymondham

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34765142

One of the results of silly house prices... but also shows how many companies are still struggling to get to grips with IT to allow their staff (and the company itself) to work smarter and reduce costs all round... maybe even pay staff more and have less of a premises?

If it didn't really matter where people lived, would London command a premium with house prices? Why commute 2+ hours a day to sit in front of the same technology you have at home?

lots of interesting avenues to discuss here!

Lokolo

Door to door it takes me 1 hour 15 minutes each way. It costs over £4k a year as well on the trains.

I work in IT and have the ability to WFH but managers here like to "see your face". Previously people have abused it and been home for the whole week with no end product.

I also prefer to be in an office environment rather than being at home. Home is home, not work to me.

Graham_Devon

It's interesting that the government use HTB and other supply side schemes to suggest that they are combating some of the extra increase in travel time, as it allows "people to buy".

How do they know the people buying are the ones doing the commutes?

How do they know that all those priced out are priced out of buying and not priced of renting in the area too?

HTB seems to be a stock answer to anything relating to the problems of low supply, but it seems to miss so much.

wymondham

Lokolo wrote: »

Door to door it takes me 1 hour 15 minutes each way. It costs over £4k a year as well on the trains.

I work in IT and have the ability to WFH but managers here like to "see your face". Previously people have abused it and been home for the whole week with no end product.

I also prefer to be in an office environment rather than being at home. Home is home, not work to me.

So in your experience it's trust that's stopping the working from home? I hope the people were sacked as nobody should need to employ someone that needs continual supervision..

CLAPTON

wymondham wrote: »

So in your experience it's trust that's stopping the working from home? I hope the people were sacked as nobody should need to employ someone that needs continual supervision..

have you ever worked from home?

have you worked from home when there are young children present?

have you supervised staff that are working from home (or indeed at work)?

have you ever known anyone to take a 'sickie' without due cause?

Baby_Angel

wymondham wrote: »

So in your experience it's trust that's stopping the working from home? I hope the people were sacked as nobody should need to employ someone that needs continual supervision..

Our company is the same as Lokolo's. Our manager's are the same. Our company expects us to be in the office. I have usually no problem with that. However it does not even consider WFH even when there is tube strike or any other emergencies. We are a tech company and we do not have IT issues. In fact almost all of us have access to our "work" from home and most of us do not have to face clients.

wymondham

Baby_Angel wrote: »

Our company is the same as Lokolo's. Our manager's are the same. Our company expects us to be in the office. I have usually no problem with that. However it does not even consider WFH even when there is tube strike or any other emergencies. We are a tech company and we do not have IT issues. In fact almost all of us have access to our "work" from home and most of us do not have to face clients.

This sounds more to do with Management/policy issues rather than anything else.... are your management 'old school' ?

wymondham

CLAPTON wrote: »

have you ever worked from home?

have you worked from home when there are young children present?

have you supervised staff that are working from home (or indeed at work)?

have you ever known anyone to take a 'sickie' without due cause?

I do work from home (self employed)
I have done this with young children ... challenging!
I have not supervised staff etc.... (not management)

[Deleted User]

I work in IT - we use fairly basic tools to enable our entire department to permanently work from home. I go to the office (which is a 4 hour trip) about 2 or 3 times a year. One of which is the Xmas party...

We're all professionals, we keep time just like anyone else in an office (or more so; No one minds if I have a long lunch if i've then got a 11pm phone call to New Zealand). Some days I do spend 4-6 hours on the phone, but it's mostly over skype (for business).

And yet I live in the South East.. silly me

wymondham

Just for info I do advise local companies on this, and some make major savings with just small attitude changes at management level. If they can get over the overbearing need to supervise then it can work.

One company were able to get rid of their expensive office and instead gave their workers a good rise - the unreliable ones were eventually weeded out so the ones remaining were of good quality and reliable. Holiday was down as home workers don't tend to 'need' holiday so much (easy to wait in for the Comet delivery without taking a half day).

It does not fit all situations, but most people could do their job from home much more efficiently... They can also save a packet as they can live in less expensive area's .... it can be a win win for all........

anyone tried it??

CLAPTON

wymondham wrote: »

I do work from home (self employed)
I have done this with young children ... challenging!
I have not supervised staff etc.... (not management)

so no experience with employed workers about the reality of home working?