Working from home

[vickster]

It is being forced upon me from Christmas. The office is being reorganised and there are deliberately insufficient desks. Quite p**sed off as it will mean lugging a laptop and adaptor on my 17 mile each way commute, either on my back or strapped to the bike.

Ask for another adaptor to keep at home

 

[vickster]

I think it's worse than that, if you a lugging a laptop each way does that have customer information contained on it? Who is responsible if you have an accident, the laptop is stolen & all that information gets out to the public domain.

Companies do provide security on laptops. At least all the ones I have ever worked for do

 

[Bazzer]

Not being snotty, but can't you just have a computer at each end and transfer whatever files you need via the internet?

Ideally yes. In practice no. For security reasons, only the work laptop can get access to many custom programmes as well as controlled access folders and when the laptop is used at home, transfers of data is I believe encrypted. And work isn't going to pay for two laptops, one at home and at one at work, when they will not spend money buying sufficient desks.

I think it's worse than that, if you a lugging a laptop each way does that have customer information contained on it? Who is responsible if you have an accident, the laptop is stolen & all that information gets out to the public domain.

That point has not been lost on me. Whilst the laptop does have security features in order just to get it function, I do have a vision of being involved in an accident and when reported, the first question which is asked is not how are you, but where is the computer?

 

[Electric_Andy]

I worked from home on 2 days last week. It was much slower than when I work in the office. And yes I did get distracted quite a lot. Plus using a web-based e-mail rather than Outlook was a huge pain. I would only work from home again if I was, for example, working on a project for which I only needed MS Excel or Powerpoint or something. But for everything else I don't feel I'm giving my employer value for money by working from home.

 

[Mike_P]

Ask for another adaptor to keep at home

My workplace gave everyone a spare mains adaptor. New work laptop however easily lasts a working day on its battery and is small and light enough to fit my rucksack.

 

[vickster]

I worked from home on 2 days last week. It was much slower than when I work in the office. And yes I did get distracted quite a lot. Plus using a web-based e-mail rather than Outlook was a huge pain. I would only work from home again if I was, for example, working on a project for which I only needed MS Excel or Powerpoint or something. But for everything else I don't feel I'm giving my employer value for money by working from home.

Why did you need to do that? I can access my full Outlook when remote?
Just need vpn to access server

 

[Electric_Andy]

Why did you need to do that? I can access my full Outlook when remote?
Just need vpn to access server

nhs laptop, nhs e-mail, nothing works very well remotely. Also it's not my laptop so it can't load up my Outlook profile without IT setting it up remotely...which they can only do in our office when connected to Intranet

 

[johnblack]

I can do everything from home, don't really need to go in to the office but i only do it when I really have to as I don't really enjoy it. I like my office and the commute isn't that bad as I work outside 9-5.

 

[Handlebar Moustache]

I have a friend who is middling senior in a heritage organisation and she works 100% from home and it seems to work for her. She still has to travel to London for meetings etc. and site visits but on the whole it’s very convenient for her and enables her to drop-off / pick up kids from school. As for me I have flexible hours in my job and also have the option to work from home for a day or so every week if I want - but generally I don’t. My job is quite dependent on geeing up colleagues and asking for information / interesting things so if I was remote from them it would be pretty difficult. Also in my role there is interaction with the public online and if you get hassle and there’s no outlet or sense check from a colleague at your desk it makes it much harder to deal with. So not a fan generally but as with my friend above, I can totally see the advantages.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Can't beat working at home - bliss!

 

[Drago]

I prefer not working at home, or at work.