You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
We moved from the outskirts of Edinburgh to a town in Perthshire where my wife was brought up, largely so we could be closer to her parents. I had reservations based on the commute but eventually agreed based on being able to commute by train, which I generally enjoy.
1.5yrs on it feels like and I'm getting worrying regrets. The commute (train strikes not withstanding) is relatively benign but is still basically 3 hours a day, twice a week, with no option to incorporate the bike or walking.
More worrying is a letter from my (soon to be ex-) company directors saying that due to a noticeable drop in output in the last year, they want to move back to 4 days a week in the office (in my opinion the drop in output is due to a dated/outmoded company structure and disastrous project mix, but I'm not going to try argue the point). The company I'm moving to has asked that I do 5 days in 10 which is perfectly reasonable but is still more time stuck in a train/the car, and is more evidence that my industry at least is trying to move back to the office.
Personally I think I can now admit I miss the office as well, if only as a break from home life and a feeling of being back in the city.
So what's the big deal? Well wifey doesn't even want to contemplate moving back closer to city, even without recent interest rate hikes etc. we'd be moving back to a smaller house etc. etc. and would never get as good a fixed rate as we're on for the next 3.5yrs. I don't believe the current arrangement is sustainable in the medium/long term, which is a shame as my new employer looks like a 'keeper', I've not felt this positive about my career in a long time so want to commit. I guess I'm hoping that maybe interest rates will settle down etc. and I can start working on wife to persuade her to move back. I'm virtually unemployable locally even if I did want to change company (again).
Anyone else think things are slowly moving back to full time in office? Will there be an explosion in cheap/depressing pied-a-terres in the city for remote workers who foolishly bought houses fricking miles away? 🙄
Do your firm support flexible working so you could change the hours around to suit family commitments?
You are living in a really nice part of the country that's still close to the cities,longer term that may work out better than an over crowded Edinburgh suburb.
Someone i know, moved from Cupar in Fife to Blairgowrie for the reasons as you have. Closer to parents etc. Work for Fife Council. Moved on the assumption that WFH would continue forever. Now they are commuting 2 days out of 5 every day. Blairgowrie to Glenrothes. Thats quite a commute.
Its certainly coming. Company i do work for was full WFH, then 2 days, now 3 days is demanded.
I think the WFH movers regret is happening already.
If the move is worthwhile, can you do say your 5 days out of 10 in the office one week in, one week WFH and stay close to office during week? Not ideal, but saves commute and get to stay where youve moved to? However, extra expense to stay away, and away from family....
a few colleagues have rebalanced their living arrangements.
Sold the house in/near the city and bought a small flat, invested the profits in the summer house, making it an all year round proposition, insulation, upgraded power, fibre internet, etc etc
We've now been told that the official corporate rule is 30% home, 70% office.
On the plus side, most of the local management are taking a far more pragmatic approach.
It was always going to revert back to more time in the office. Our London office has gone back to 5 days a week in the office if you're junior, 3 if you're senior or above.
Feel bad for those who spent tens of thousands building an office in their garden who now have a useless room and lost garden space and a constant reminder in their eyesight that they're a corporate slave.
Could you do fewer longer days in the office then kip over (ie 4 in 10 and spread them out so 2 nights in a hotel per fortnight)?
Our company isn't looking like backtracking on hybrid/full WFH any time soon. I didn't move, but I easily could
Feel bad for those who spent tens of thousands building an office in their garden who now have a useless room and lost garden space and a constant reminder in their eyesight that they’re a corporate slave.
Or it will be easier for them to quit and set up alone.
Very happy with my workshop and 15 step commute. Haven't worked for the man for many years
To the op, I couldn't be doing 3 hrs of commuting. That's almost an extra half day everyday. Either move or find a job that lets you stay home more (and given the wife's opinion it'll more likely be option 2. Can you move to another industry using transferable skills?
2 mega mega long days and a night in a cheap hotel/hostel?
You’re starting the new job anyway. Assuming they have never worked with you before, it’s probably worth starting with the agreed home/office balance and then once they know they can trust you, see if there’s scope to reduce the number of office days. I guess it depends on the culture, but a lot of companies have to set some sort rules for all new hires to keep it fair and make sure noone takes the piss.
3 hour commute? I expect London workers would relish such a thing. I'm aware of folks who commute from Southampton to London.
When I had an up to 45 ride to work, or a 30 to 70 minute drive to work, it seemed tolerable.
I did have a 200 mile commute at one point. Down on Monday am, up on Friday PM. Not sustainable.
Now I spend that time working walking or riding in my WFH privileged lifestyle.
Rather than open up to an Internet forum maybe have a chat with your boss or your boss's boss. See what you can work out. Then make a decision.
Nope, stayed in the same place and moved jobs based on being home based. Go to head office every 4-6 weeks for a couple of day. All expensed.
Old job was a 2hr round trip commute and pushing for more time back in the office.
It all comes down to cost against benefit, you're spending a set amount on trains and commuting, is there similar companies in Perth or Dundee, or wherever you're near, with the reduction in travel costs taken into account for salary?
If not, then it's just going to have to be a grind for a few years, lots of my team are based around the country, we're Bristol but folk are in Suffolk, Sussex, Cornwall, etc, i know of some even further afield, and they are having to suck up a couple of days in office with either a hotel overnight or staying with mates/relatives. Make the train journeys productive as well, otherwise it's dead time, you can do reading, admin, etc, etc and at least not see it as 3 hours lost.
Don't move house, move job?
Companies will be flexible for the right employees. We’ve gone back to two days a week in the office. Except we haven’t really. And the new office won’t have the space anyway. Start the new job, make yourself irreplaceable, ask for a little more flexibility once they’ve seen your value. Don’t take the urine (maybe one day in 10 as a balance with informal teams meetings in between). If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Your reasons for moving were reasonable after all and your excitement about the job will soon be noticed.
I did a five-days-a-week 600 miles plus per week driving commute for ten years. I don’t like driving any more. In fact I don’t really like commuting other than by bike. But a modest train ride with a bike is nice too and no shower needed.
BTW it’s not really about days in the office at all. It’s about days in the office with colleagues. One day a week with four colleagues on the same day will have more impact (10 connections) than five days with two different colleagues each day (as low as 5 connections). Commit to being in the office on the same day as others, not N/5 days per week.
Rather than open up to an Internet forum
Yeah... could have asked the same question with a bit less detail to be fair, it's just been bugging me for a while.
Might ask to have this one locked so it can drop safely off the page again, thanks for the input though folks!
Edit:that was a great last point though TiRed, will remember that, ta.
What does your employment contract say about place of work? This has a bearing on what is considered commuting vs business travel and a legitimate business expense. Some companies have made considerable savings in the accommodation costs by allowing employees to WFH and therefore a slight increase in travel expenses should still be seen as a positive. If there’s a concern about productivity then that may come down to how work is broken down, assigned and performance managed - you can still get rubbish productivity when everyone’s doing 9-5 in an office.
Well wifey doesn’t even want to contemplate moving back closer to city
Gotta ask the obvious question what's the wife's commute like?
even without recent interest rate hikes etc. we’d be moving back to a smaller house etc. etc. and would never get as good a fixed rate as we’re on for the next 3.5yrs.
Hmmm. The fixed rate we were on allowed you to move house and stay on the same rate. Have you checked?
to put some perspective on it, if you were Edinburgh suburbia to city centre 5 days a week before you were probably doing 10hrs+/10days commuting before and now you will be 15hrs/10days. I guess the difference is the old commute you were cycling so enjoying or at least feeling it was good for you and the new one is on the train? I’d see if there is some way you can put that time to good use - working, studying, reading, watching/listening to stuff.
Feel bad for those who spent tens of thousands building an office in their garden who now have a useless room and lost garden space and a constant reminder in their eyesight that they’re a corporate slave.
I didn't do that but if I had it would just be a cool man cave now.
I am surprised though at how many people made big costly decisions based on the massive assumption that things wouldn't start at least going back towards the previous 'normal' after COVID. That's includes loads of people going out and buying dogs.
I didn’t do that but if I had it would just be a cool man cave now.
That was my thought on that too.