This is the second time I’ve worked from home–both very intense jobs in an apartment in nyc. Having the option to take a call or take a semi break to catch up on emails (or catch up on the meh-rathon) while you’re in bed is amazing. But only having your bed as work is a fucking nightmare. Literally.
Having a place that separate work from life, no matter how small is important.
@00 And if you fall asleep during conference calls, make sure to be on Mute so they don’t hear the snoring (we don’t usually use cameras in our calls – good thing I’d say!)
If I want to wake up to a confused call from a client wondering why I sent them an email consisting only of the letter “K” repeated a few thousand times, then sure, let’s work from bed.
(Sometimes it’s “D”. Whichever key I fall asleep pressing.)
I was stuck at home a couple years ago after knee surgery, working from bed isn’t great if you actually want to sit up and use a computer. You can spend all your time fluffing up pillows to pretend it’s like a chair, or you could just sit on the couch or, y’know, an actual chair.
@geekahedron Electric adjustable bed platforms are getting cheaper and I highly recommend. Surprised Meh doesn’t sell them – they sure sell enough sheety sheets! Though the adjustables in the $500 range still don’t offer quite as much flexibility as I’d like.
I work from…work. My colleagues are all at home but, I’m considered “essential” so it’s off to work I go. By the way essential people don’t get paid any more than WFH people.
@accelerator That sucks and seems wrong. I get pissed because I have to go into the office more than our average office employee (though less than some). I resist going to the office and try to combine trips–sometimes perhaps waiting longer than I should. My thought is that if folks see me as inefficient going in to the office, they’ll not request me any more often than absolutely necessary. Frankly, I feel like I’m far more productive from home, fwiw. But if any of my bosses says I need to go in, obviously I go in (though I might finagle a bit, even with them).
What seems truly wrong is that some of the folks forced to go in are at the low end of the pay scale. Whereas those who may even get vehicle allowances (I don’t, btw) or have it in their job descriptions that they need to travel can opt out. And that’s consistent with other inequities in the work world.
I’m truly sorry that you have to go in. I wish we lived in a better society.
@accelerator@joelmw To joelmw, Deep, man, but actually that is a very good summary of the much broader issue in our society even before COVID. This year has just made many things like that more evident even to people who either weren’t aware or didn’t seem to care. I’m tempted to go into a diatribe about economic and social issues, but it’s Friday night and this is Meh, so I’ll try to avoid that.
I work from bed some days. Yeah, read this and know that some CS and social media things are responded to while I’m scrunched up like a shrimp.
I have a really nice back rest pillow w/ arms so it’s very comfortable. I set up fairy lights on the window which make it really cute and comforting to stay there. Of course, the xbox in there as well to watch TV.
Not that I watch TV while I work from home if any manager of mine is reading this. I did not binge watch buffy/angel/stargate/stargate atlantis/lucifer and more during stay at home.
Biggest part: hanging out wherever my cat is. She follows me room to room so we’re joined at the hip with work from home.
@riskybryzness best. excuse. ever. I can’t get out of bed, my cat is on me.
Fortunately I have my laptop and phone so I can work all day without getting up. Except if one of us needs to use the catbox.
@InnocuousFarmer I can only conclude your theory is false based on my belief that Mitch McConell and most of congress are tech illiterate. Yet he is the most turtle looking.
I like turtles so no one can portray that as political, just a general fact about letting 70 year olds run the show.
I have a lap desk thingy that makes it easier for me to work from bed, but I only use it if I’m sick, or just hopping on the computer for a quick task. Otherwise I’m in my comfortable office chair at my desk in the spare bedroom.
@chienfou I’m sure your ER patients are very glad for you being there. Though if they had a choice, they would probably prefer to not end up in the ER to begin with.
I’m glad to see I am not the only one working from home from their bed, in spite of it killing my back. It’s nice to be able to get up 5 minutes before I’m supposed to be at work, rather than my normal morning routine and a lengthy commute. I am currently using my work supplied laptop on my old Lapinator with a Mousitizer attachment. My company sprung for a portable desk, but it’s not all that convenient. I would love to set something up in another room, but unfortunately with my rock musician-wannabe neighbor unpredictably blasting his stereo or practicing on his electric guitar, it makes conference calls a bit iffy anywhere else in my home.
@heartny what is a Mousitizer?
But yeah for Thinkpads; I had my original one when it was from IBM before it was sold to Chinese “Lenovo.” At least for a time, they were the top-end of laptops. Titanium metal frame. Withstood being dropped a few feet on to the floor at an airport when the TSA dude dropped it in 2002. (one of the last times I flew on a plane BTW). It only eventually failed by ending-up submerged in a rental car in a creek in Switzerland. (long story).
I have worked from home since 2010 other than my second job I worked in addition for a few years. But working from bed/dining room/wherever doesn’t work except for holiday emergencies. If I’m home I walk to my office when someone calls. I can’t do what I need to do on a laptop screen/keyboard for a normal workday, it’s rarely disconnected.
Now actually getting yourself out of bed somedays… That can be tough to do.
I start my work day at the dining room table, eating my breakfast as I catch up on (work) email on the notebook. Then it’s off to the home office (a dedicated office/den, not an extra bedroom) to do the real work on the desktop PC and test machines.
I have an office.closest I come to working from bed is checking my email on my phone in the morning to see what I have to do when I go downstairs to my office.
Ummmm…depends on your line of work.
This is the second time I’ve worked from home–both very intense jobs in an apartment in nyc. Having the option to take a call or take a semi break to catch up on emails (or catch up on the meh-rathon) while you’re in bed is amazing. But only having your bed as work is a fucking nightmare. Literally.
Having a place that separate work from life, no matter how small is important.
Also on rare occasion: a nap!
@00 And if you fall asleep during conference calls, make sure to be on Mute so they don’t hear the snoring (we don’t usually use cameras in our calls – good thing I’d say!)
The couch is where it’s at, folks!
And by ‘it’, I mean ‘my ass’
If I want to wake up to a confused call from a client wondering why I sent them an email consisting only of the letter “K” repeated a few thousand times, then sure, let’s work from bed.
(Sometimes it’s “D”. Whichever key I fall asleep pressing.)
@awk Covfefe?
What is this “work” of which you speak?
I was stuck at home a couple years ago after knee surgery, working from bed isn’t great if you actually want to sit up and use a computer. You can spend all your time fluffing up pillows to pretend it’s like a chair, or you could just sit on the couch or, y’know, an actual chair.
@geekahedron Electric adjustable bed platforms are getting cheaper and I highly recommend. Surprised Meh doesn’t sell them – they sure sell enough sheety sheets! Though the adjustables in the $500 range still don’t offer quite as much flexibility as I’d like.
oh my sciatica! It would kill me to work from bed!
I work from…work. My colleagues are all at home but, I’m considered “essential” so it’s off to work I go. By the way essential people don’t get paid any more than WFH people.
@accelerator That sucks and seems wrong. I get pissed because I have to go into the office more than our average office employee (though less than some). I resist going to the office and try to combine trips–sometimes perhaps waiting longer than I should. My thought is that if folks see me as inefficient going in to the office, they’ll not request me any more often than absolutely necessary. Frankly, I feel like I’m far more productive from home, fwiw. But if any of my bosses says I need to go in, obviously I go in (though I might finagle a bit, even with them).
What seems truly wrong is that some of the folks forced to go in are at the low end of the pay scale. Whereas those who may even get vehicle allowances (I don’t, btw) or have it in their job descriptions that they need to travel can opt out. And that’s consistent with other inequities in the work world.
I’m truly sorry that you have to go in. I wish we lived in a better society.
@accelerator @joelmw To joelmw, Deep, man, but actually that is a very good summary of the much broader issue in our society even before COVID. This year has just made many things like that more evident even to people who either weren’t aware or didn’t seem to care. I’m tempted to go into a diatribe about economic and social issues, but it’s Friday night and this is Meh, so I’ll try to avoid that.
I work from bed some days. Yeah, read this and know that some CS and social media things are responded to while I’m scrunched up like a shrimp.
I have a really nice back rest pillow w/ arms so it’s very comfortable. I set up fairy lights on the window which make it really cute and comforting to stay there. Of course, the xbox in there as well to watch TV.
Not that I watch TV while I work from home if any manager of mine is reading this. I did not binge watch buffy/angel/stargate/stargate atlantis/lucifer and more during stay at home.
Biggest part: hanging out wherever my cat is. She follows me room to room so we’re joined at the hip with work from home.
@riskybryzness well at least you have good taste
@riskybryzness best. excuse. ever.
I can’t get out of bed, my cat is on me.
Fortunately I have my laptop and phone so I can work all day without getting up. Except if one of us needs to use the catbox.
@pmarin @riskybryzness it’s funny how they can change from 5-10 lbs to two metric tons like that ain’t it?
@pmarin @unksol
Downside: everyone knows when she walks on my keyboard when I get up.
I’m convinced computers and phones are how people’s necks gradually bend forward, forward, until they look like turtles.
@InnocuousFarmer Eventually?
@InnocuousFarmer I can only conclude your theory is false based on my belief that Mitch McConell and most of congress are tech illiterate. Yet he is the most turtle looking.
I like turtles so no one can portray that as political, just a general fact about letting 70 year olds run the show.
@joelmw Eventually Turtles.
I have a lap desk thingy that makes it easier for me to work from bed, but I only use it if I’m sick, or just hopping on the computer for a quick task. Otherwise I’m in my comfortable office chair at my desk in the spare bedroom.
Being an ER nurse means no WFH for me!
@chienfou I’m sure your ER patients are very glad for you being there. Though if they had a choice, they would probably prefer to not end up in the ER to begin with.
@pmarin
Thanks for the vote of support. That’s true for most of them, except those on Sunday night trolling for a work note for the next day!
I’m glad to see I am not the only one working from home from their bed, in spite of it killing my back. It’s nice to be able to get up 5 minutes before I’m supposed to be at work, rather than my normal morning routine and a lengthy commute. I am currently using my work supplied laptop on my old Lapinator with a Mousitizer attachment. My company sprung for a portable desk, but it’s not all that convenient. I would love to set something up in another room, but unfortunately with my rock musician-wannabe neighbor unpredictably blasting his stereo or practicing on his electric guitar, it makes conference calls a bit iffy anywhere else in my home.
@heartny what is a Mousitizer?
But yeah for Thinkpads; I had my original one when it was from IBM before it was sold to Chinese “Lenovo.” At least for a time, they were the top-end of laptops. Titanium metal frame. Withstood being dropped a few feet on to the floor at an airport when the TSA dude dropped it in 2002. (one of the last times I flew on a plane BTW). It only eventually failed by ending-up submerged in a rental car in a creek in Switzerland. (long story).
@heartny @pmarin
I think you should tell us that story!
I have worked from home since 2010 other than my second job I worked in addition for a few years. But working from bed/dining room/wherever doesn’t work except for holiday emergencies. If I’m home I walk to my office when someone calls. I can’t do what I need to do on a laptop screen/keyboard for a normal workday, it’s rarely disconnected.
Now actually getting yourself out of bed somedays… That can be tough to do.
I start my work day at the dining room table, eating my breakfast as I catch up on (work) email on the notebook. Then it’s off to the home office (a dedicated office/den, not an extra bedroom) to do the real work on the desktop PC and test machines.
I have an office.closest I come to working from bed is checking my email on my phone in the morning to see what I have to do when I go downstairs to my office.