OK, I have something else to vent about (work!)

[samsmamma]

it's one of those days.

OK, so my boss and her boss agreed that I'd be able to work from home 1x a week after my maternity leave. There are 3 other moms that have this same arrangement. Well, while no one is supposed to know any of this, of course everyone does (how they found out about my arrangement is a mystery) and it is starting to cause a big stink. People want to be able to work from home. I understand that. Some people are saying it's not fair because the people who work from home get an extra 52 days off per year. Sorry honies, I'm WORKING when I'm at home, not painting my toenails and doing laundry. Other people are saying it discriminates unfairly against people who don't have kids. Even other people are saying it sets women in the workplace back because it shows that we can't actually do our jobs at work.

WHy can't people just leave well enough alone? I understand - I really do, but in my group at any rate, my boss will let anyone work from home any time they want to. So why can't that satisfy them? It's like everyone is all on a tear. I'm having a hard time even articualting all the issues. I spoke to my boss today so it wouldn't catch her off guard, and she told me it's not my problem and everyone else should grow up because it IS different when you are juggling life with a kid, and I agree its not my problem, but I also don't really want to hear about it from other people. I don't abuse the right to work from home. I never have. I always work har d- harder even than I do in the office sometimes. I always work on the subway hme because I can check my emails etc then, and if I'm up before Sam, I tend to check in first thing in the AM because it makes it easier for me to manage my day. So I've earned this, I've proven that I can do it and that I'm responsible etc. But I don't want to hear everyone else complaining about it.

Am I totally out of line? Am I just being blinded by my own desires to be home with baby? I mean, I'm not even asking for it to be permanent - I'm shooting for until Karl is 12-18 months old, and then I'd be in 5 days a week again.

Curious to know your thoughts

[earthmama369]

I agree with your boss -- people need to grow up. Different lives require different situations. Are they seriously saying that to be fair, everyone needs to be exactly the same?

[samsmamma]

That's pretty much what people are saying, yes. That it's not fair for a parent of a kid under, say, 2, can work from home but other people can't. That they need to "level the playing field" so to speak. That's the gist of it.

[flapjack]

Rant away. They're just being silly spoiled children- besides, other people besides parents need flexitime. (Steve used to do a 4-day, long-day week when he was commuting to London. Nobody gave a damn.)

.

[spughy]

That's silly. I'm sure MOST of the people I work with at my company (which is one of the 10 biggest in the world I think; it contains the initials I, B and M) work from home and I have yet to find one who is not instantly reachable and actually working. I myself worked from home frequently when DH was away so I wouldn't have to worry about dog care during the day. (Dogs being somewhat less needy than children - I wouldn't work at home thinking I could care for a child at the same time.) I too find I work harder at home because there is nobody to socialize with. I also enjoy it a whole lot less, for exactly the same reason

People who think working at home is some fabulous semi-vacation have either never actually worked at home or they're slackers themselves. And while yes, you can in fact work in your underwear, the novelty of that wears off pretty quick.

[PicnicBear]

I work better from home, too. No gossiping with people, end up eating lunch while working and of course, no time or energy wasted in transportation. I thought that more employers encouraged working from home for those reasons.

I know you just need to vent, so by all means do so! Ignore those people (easier said that done) -- I have had a lot of insensitive things said to me about pregnancy during pregnancy since I work with a bunch of guys -- I'm sure women can be just as bad in their own way, though. Ignore them and focus your energy on doing as much as you can for yourself.

[samsmamma]

It just started to make me think - I am so out of touch with reality? Like, am I so caught up in my own needs etc that I can't see that there is a problem if there is one? But when it all comes down to it, I can't identify a problem! I find it really offensive that one of my colleagues - who I am very good friends with - keeps talking to me like I will have an extra 52 days off per year, or that I am working a 4 day workweek. In fact, it's not like she is alluding to it - that is how she really sees it! So she is going to use it as a play for a raise or something like that. Granted, she is disgruntled already, so she has a chip on her shoulder, but really.

As a manager, I try to be very sensitive about these things. The woman who reports to me has a 9 yr old. She is well aware that she can work from home any time she needs to, and that if she needs to leave early or run out and pick up her daughter etc that that isn't a problem at all. She is totally responsible and never slacks off. But then I hear all the rest of these complaints and it makes me think hard about how I would deal with it if I had another employee who started getting pissy about it. Because I do feel that these people are really being pissy. And at the end of the day, it's upper management's decision anyway on how to deal with all of this and they can make the decisions they want and I'm sure have thought about all the legal ramifications. But when people start getting silly about this stuff, it makes it that much more unpleasant for the people who are seeing some kind of benefit. At my old job, it turned itno such an issue that they took away the privilege for all working moms.

Hmpf.

I'm going to go out for a walk now. At least it is very quiet here today...