Passport chaos

[Stemar]

I lkoved working from home. I was doing a project that no one else knew anything about and my manager, sensibly, made sure I had the tools and let me get on with it. I want to goof off this afternoon? Consider it done! I'm on a roll with a complex bit of code? OK, I'll carry on until Blimey, it's 2am!

But, as the good Father says, it's not for everyone. It needs the right job, the right employees and, just as important, the right management. I've been very lucky throughout my working life. All my managers made sure I had the tools I needed and left me to get on with it, and I did. I'm sure they were making sure that I did, but they were discreet about it.

 

[newtothis]

The pandemic made my job a lot more international and productive. Conferences that would have usually been held in person and which budgets meant I would unlikely attend were held online. Interviews that used to be done by phone could be done 'face to face' over Zoom. Zero commuting gave me either more time in bed or more time at work, whichever was more pressing. Fortunately, I work in a self-driven role that requires very little collaboration, and that which I do collaborate on is usually with colleagues around the globe, so my location is immaterial. I won't be heading back to the disease incubator any time soon.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Not true, on the few occasions I attempted to work from home (recovering from operations) I always found more desirable things to do whereas at work there were no distractions and I worked all day apart from the odd cup of coffee or when someone wandered into my office. Some can and have the discipline others like me can't and or don't have the self discipline.

I've been working from home for several years now - I am retired and do freelance work from the comfort of my computer keyboard. And I think there are two issues that balance, here. First, as @Fr J Hackett says, there are many distractions at home. Some you have to ignore; others (such as young dogs!) insist on being attended to. But I can deal with those distractions fairly quickly and efficiently. But other distractions may actually assist your productivity. At work, I was at my desk for 8 (or more) hours a day. Nominally, I was working all that time. But I find that I can only concentrate for fairly short bursts, and then need to do something else before I can regain my concentration. So even though I was nominally working for 8 hours, I was probably actually only doing something productive for about half that time. AT home, I can switch to an alternative productive activity that enables me to regain my concentration more quickly; variety helps.

Second is a follow-on from the above - because I set my own times, and can stop and start when it suits me, I can ensure that I am working at the job best suited to my frame of mind at any particular time. I am a night owl; at work I often found I was just getting into my stride as the afternoon tea break came round, and I was often late home because I got involved in a task in the late afternoon! AT home I can get up and start work at a time that suits my own circadian rhythms, and thus work more efficiently. My own preference is to start late morning, often with a short warm-up session before lunch, then luch and domestic routine, then a long session int he afternoon, when I am at my best for that type of work.

Of course all this falls apart if your work involves contact with external clients who expect rapid feedback. My clients are mostly in a time-zone 7 or 8 hours ahead of us, so they don't expect to communicate with me on a real-time basis!

 

[Mister E]

Bonus for the company, smaller office thus less tax, less furniture expenses, company paying less Internet, less parking spaces needed, less electricity used for heating and light.

Best of all get rid of the layers of management that organise meetings to justify their existing, thus stopping productive work.

 

[Daydream believer]

So true. I worked from home for years and had a productive career. But office politics will also get in your way - the dead, non-creative wood who are in the office every day will always be paid more than you: spending more time pushing themselves forward than doing work.

Sounds like someone who is jealous of those getting promotion. Promotion does depend on the ability to interact with others & working at home does not always help to demonstrate that.

 

[dgadee]

Sounds like someone who is jealous of those getting e. Promotion does depend on the ability to interact with others & working at home does not always help to demonstrate that.

Maybe, but I think I did the job well. A eulogy was published on my retirement, but not from my department. Your idea of promotion sounds as though it's mates looking after each other. Female lawyers always complained that they didn't have access to the golf course so didn't have opportunities which males had. That was partly why so few judges were female.

 

[Daydream believer]

Maybe, but I think I did the job well. A eulogy was published on my retirement, but not from my department. Your idea of promotion sounds as though it's mates looking after each other. Female lawyers always complained that they didn't have access to the golf course so didn't have opportunities which males had. That was partly why so few judges were female.

I understand about the golf course bit. When my wife & her group intended to join in a competition at the club, a number of men withdrew on the grounds that they did not wish to play with ladies. . My wife says that some men are more than happy to pair with ladies & she looks forward to playing with them, but some are real "chauvanistic pigs".

 

[LONG_KEELER]

It's the pettiness of organisations like the Passport Office that gets to you the most.

Apparently, Vagina is unacceptable for place of birth.

 

[Daydream believer]

They prefer "test tube". Gets one to the front of the queue. But you need to send a picture looking like Dolly the sheep. The photo hasto have the correct background of rolling hills & daisies & one is not smiling but looking "sheepish".
French are a bit funny about importing lamb though, so you may need a vet to examine you when going to France. Still, it is either a covid vaccine, or a gloved hand up your rear. You takes your choice.

 

[Stingo]

Please accept my humble apologies: Back to the topic
In Early April I did my renewal application online and posted everything off registered & tracked mail. The tracking showed "delivered" but the PO kept sending me reminders to send my docs. Phoning them was a waste of time until I called at exactly 8am on Monday morning. The call was answered immediately by a human. I explained the history, but also said that my only concern was a possibly lost passport and the processing time was of not urgent at all. Result, a message arrived saying we have your documents and have expedited your application. Then today another notification saying my new passport is on its way,

I have to wonder if saying "not urgent and I understand you have a backlog" did the trick?

 

[mjcoon]

Apparently, Vagina is unacceptable for place of birth.

Surely if that is where you-all are, you aren't born yet?

 

[Daydream believer]

Surely if that is where you-all are, you aren't born yet?

. I know a few blokes who seem to spend a lot of time in there & they are getting on a bit