‘Not allowed to complain’: Aussies given working from home reality check
A 26-year-old Sydney worker has given Aussies who are able to work from home a bold reality check about their jobs.
A hybrid office worker has divided fellow work-from-home Aussies after claiming that anyone who gets to work remotely isn’t allowed to whinge about their job.
Christy, a Sydney-based employee in the tech and sales industry, views being able to work from home as a privilege, having previously worked in industries where this wasn’t an option.
In a recent TikTok, the 26-year-old said if your job allows you to work from home “even just one day a week”, then you are “not allowed to complain”.
“This is coming from someone that can also work from home,” she said.
As she is in a client facing role, Christy typically only gets to work from home one day a week and, while her current job keeps her “very, very busy”, it doesn’t compare to when she previously worked in retail, hospitality and real estate where she was always on the go.
“So I am telling you, if you work from home, just be grateful and you are not allowed to complain about your job. If you are complaining, quit. I don’t want to hear it,” she said.
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Speaking to news.com.au, the 26-year-old said none of her previous jobs offered flexibility, noting “you can’t take someone’s coffee order or conduct an open house from the comfort of your own home”.
Christy is “extremely grateful” to have the opportunity to do her job remotely, even just one day a week.
“Say I’m working from home on a Friday, that means I can wake up slightly later and do a later gym class because I don’t have to factor in time to commute to the office,” she said.
“When I clock off I don’t have to then sit in traffic or on a train, I can stand up from my desk and walk over to the kitchen and start cooking dinner instantly. You win an hour back from your day that would have been spent on commuting.”
Christy’s video garnered a lot of attention, being viewed more than 74,000 times and attracting just under 2000 comments.
Many people agreed with the young worker’s perspective, sharing their own positive experiences of being able to work remotely.
“I went from a social work job to a work from home job. I’m CHILLING. And my weekends are actually mine. And the appointments I can go to?!” one person said.
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“After 20yrs in face-to-face retail, I am ridiculously grateful for my WFH life!” another wrote.
A commenter who used to work in a hybrid role and is now having to be in an office five days a week said they missed working from home even one day a week, branding it “such a game changer”.
“I get to WFH with flexible hours, SO LUCKY & would NEVER complain,” another said.
One added: “I do complain, and then I realise the incredible freedom I have and check myself.”
However, not everyone agreed with Christy’s take on working from home, with others not happy being told not to complain about their jobs.
There were those that pointed out that, even though working from home was a positive, that didn’t mean there weren’t parts of the jobs that were whinge-worthy.
“Let’s normalise being able to complain about work for any reason under any circumstance,” one person said.
“Absolutely not – as someone who worked in retail for 15 years and now works in a hybrid role. I’ll complain about whatever I want thanks,” another wrote.
Others claimed that then they work from home they are often working longer hours than they would if they were in the office.
“I work from home 5 days a week and logged off today at 10.30pm. I was rostered until 5 and didn’t get a lunch break. Not everyone has this extra time and I don’t have a moment to do washing,” one said.
Another commenter claimed saying WFH staff can’t complain is a “privileged take”, noting that being at home doesn’t erase “stress, burnout, toxic management, or financial pressure”.
When asked about the divide in the comment section, Christy said she welcomed hearing the different perspectives, noting there is typically “always going to be a loud minority who love to disagree or challenge you”.
However, she thinks there may be a lot of Gen Zers who perhaps haven’t experienced “long hours of standing on your feet all day” in industries like hospitality, trades, healthcare and others and, as a result, take flexible working “for granted”.
“No employer is obligated to offer WFH arrangements, so I think we should all be appreciative if that’s on the table. It certainly wasn’t for our parents’ generation,” she said.
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Describing herself as a “glass half full type of person”, Christy said she would rather be grateful for what she has than focus on the negatives.
“While people love to complain about their jobs and work (especially with the rise of the anti-corporate culture), I’m grateful that I get to work, make a living & contribute in a way that I find fulfilling. And throw in a day from home, how can I possibly complain?” she said.
“Especially when I’m sitting on the couch in my sweats while my fiance (who is a tradie) is working a 12 hour day doing manual labour in rain, hail or in a 40 degree roof.”
