It depends on what kind of wfh.
Definitely know of friends who take 3h lunch breaks, watch Netflix, and even take a nap when they wfh.

Compared to teaching which can never have a wfh situation, these jobs are already providing so much more flexibility let’s be honest.

The person(s) who are complaining and comparing teacher's paid leaves (which is actually longer than average Joe and Jane), and feel that WFH and 18/21 vacation leave is better, ought to quit teaching, is he/she feels he/she is shortchanged! Do not lower the standard of teacher by using WFH and such comparison. It gives teachers a bad image of self-entitled.

After being on both sides (worked as a teacher and now working elsewhere with some days wfh), I feel that being a teacher is physically and emotionally tiring but working elsewhere can be more taxing cognitively. Teaching is actually quite nice and not that tough (not that tough to do well also) BUT what isn’t that nice about teaching is that there is no flexibility in taking leave. While there are provisions for urgent leave, you cannot suddenly decide that you need a break and would want to take AL. This is why at my current stage of life, I want a job that offers me the flexibility of taking leave whenever I want.

So your one or few friends is your sample size? There are bad lots in every job, even teaching. At the end of the day, if they are doing this, and their tasks are not done, they have to answer to their bosses. Yes, WFH gives flexibility; this means the person taking three hours of lunch break might be working late at nights to complete their tasks. Own time, but still doing their work; not 'not doing their work'. Teaching does not give this type of flexibility. Teacher already knows that and if you are still comparing, then review your job choice.

Let's be more detailed. 43 days plus Teacher's Day, Children's Day, Youth Day, Day after ND...total 47 days excluding weekends.

That adds up to 9+ weeks or 2+ months of holidays leh. How are 18 and 21 days of annual leave comparable? On top of that, teachers can take urgent paid leave for important life events. Anyone who hasn't done the math and has been teaching at least 1 year, can feel that the teaching profession accords a lot of rest time between terms. When I first joined the teaching profession and when it was the hols, my colleagues told me that teachers all travel during the holidays because got too many holidays and holidays are paid. OMG, it was a mind-blowing thought for me as I was in the private sector for almost 10 years before.

Bottomline, teaching isn't lucrative especially if you are just a normal teacher. But you are guaranteed a decent standard of living if you manage your finances well. More than half my colleagues live in condominiums and landed property. I'd say about three quarters. I think that speaks volume about the profession. So stop devaluing the profession and making people think that teachers are poor folks who teach because they can't and have to suck it up and suffer a bad job.

Have some pride or get out.

When my child falls sick and the childcare centre calls me to pick them up, I can’t just leave immediately. I need to plan relief for the rest of the day, give instructions to the relief teacher (who sometimes have to be our own colleagues and that makes us feel horrible), ask my principal for approval to go, and make sure to hand over anything I have after school (CCA/remedial/enrichment) to my colleagues. Before I can even leave the school, there are already so many people I need to liaise with, just to pick up my child to see a doctor. The next day, my co-form told me that one of the students’ parents was concerned that I had been away “too often” (I had Covid in Jan and took 2 days MC, and just a week before this I left school earlier because I was on course). Our job is more rigid than just being able to travel in June/Dec. It is more rigid than just having to report at 7am on Mon to Fri. Our job is rigid beyond these things people know. It’s not as simple as just dropping a text to your boss and you can bring your laptop back and continue your work at home while you care for your sick children or elderly parents.

Aiyo, you are definitely not a teacher. When I WFH during CB, I was taking more than 3 hour lunch breaks. My lessons ended by 10.30am, and everything else for the rest of the day was just waiting for SLS homework to roll in. Other than compo, I didn't have to mark anything.

Yes I am sure there are many companies out there that provides flexibility. But there's always a caveat. No businessman is going to waste money. Soon, those people will find themselves out the door. Just look at Lazada, Facebook, Google etc. They realised they over hired and paid overly obscene salary. So now the trend is about streamlining cost and becoming lean for the sake of survival (and investors).

Yes lah circuit breaker was the time we could wfh but when are we gonna have circuit breaker again. I mean like now, everything’s back to normal for us whereas in many other industries wfh is the new norm. Not saying their jobs are easy just because they get to stay at home but the flexibility helps a lot especially for working parents with kids.

Is this true? Didn't think it would be this much.

Lol ya wfh and take 3hr break all. No wonder end up need to OT and whine and say cannot finish work la, too much things to do etc. I’d rather not have that flexibility and knock off on time dude