The Meaning of WFH: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of WFH? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the abbreviation WFH, including its definition, usage, examples, and more!

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What does the acronym WFH mean?

According to Perkbox, the abbreviation WFH means work from home, or working from home. This refers to employees performing remote work from their places of residence as opposed to being in an office. They will usually use an internet platform to complete their work and communicate with a coworker. Many remote workforces use services like Slack for instant messaging to communicate with one another. 

WFH policies vary from company to company. Often, remote workers and remote employees have started working from home due to COVID-19 work from home policy. However, many say that morale is up, they are able to set boundaries with work, can mitigate burnout better, and they have a better work-life balance. Many do just fine finding a workspace in their home or apartment with internet and cloud storage, and enjoy the freedom that the Coronavirus WFH policies have provided. Some larger companies like Facebook, Google, and in the latest news and headlines Spotify are beginning to allow more flexibility for working from home full-time. Many do not feel the need to see their coworkers in real life and are just fine with virtual communication. 

Some companies have gone fully remote and offer only WFH jobs for many positions on a remote team doing things like project management. When talent can work in a digital workplace aided by things like cloud storage, the elimination of in-person interactions, face-to-face interactions and disruptions can make people more productive in less time. Team members who are good at managing their organizational needs and task management have found that as a result of COVID lockdown, they are able to transition to this new concept seamlessly, get more done, and have more time for themselves. This may be the future of work, as people in the remote workforce due to the COVID-19 crisis find they can get just as much accomplished by team meetings via Zoom as they can in person, if not more. 

Company expenses are also lower. Instead of having to spend money on expensive rents in luxury office buildings, companies are able to provide a stipend and equipment to their employees. For a lot of industries, all you need is a reliable internet connection and a collaboration tool to work with respondents around the globe. Just think! You could produce a YouTube video with a person in India while you’re in the UK with remote work.

According to The Free Dictionary, the term WFH can stand for much more than just work from home. This acronym has many other different potential definitions. However, these are used less frequently and should therefore be used with caution. If you do decide to use one of these alternate meanings of WFH, make sure that you provide whoever is reading or listening with the proper context as not to cause any confusion. When in doubt, use the full form of the phrase you intend. 

  •  World Federation of Healing
  •  We Fly High
  •  Whitefish (Amtrak station code; Whitefish, MT)
  •  Wholeness For Humanity (Washington, DC)
  •  Warriors for Hire (fanfiction)
  •  Warsztaty Fotograficzne Hejber (Hejber Photographic Workshop)
  •  Willem Frederik Hermans (Dutch writer)
  •  Wages for Housework
  •  World Federation of Hemophilia (Fédération Mondiale de l’Hémophilie)
  •  Week from Hell (slang term)
  •  Worldfest-Houston (film festival; Houston, TX)
  •  Weep for Humanity (website)
  •  Workflow Habitat
  •  Work for Hire
  •  Workfile History

What are synonyms and antonyms for WFH?

There are many different words and phrases that a person can use in place of the term WFH. If you are worried that someone may be confused by your use of an acronym, you can either use the full form of the phrase or a synonym. Learning synonyms is also useful for expanding your vocabulary and avoiding repeating yourself. Another way to say “work from home” is “remote.” This below list of synonyms of remote is provided by Power Thesaurus.

  •  out of the way
  •  private
  •  at a distance
  •  off the beaten track
  •  improbable
  •  distant
  •  slender
  •  alien
  •  away
  •  outside
  •  isolated
  •  secluded
  •  far away
  •  implausible
  •  remote control
  •  far
  •  cool
  •  removed
  •  off the beaten path
  •  apart
  •  unlikely
  •  indifferent
  •  outlying
  •  unapproachable
  •  slim
  •  slight
  •  lonely
  •  reserved
  •  far-off
  •  far off
  •  outback
  •  afar
  •  inaccessible
  •  distance
  •  solitary
  •  foreign
  •  detached
  •  aloof
  •  small
  •  faint
  •  cold
  •  out-of-the-way
  •  standoffish
  •  godforsaken
  •  unsociable
  •  far-flung
  •  unfriendly
  •  uncommunicative
  •  faraway
  •  withdrawn

There are also many different words and phrases that mean the opposite of the term WFH. These are known as antonyms, which are another great way to expand your vocabulary. This list of antonyms of WFH is also provided by Power Thesaurus.

  •  really
  •  at first hand
  •  head to head
  •  without prevarication
  •  honestly
  •  privately
  •  openly
  •  personally
  •  in human form
  •  reporting live
  •  at the person
  •  physically
  •  in the flesh
  •  point-black
  •  live feed
  •  in real life
  •  in material form
  •  materialised
  •  subjectively
  •  in one’s own person
  •  direct
  •  made flesh
  •  face to face
  •  personal
  •  directly
  •  actually
  •  specially
  •  oneself
  •  live
  •  solely
  •  independently
  •  alive
  •  candidly
  •  without an intermediary
  •  externalized
  •  face-to-face
  •  for oneself
  •  flesh
  •  person
  •  actual
  •  individually
  •  yourself
  •  personified
  •  narrowly
  •  incarnate
  •  externalised
  •  his face
  •  alone
  •  bodily
  •  in person
  •  individualistically

Overall, the popular acronym WFH means work from home. While this term has a couple of other potential meanings, work from home is the most popular and common. Many people enjoy working from home and find that they are more productive and have a better work life balance. Do you feel that way when working from home or do you prefer to go to an office and see people every day?

Sources:

  1. WFH? 5 confusing workplace acronyms explained | Perkbox
  2. WFH – What does WFH stand for? | The Free Dictionary 
  3. Remote synonyms – 1 872 Words and Phrases for Remote | Power Thesaurus 
  4. In Person synonyms – 145 Words and Phrases for In Person | Power Thesaurus