Working From Home Megathread

yoshimitsu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118187360#Comment_118187360

Even better: we're told by facilities to take the lift 1 person at a time... then we all meet downstairs, sit down at a restaurant, take off our masks and sit there merrily 40cm from each other for an hr having lunch together!! then back on the lift one at a time... i swear u couldnt make this sh1t up 🤣🤣

Chris_5339762

I work in a place where the Cyberattack killed WFH for security reasons, we were all back in the office from then onwards. No sign whatsoever of that changing... one group asked could they start to WFH again now and were told "no". That was literally the response from management.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188339#Comment_118188339

So many COVID rules are in the same vain, you really have to wonder not has the world gone mad but by how much!

We have similar rules at my workplace, but the canteen is strictly "dining for one" it's laid out like a school exam hall.

I seldom use it these days.

Amadan Dubh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118187124#Comment_118187124

In Germany it has now been mandated that employees have to WFH.

I think the consensus with the restrictions this week is that they were buttering us up for more in a few weeks and WFH will be one. Maybe they think they can get another few weeks out of the wishy washy advice so by the time they change it there won't be too many lost weeks to Christmas for impacted businesses.

Young_gunner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118187166#Comment_118187166

I can only echo every word of this, I work in finance, early 40s, 2 kids, commute is about an hour each way.

WFH / remote work is one of the best things that has happened me ever - that sounds dramatic, but it's true. I'm starting to live again, have rediscovered so many nice things about life and am performing at my job at a higher standard than ever.

I realise it ain't for everyone, but for those it suits (e.g. good broadband, office space etc.), it has been such an upgrade in quality of life.

tigger123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118190038#Comment_118190038

I'm in a similar position to you, and completely agree. With young kids, it gives you a completely new routine that works so much better for everyone.

SusanC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118190038#Comment_118190038

My Husband would 100% agree. He is late 40s, works in finance, commute pre-covid was a 3 hour round trip in traffic. He also travelled a lot internationally for work. He barely saw the kids except on weekends and he was always tired. Total transformation of our family life

titan18

We're I'm working are doing it well tbh. It's WFH still and with the advice being WFH unless necessary, they've gone we're leaving it up to you to decide whether it's necessary (bar actually necessary work like some systems work) as it could be necessary for you if you've poor internet or even just need some headspace and get out of the house. Don't have to come in, just fully opt in until at least February.

DeanAustin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118190083#Comment_118190083

Best part of my week is walking the kids to school or seeing them come out in the afternoon. Much better than having a creche pick them up. I'm not giving that up if I can avoid it.

My boss is very much a "back to the office" kind of boss. He made a big song and dance about 3 days a week a few weeks ago. Then the advice from the government came out this week and he tried to tell HR that it didn't make a difference. He was swiftly told it made a huge difference and people are back WFH for the foreseeable.

The guy is early 50s and you can see he just loves the whole status of sitting in his office watching over people because he doesn't trust them. The "collaboration" and "relationship" rhetoric is clearly just for show. Dunno how he can credibly claim that people's health and well being is a priority and try to drag people in unwillingly in this environment. Its turned me right off the company anyway.

Some people don't seem to realise that the genie is out of the bottle here and you can't put it back. Let people work where they want and manage their output. It's the only way to do this. Longing for the days of everyone in the office all the time is for the birds and really just shows what a bad manager you are.

Chris_5339762

Edit: Actually posted this up thread

JTMan

I've being thinking about where WFH restrictions are going long term. I know the current WFH restrictions will likely last until March or maybe until April/May as some suspect. But are we in for mandatory WFH EVERY winter?

I listened to an interesting interview with Scott Gottlieb who said that while the covid situation will improve in the coming years (boosters, pills, immunity etc), there is still going to be a point every Winter where hospitals sruggle to cope and society will have to adjust in a way we never did for flu.

Mandating WFH is an easy low hanging fruit for governments to introduce. Will it be part of this adjustment? Could WFH become mandatory for November to February inclusive every year? Is this going to become an annual event? Hybrid for Spring to Autumn and fully remote in the Winter?

mcburns07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118195595#Comment_118195595

No. A lot of places can’t / won’t do WFH anyway so not sure how much impact it really has on numbers.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118190660#Comment_118190660

Funny how it’s different for everyone (my commute is only 20 minutes each way admittedly). I have been in three times a week recently and find out life is better for it, kids are in a better routine, I’m getting more work done, I have more energy to be a better dad (I have young children who are at home most of the time)Goes to show how personal it is, no right or wrong I guess.

Szero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118195595#Comment_118195595

Quite possibility. Commercial real estate is screwed. Office utilisation is been squeezed by (1) social-distancing rule (almost 2 years and this restriction is still in place) rendering 50%+ of desks useless, (2) on/off WFH restrictions which as you said could occur each Winter, (3) trend towards hybrid working and now trend towards remote-first and fully-remote, (4) vast majority of younger people preferring WFH and (5) I think in time climate change will start dissuading car driving to out of town offices.

I don't think society will tolerate the uncertainty of "will they won't they" mandate WFH every Winter. I think norms will have to get established around this. As you indicated, the norm could easily be remote-only from 1 November (preemptive is better rather than waiting for a crisis in late November) to the end of February each year. Maybe some workers will use this time to work abroad in hotter climates for the Winter if allowed.

Szero

Another WFH benefit. More people with a disability are now employed.

https://twitter.com/aaronsojourner/status/1461462178876243969

DeanAustin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118195780#Comment_118195780

And I think that's a good point too. I'm 100% for allowing people to work where they want including those who want to go to the office all the time. No one knows more than the individuals themselves what environment they'll perform best in. Let them choose. Most people want to do a great job. If you're a manager, your job is to get the best out of people. If you have people who you don't think want to give their best, you either have the wrong people or you are a micromanager.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118199677#Comment_118199677

Vile distain? Not sure where you imagined that from. I'm very happy for any individual disabled people who have gotten jobs lately, and I'd far rather see them contributing to society than scratching.

But it's simple labour economics. WFH has widened the potential labour pool for most Dublin employers, because it's enabling people who could not compete for certain jobs before (for all sorts of reasons) to do so. This will drive down wages, because that's how supply and demand works.

Ironically, it's also removed location as a desirable feature for non-Dublin based jobs, and this is likely to see wages for them rise, too.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118199792#Comment_118199792

Backtrack all you want but it's pretty clear how you feel regarding disabled folk

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118199799#Comment_118199799

Not backtracking even slightly.

You obviously don't remember previous posts about my disability status, or likely my age either.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118201608#Comment_118201608

So why did you reply like that to a post about remote opportunities for disabled people?

JTMan

https://twitter.com/PickardJE/status/1462682919793799169?t=cbtAEMf10YF_rovOi0_3lw&s=19

Even in the UK, who do not have WFH restrictions yet, 79% of office workers are working from home. More evidence, if it was needed, that commercial real estate is in serious trouble.

The FT article mentions Credit Suisse who had a conference to discuss the future of real estate. Free breakfast included. Most people connected remotely. If you can't even get real estate staff to attend in person anymore that's a real sign of the times.

Amadan Dubh

We're confirmed WFH again, optional though, which has already been jumped on by our team. People going in 1 day a week instead of 3 or else not going at all, that's what people have decided when given the choice.

Hopefully the penny will drop when things reopen in a few months that people really don't like heading into the office and management will have to put up or be damned.

wes

If I was manager and looking to move up, and the lease on the building was up, I would negotiate smaller offices, and move towards full hot desking for those who need to come in from time to time. The amount of money saved will be huge, and it would make the manager look far better, then getting people to come into over priced offices.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118207260#Comment_118207260

Would do wonders for staff retention in all likelihood too

Its amazing how little management have to actually do to increase staff loyalty.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118207300#Comment_118207300

Will staff really fall for the con trick of providing office space to their employers for free?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118207855#Comment_118207855

Keep bangin that drum Andy, surely some employer will pay to rent your kitchen table

Remind me again, what did your current employer say when you proposed it?

storker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118207855#Comment_118207855

Massive generalisation. There's only likely to be a "con trick" if people are forced to work from home, and even then it's more a case of disadvantages outweighing advantages. Depending on the length of the commute, plenty of workers are better off financially and have had a big uplift in quality of life. The additional cost in utility bills is well worth it. If WFH is a con trick, then let's have more con tricks like it...

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118209400#Comment_118209400

And if offices are downsized, then workers will indeed be forced to provide their own off-site workspace.

tigger123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118209425#Comment_118209425

Given the option, I'd rather work in a hybrid set up and provide my own office space and tea making facilities then drag myself through a commute every day.

storker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118209425#Comment_118209425

That depends on the degree of downsizing. "Downsizing" is not necessarily the same as "Eliminating". If say, 20% of employees want to work on site all the time and 20% want a hybrid setup and 60% want 100% work from home, then the business can reduce its footprint by 60% and nobody is forced to do anything.