Working From Home Megathread

Mrs OBumble

[Deleted User] wrote: »

the amount of business travel done before will never be reached again.

From a shareholder perspective, it makes no sense to spend that money on travel and they would struggle to justify it into the future. They will still do business travel, just probably at 10-20% of the level previously done.

I agree with you and your CEO.

This will have some interesting effects on FDI too: without the prospect of a jolly to meet the Oirish team, it's hard to see some American execs being interested in using our relatively high-cost services

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

This will have some interesting effects on FDI too: without the prospect of a jolly to meet the Oirish team, it's hard to see some American execs being interested in using our relatively high-cost services

Yes, because the 6hr flight time from New York to Dublin forms a key pillar in the IDA's marketing strategy for prospective investors

Jesus wept

Frank Bullitt

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I agree with you and your CEO.

This will have some interesting effects on FDI too: without the prospect of a jolly to meet the Oirish team, it's hard to see some American execs being interested in using our relatively high-cost services

This sounds like something a politician would say to justify a junket.

Mrs OBumble

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Yes, because the 6hr flight time from New York to Dublin forms a key pillar in the IDA's marketing strategy for prospective investors

Jesus wept

I guess you've never worked in sales or been been part of the entertainment team for visitors.

Esse85

Found it very difficult being back in the office today with all the noise, people yapping, phones going off, printers and photo copiers making noise. Commuting, parking, fcuking around at lunch time with no where to go as you can't sit down anywhere and eat lunch. 2 toilet cubicles, you can't even have a dump in peace, no milk provided for tea/coffee, have to put on a mask if leaving your desk.

Absolutely pointless demanding everyone being back in the office suited and booted.

Mrs OBumble

ELM327 wrote: »

And of course the first line is you, because you need your middle manager job to exist - and that's predicated on presenteeism.

Wrong on all counts.

I've been 30-50% in office throughout, so there's no "goingback" debate for me personally.

I'm not a manager. But WFH is actually more work for middle-management, because they become the central point for all communications,and because they have to work harder to discover problems with delivery.

Frank Bullitt

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Wrong on all counts.

I've been 30-50% in office throughout, so there's no "goingback" debate for me personally.

I'm not a manager. But WFH is actually more work for middle-management, because they become the central point for all communications,and because they have to work harder to discover problems with delivery.

So this is exposing issues with your processes more than anything. If there are issues like this getting in the way, now would be the time to fix and review.

Going back to the office would be putting lipstick on a pig.

mvl

Mr.S wrote: »

I think we're in the last 6 months of conferences being online, it's big business and they all want it F2F rather than online, for obvious reasons.

Will be interesting to see how business travel reacts in Q4 '2021 and beyond - certainly in our place the intention is to get back traveling as soon as it's safe to do so.

Well, on the subject of conferences (but not really wfh), weeks ago I got a mail from Linux foundation saying they're moving the Opensource summit to US : "We have made the decision to move these events from Dublin, Ireland to Seattle, Washington, USA, due to the current state of vaccination rates in Europe and upon review of past attendee survey results regarding where and when they would feel comfortable traveling this year. "
Was curious if there are other conferences in same category, "relocated" due to ... vaccination delays.

Antares35

Esse85 wrote: »

Found it very difficult being back in the office today with all the noise, people yapping, phones going off, printers and photo copiers making noise. Commuting, parking, fcuking around at lunch time with no where to go as you can't sit down anywhere and eat lunch. 2 toilet cubicles, you can't even have a dump in peace, no milk provided for tea/coffee, have to put on a mask if leaving your desk.

Absolutely pointless demanding everyone being back in the office suited and booted.

Sounds like a nightmare. Are you back office based full time? The yoke in our place pushing to get everyone back is only doing it because she misses the incessant yapping. If we are made to go back and I've to listen to her talking shíte and interfering with my productivity I'll have no qualms about telling her.

mvl

mvl wrote: »

Well, on the subject of conferences (but not really wfh), weeks ago I got a mail from Linux foundation saying they're moving the Opensource summit to US : "We have made the decision to move these events from Dublin, Ireland to Seattle, Washington, USA, due to the current state of vaccination rates in Europe and upon review of past attendee survey results regarding where and when they would feel comfortable traveling this year. "
Was curious if there are other conferences in same category, "relocated" due to ... vaccination delays.

Thats baffling given the dates for that were to be September 27th-30th. The whole place will be well vaccinated by then

wes

Deleted User wrote: »

Thats baffling given the dates for that were to be September 27th-30th. The whole place will be well vaccinated by then

Considering vaccine hesitancy in the US, we may even be ahead of them by then.

Backstreet Moyes

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I guess you've never worked in sales or been been part of the entertainment team for visitors.

No but it seems you have worked in every industry that shines a bad light on people working from home

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I guess you've never worked in sales or been been part of the entertainment team for visitors.

I haven't done this. And my US directors do indeed look forward to their board meetings in Ireland.

But I have been involved in the decision making process of where to put the post Brexit European hub - for which 6 EU locations were considered. And I can tell you that the possibility of a junket played zero part in the decision making. It was data driven.

Your posts, and the dysfunctional companies that you seem to work for, suggest that you are still living in the 1990s

AlmightyCushion

Deleted User wrote: »

I haven't done this. And my US directors do indeed look forward to their board meetings in Ireland.

But I have been involved in the decision making process of where to put the post Brexit European hub - for which 6 EU locations were considered. And I can tell you that the possibility of a junket played zero part in the decision making. It was data driven.

Your posts, and the dysfunctional companies that you seem to work for, suggest that you are still living in the 1990s

I can assure you that the only reason Microsoft still have offices in Ireland is because Bill Gates loves going to Coppers.

Ms. Newbie18

Esse85 wrote: »

Found it very difficult being back in the office today with all the noise, people yapping, phones going off, printers and photo copiers making noise. Commuting, parking, fcuking around at lunch time with no where to go as you can't sit down anywhere and eat lunch. 2 toilet cubicles, you can't even have a dump in peace, no milk provided for tea/coffee, have to put on a mask if leaving your desk.

Absolutely pointless demanding everyone being back in the office suited and booted.

Yeah that is not good. I think I will stay home for now.

wes

Mr.S wrote: »

It's a bit mind boggling that employers are doing this already.

Has any reason been given? It's pretty hard to justify dragging everyone back to the office full time right now, especially as the current advice from Gov is to work from home when possible.

The government really needed to make it more than advice. WFH, has minimal ecomomic impact, and we shouldn't see offices go back to normal, until we have achieved herd immunity imo.

wally1990

Mr.S wrote: »

It's a bit mind boggling that employers are doing this already.

Has any reason been given? It's pretty hard to justify dragging everyone back to the office full time right now, especially as the current advice from Gov is to work from home when possible.

Ya, what was the reason to have everyone back right now ?
Surely some people "kicked up a fuss?

moycullen14

Mr.S wrote: »

It's a bit mind boggling that employers are doing this already.

Has any reason been given? It's pretty hard to justify dragging everyone back to the office full time right now, especially as the current advice from Gov is to work from home when possible.

God, that sounds awful. Going back to the office doesn't mean things are automatically going to be like they were pre-Covid. I've got very used to my creature comforts WFH. It would be hard to go back. Feck it, I'm not going back!

Naos

wes wrote: »

The government really needed to make it more than advice. WFH, has minimal ecomomic impact, and we shouldn't see offices go back to normal, until we have achieved herd immunity imo.

In fact, I've spent more locally WFH than I ever have before. I can take a brief walk at lunch to a local cafe to grab a coffee or a quick trip to the local supermarket to pick up food.

Previously, I'd have shopped near where work was.

zebastein

It has probably impacted some businesses that were located next to business parks.

For example, there are a Spar and 2 burgers/sandwich places in the East Point business park. The park is stuck between the M50, the port and the sea, so there are no people living there that would shop in these places, relying 90/95% on workers. They probably benefited from helps during covid, but how will these places survive if a normal day post-covid the offices have only 50% of the people they used to have pre-covid ?

And if some of these places close, that is a vicious circle: less people coming to the office -> less shops and facilities around the offices ( and less investment by the company for gyms or food in the office maybe ?)-> even less people interested to come to the office.

wes

zebastein wrote: »

And if some of these places close, that is a vicious circle: less people coming to the office -> less shops and facilities around the offices ( and less investment by the company for gyms or food in the office maybe ?)-> even less people interested to come to the office.

Well that is capitalism for you. It would be made up by supporting business in other areas of the city and maybe we can have new residentials developments instead of more offices which in turn would bring business back to hose areas.

zebastein

wes wrote: »

Well that is capitalism for you. It would be made up by supporting business in other areas of the city and maybe we can have new residentials developments instead of more offices which in turn would bring business back to hose areas.

Don't get me wrong, I prefer 10times that people can work from home in small towns and support their local cafe than paying an overpriced Costa/Starbucks in a business park. There will be opportunities for towns to be more than just dormitory towns and to have more life in week days.


Economically, people will spend their money anyway so overall it is balanced.



I just don't know if people will want to go back to the office if there are 2times less choices for their lunch or afterwork break.

wes

zebastein wrote: »

I just don't know if people will want to go back to the office if there are 2times less choices for their lunch or afterwork break.

Yeah, that is a fair point, but I do think with less need for offices, those area's could include some apartments, which would bring back footfall and that would fix that issue, but it would take a while.

Frank Bullitt

wes wrote: »

Yeah, that is a fair point, but I do think with less need for offices, those area's could include some apartments, which would bring back footfall and that would fix that issue, but it would take a while.

You bring up a good point.

The business park as a concept is probably heading towards its end, in a way. I could see a reimagining of it though to potentially make use of the space. Someone, somewhere, is probably thinking of this already.

wes

wes wrote: »

The government really needed to make it more than advice. WFH, has minimal ecomomic impact, and we shouldn't see offices go back to normal, until we have achieved herd immunity imo.

Looking from the other side of the fence, the RTE news yesterday had a talking head from "Retail excellence" who was hoping for a full return to the offices as much of the passing trade is from office workers in their lunch breaks. So there are real vested interests involved in getting the offices full again.

Irishdreamer

Hi,

My apologies if this is in the wrong area.

I am looking for a bit of info in relation to the employer allowance for remotely working from home. We have a couple of employees who are continuing to work from home & we were thinking of giving the allowance of €3.20 per day to these employees as it will be tax, PRSI & USC free for them.

However we have a few questions about it.

Is the €3.20 just added to the employees wages as a benefit in kind?

Is there any way for the company to claim some of this money back from Revenue?

Do we need to show Revenue proof of the employees working from home or will they require us to complete any forms etc?

Is it just simply adding the extra € amount to the employees wages weekly?

Our employees work 5 days a week & have 21 days of annual leave. So if we agree to pay them the allowance, do we not include their yearly annual leave, company days & bank holidays when giving them the €3.20 per day?

Apologies for all the questions.

Thanks in advance!

Antares35

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Looking from the other side of the fence, the RTE news yesterday had a talking head from "Retail excellence" who was hoping for a full return to the offices as much of the passing trade is from office workers in their lunch breaks. So there are real vested interests involved in getting the offices full again.

Hopefully the proposed legislation will put paid to that. Can't imagine that being a justification for bringing people back.

Happydays2020

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I can assure you that the only reason Microsoft still have offices in Ireland is because Bill Gates loves going to Coppers.

Indeed and that love of Coppers is a significant reason why the Gates’ are splitting up.

AdamD

That legislation will do absolutely nothing, its not difficult for a Company to make an argument that you need to be in the office. It won't even need to be a good argument to bypass the legislation

Esse85

AdamD wrote: »

That legislation will do absolutely nothing, its not difficult for a Company to make an argument that you need to be in the office. It won't even need to be a good argument to bypass the legislation

What sort of time frame is on this legislation?