Working From Home Megathread

2lazytogetup

2lazytogetup wrote: »

hearsay suggested that alot of firms in australia have a beer cart on friday afternoons. sounds a bit like a air host(esse) wheeling a tray around the office with employees selecting a beer. sounds so depressing. sitting there working at your desk with a beer

Tbh, I find work social events depressing, let alone desk beers

Christy42

JDD wrote: »

On a macro level, that isn't such a bad thing though.

So you buy a house in Waterford that has more bedrooms and more outdoor space for less mortgage repayments than a smaller house in Dublin. In addition, your commuting costs are gone and food and drink locally is cheaper than in Dublin.

And your employer reduces your pay, so that you actually end up with the same amount of spendable money per month as you did in Dublin.

But you have a bigger house. And more outdoor space. And you are not commuting so you have all those hours back.

Still a win for the employee.

The majority of things I have seen still require at least some in office work. However if most are hybrid with at least one office trip per week it still means the majority will still require Dublin(ish) based housing if the job is in Dublin. Once a month or so is probably fine from everywhere else in the country.

Hopefully the above will happen frequently. It will help get broadband to more places in the country. Probably increase amenities out as well since there will be more people as well as killing off the Dublin traffic issues

dkav9

I want to know what sectors are being told they can work one day/as many days as they want in the office! So I can switch ...

dkav9

dkav9 wrote: »

I want to know what sectors are being told they can work one day/as many days as they want in the office! So I can switch ...

I think you’ll find it’s mostly the MNCs. Many, including mine, have been hybrid working for years

namloc1980

is_that_so wrote: »

The point about it is that city centre businesses often do not have the flexibility to move through leases, physical costs, business models etc. The attractions of such locations is also footfall. If they lose business and have to close that's a cost to the State and loss of rates to councils.

Honestly, if/when I got back to the office I have zero intention of buying overpriced and poor quality sandwiches/lunches etc from price gouging traders like I would have before.

namloc1980

dkav9 wrote: »

I want to know what sectors are being told they can work one day/as many days as they want in the office! So I can switch ...

I am in financial services - we are gong to a 2 days in the office/3 days at home model once this is all over.

namloc1980

namloc1980 wrote: »

Honestly, if/when I got back to the office I have zero intention of buying overpriced and poor quality sandwiches/lunches etc from price gouging traders like I would have before.

100% this. Many places have just had it too easy, and their product is sh1t compared to an independent in the 'burbs who has had to really work at it

Sultan of Bling

2lazytogetup wrote:

hearsay suggested that alot of firms in australia have a beer cart on friday afternoons. sounds a bit like a air host(esse) wheeling a tray around the office with employees selecting a beer. sounds so depressing. sitting there working at your desk with a beer

My brother lives in Australia.

Every friday at lunchtime his team have a meeting out on a large balcony in their building. It involves basically a quick review of the week and any important things that might need doing the following week.

The meeting usually lasts betweem 30-45mins and then beer, wine and take away food is rolled out. He says people are usually expected to stay another hour or so and then can go home.

He loves it.

namloc1980

Sultan of Bling wrote: »

My brother lives in Australia.

Every friday at lunchtime his team have a meeting out on a large balcony in their building. It involves basically a quick review of the week and any important things that might need doing the following week.

The meeting usually lasts betweem 30-45mins and then beer, wine and take away food is rolled out. He says people are usually expected to stay another hour or so and then can go home.

He loves it.

As an occasional thing maybe, but every Friday!? I'd rather just head home or go do something more interesting to be honest.

newuser99999

namloc1980 wrote: »

As an occasional thing maybe, but every Friday!? I'd rather just head home or go do something more interesting to be honest.

You’d still be going home earlier than normal...?

Supercell

dkav9 wrote: »

I want to know what sectors are being told they can work one day/as many days as they want in the office! So I can switch ...

I work in the IT sector for a large multi national.

mandrake04

Sultan of Bling wrote: »

My brother lives in Australia.

Every friday at lunchtime his team have a meeting out on a large balcony in their building. It involves basically a quick review of the week and any important things that might need doing the following week.

The meeting usually lasts betweem 30-45mins and then beer, wine and take away food is rolled out. He says people are usually expected to stay another hour or so and then can go home.

He loves it.

Beer O'Clock, very common but most employers duty of care only supply mid & light strength beer. If driving you only have 2 or 3. Public transport you could have more but in my place come 4pm and wont see anyone for dust including the boss. (we get paid til 5)

Last Friday of the month we have a lunch BBQ, steaks, snags, salads and cakes etc. You pay $5 and it goes to charity.

Milena009

Supercell wrote: »

I work in the IT sector for a large multi national.

Large multinational here as well.
Customer analysis stuff.

Work from home been on the cards for a while as well as flex starting time (8am -10am)

dkav9

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I think you’ll find it’s mostly the MNCs. Many, including mine, have been hybrid working for years

namloc1980 wrote: »

I am in financial services - we are gong to a 2 days in the office/3 days at home model once this is all over.

I work in financial services for a large MNC and we haven't been told anything concrete yet .. 2 days in the office would suit me perfectly at this stage

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

So you agree that it will drive wages down, over time?

Not really, it could be the opposite, some businesses that demand an onsite presence (where WFH can be done) may need to pay more to attract people willing to do the long commute each day.


As it is, I don't see any real issue if there is a small reduction in pay not greater than the cost of travel, which leaves you no worse off.
I took quite a pay cut to get out of working in Dublin a few years ago but the better quality of life in making such a move was worth it.

Frank Bullitt

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

So you agree that it will drive wages down, over time?

How do you measure that? It benefits the employer and employee more, then factor in cost of living for some people who live in big cities, if someone is paid less but has less out goings, they still benefit.

Your quest to poke holes in WFH are petty, nothing you are saying is at all a deterrent for WFH. If anything, it is the opposite.

Frank Bullitt

For a lot of people, it really boils down to 2 things.

For some, work is where they go. For others, work is what they do.

Thanks for listening to my TED talk.

Quin_Dub

Deleted User wrote: »

Not really, it could be the opposite, some businesses that demand an onsite presence (where WFH can be done) may need to pay more to attract people willing to do the long commute each day.


As it is, I don't see any real issue if there is a small reduction in pay not greater than the cost of travel, which leaves you no worse off.
I took quite a pay cut to get out of working in Dublin a few years ago but the better quality of life in making such a move was worth it.

I'd say the net impact would be an overall increase in wages eventually.

As others have said , now people living in the West of Ireland for example are viable candidates for a large company based in Dublin without having to move.

So , while they may be getting paid less than a team mate living in Dublin is being paid , it is almost without question that they will be earning more than if they were working for a smaller local firm.

The company benefits as they get staff a bit cheaper but the staff benefit as they are getting more money than they would do locally without having to give up the quality of life they have in their small town/village.

JTMan

RTE reports on a new survey on remote working here.

- 95% of workers support some form of remote working.
- 32% want to work fully remote.
- 2 days a week in the office preferred by more over 3 days a week in the office. 36% will expect employees to be on-site for two days a week, with 23% demanding a presence three days a week.
- Fewer than half - 49% - believe that every employee will have a desk.

BrianD3

Mr.S wrote: »

That's an interesting one, I didn't think hotdesking was a popular thing here.

That seems to be 49% of the 25% of employers who have decided what they'll do post Covid.

I'd say that employers who are pro WFH are likely to have decided on WFH by now i.e. are part of the 25%. And that many of those who claim that they have "not decided" will be the type of employer to order staff back to the office if they haven't done so already.

is_that_so

Mr.S wrote: »

That's an interesting one, I didn't think hotdesking was a popular thing here.

It's been in use for most of the last two decades, especially for sales people. It just depends on the company how widely used it is.

Nermal

Mr.S wrote: »

That's an interesting one, I didn't think hotdesking was a popular thing here.

If you don't implement it, how can you save office space?

Antares35

Mr.S wrote: »

That's an interesting one, I didn't think hotdesking was a popular thing here.

I didn't either, and maybe it wasn't before now but I suppose if there will only be 40-60 percent of employees in at a given time, it would make sense for companies to double up.

namloc1980

Mr.S wrote: »

That's an interesting one, I didn't think hotdesking was a popular thing here.

It will have to happen to save space if offices are going with a hybrid model. In our place each department will be allocated desks equal to 40-45% of the staff in the department. So if there are 100 people in a certain department, they will be allocated 40-45 desks and it'll be up to management to manage those on a rota etc.

boccy23

Nermal wrote: »

If you don't implement it, how can you save office space?

I think this will be some of the compromise on WFH for the future office environment.

wes

One of the lads moved to Spain, and didn't tell anyone, and his laptop broke, and wasn't able to go into the office and get a new one. He has definitely pissed off management with that one, as he wasn't able to work for a few days, as it took time to arrange shipping out a new machine to Spain (no offices in that country). I guess it also causes some issues with tax potentially as well.

That kind of carry on, will ruin it for the rest of us, if too many people don't inform management if they are leaving the country.

a_squirrelman

wes wrote: »

One of the lads moved to Spain, and didn't tell anyone, and his laptop broke, and wasn't able to go into the office and get a new one. He has definitely pissed off management with that one, as he wasn't able to work for a few days, as it took time to arrange shipping out a new machine to Spain (no offices in that country). I guess it also causes some issues with tax potentially as well.

That kind of carry on, will ruin it for the rest of us, if too many people don't inform management if they are leaving the country.

I'm sure disciplinary proceedings can be taken in such a situation.
I'm currently on an extended break in Ireland, if my laptop breaks while here it's my problem and my job to get back to the office for a replacement.

Meanwhile, someone in the UK has a novel approach to WFH.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-nottinghamshire-57105066

Working from home: 'Why not work in the car?'
Working from home: 'Why not work in the car?'

A support worker who relocated her office to her car during lockdown has said she plans to continue working there.

Donna Powell, from Bakersfield, Nottingham, turned her Ford Focus, usually parked on her driveway, into her office during the first lockdown when she was working from home.

"I had a lot of building work taking place and it was so noisy, so distracting... and it started really with me coming out and saying, 'You know what? I'm going to take the call in the car'," she said.

"I have a nice throw to keep me warm and my children bring me hot drinks. I don't know when we plan to return to the office but I'm happy to continue here for now.

"During the first lockdown, the house started to feel a bit like a prison so I appreciated the change of scenery."

namloc1980

wes wrote: »

One of the lads moved to Spain, and didn't tell anyone, and his laptop broke, and wasn't able to go into the office and get a new one. He has definitely pissed off management with that one, as he wasn't able to work for a few days, as it took time to arrange shipping out a new machine to Spain (no offices in that country). I guess it also causes some issues with tax potentially as well.

That kind of carry on, will ruin it for the rest of us, if too many people don't inform management if they are leaving the country.

Massive issues with that from a tax and employee rights perspective. Our place has a specific section in the HR policy that says working outside the ROI is strictly prohibited under all circumstances unless it is for specific business travel purposes - but setting up shop and WFH abroad is out of the question. Anyone who breaches that is subject to serious disciplinary procedures including being fired.

Mrs OBumble

a_squirrelman wrote: »

I'm currently on an extended break in Ireland, if my laptop breaks while here it's my problem and my job to get back to the office for a replacement.

Pretty much anywhere in Ireland, a courier can reach you with a replacement laptop overnight.

There's a cost for companies though, in carrying ready-to-go spares just in case of a breakdown.