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Let employees work from home

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Re: Let employees work from home

#31

Post by ehnto »

camelNotation wrote: post #4

I think WFH is a great idea, but until we can do multi-user video conferencing over the average home internet connection, it just isn't going to be as good as in-person interactions. However, once we can reliably see one another's faces in HD and share screens at the same time, it might even be superior to sitting next to someone and having them try to look over your shoulder as you show them something or ask a quest…

Purely opinion, but I can't help that feel the majority of that argument comes from the very human desire to want to talk to people.

I prefer going into an office purely because it lets me be social and I enjoy the technical and non-technical discussions. I am way more productive from home, and I don't think in face technical discussions really solve that many problems that can't be solved over the phone or over chat.

I currently work a bit of both, when I need to get something done I do it from home, when I want to feel part of a happy go lucky team working in the city and have lunch at the CBD markets, I go into the office.

I can't help but extrapolate that to business owners as well, and I know that if I owned a business with enough margin to do it, I'd probably have a swanky office space just for the experience of it all.

Re: Let employees work from home

#32

Post by 6DM »

camelNotation wrote: post #4

I think WFH is a great idea, but until we can do multi-user video conferencing over the average home internet connection, it just isn't going to be as good as in-person interactions. However, once we can reliably see one another's faces in HD and share screens at the same time, it might even be superior to sitting next to someone and having them try to look over your shoulder as you show them something or ask a quest…

Honestly, I prefer to screen share even in the same office over having to round up chairs and what not. It's almost like working from home now.

Re: Let employees work from home

#33

Post by beachbum8029 »

user5994461 wrote: post #16
alansammarone wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Basically every piece of useful information that can be encoded using your voice can also be encoded using an email - and in a much more efficient way, since you don't have to keep deciphering emotional cues. Of course, expressing emotions, for example, can be harder, but I don't think engineers should be relying too much on expressing their emotion as a way to do a good job.

Text is the least efficient of all forms of commutations. How long to write a long email? How long to speak to someone?

hunt-and-peck typer detected

Re: Let employees work from home

#34

Post by Veen »

dsacco wrote: post #28
Veen wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't follow your logic. The vast majority of businesses aren't like Google or Facebook. The vast majority of the nation's GDP isn't created by companies like Google and Facebook. Hundreds of thousands of businesses are the size of Automattic, Basecamp, or smaller. Those businesses employ the the vast majority of workers. Therefore, Basecamp and Automattic are excellent role models. Unequivocal success does not mea…

Your syllogism doesn't work. You begin by stating accurately that most companies aren't like Google and Facebook, which is true. Then you implicitly state that Basecamp and Automattic are more representative of most companies, which is patently false in many ways; in the relevant way, it's untrue because most companies do not have remote workers, and most people do not work remotely. You can't really lead with, "Base…

Well, no, I was responding to the claims of the parent comment that stated we need massive businesses to shift to remote work to prove that it's workable. I was only comparing on size, so I think the argument is sound.

As for other factors, of course there are lots of companies and roles for whom remote working won't work, but there are certainly more it would work for than currently allow it - and many of the reasons they don't allow it aren't sensible, which is why I think essays like this that make the argument in favor are useful.

Re: Let employees work from home

#35

Post by brianwawok »

Morgawr wrote: post #26
Veen wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't follow your logic. The vast majority of businesses aren't like Google or Facebook. The vast majority of the nation's GDP isn't created by companies like Google and Facebook. Hundreds of thousands of businesses are the size of Automattic, Basecamp, or smaller. Those businesses employ the the vast majority of workers. Therefore, Basecamp and Automattic are excellent role models. Unequivocal success does not mea…

Just as a side note, I can work from home at Google. I don't do it often, usually only when waiting for a large package to be delivered (new TV, etc) or because of other IRL necessities like people doing works at home or similar. I prefer working in the office with my workstations and my coworkers and environment that keeps me focused, but I have plenty of coworkers that regularly WFH especially on those days (like h…

My overall impression that WFH is very frowned upon at Google. Sure, maybe you can use it 2 days a month.

But no thanks, I get to WFH every day. Life is too short to commute.

Re: Let employees work from home

#36

Post by radmuzom »

As a divorced single guy with not too many friends, I look forward every day to go to work and have people around me. I interact socially only with three or four of my office mates. Anyway, I may be the exception, but I am not an employee who wants to work from home.

Re: Let employees work from home

#38

Post by kristianc »

Veen wrote: post #17
jasode wrote: post #7

>Objections to work from home fall apart Essays from workers like Jen McCown isn't going to work. What works is to have massively successful businesses that beat the competition because their employees work remotely . Since no multi-billion dollar business has demonstrated that specific cause & effect, the idea doesn't gain traction. Yes, businesses like Basecamp and Automattic have remote workers but I'm talking abo…

I don't follow your logic. The vast majority of businesses aren't like Google or Facebook. The vast majority of the nation's GDP isn't created by companies like Google and Facebook. Hundreds of thousands of businesses are the size of Automattic, Basecamp, or smaller. Those businesses employ the the vast majority of workers. Therefore, Basecamp and Automattic are excellent role models. Unequivocal success does not mea…

I think the point the OP is making is that businesses will only adopt WFH when they see other businesses like them do it.

Far from being role models amongst small businesses, businesses like Basecamp, Automattic are seen as outliers if they're really referenced at all. Hell, in some circles even Atlassian is seen as progressive.

Similar in a way to the amount of resistance you see to DevOps style practices / even moving to cloud with lines like "But we're not Amazon/Netflix/Etsy/Soundcloud or one of these modern businesses."

Businesses will be won over by case studies of WFH working with similarly massively conservative cultures.

Re: Let employees work from home

#39

Post by staticelf »

jasode wrote: post #7

>Objections to work from home fall apart Essays from workers like Jen McCown isn't going to work. What works is to have massively successful businesses that beat the competition because their employees work remotely . Since no multi-billion dollar business has demonstrated that specific cause & effect, the idea doesn't gain traction. Yes, businesses like Basecamp and Automattic have remote workers but I'm talking abo…

What about IBM? A lot of their workers work remotely.

Re: Let employees work from home

#40

Post by eldubz »

I'm all for WFH opportunities, but just to play devil's advocate I do really think there's a difference in team dynamics when everyone's in the office collaborating in person versus working remotely.

I'm not saying it has a significant impact on productivity, but the team "connectedness" is sometimes not as strong if some people are never in the office.

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