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Study Shows a Productivity Boost of Working From Home

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Re: Study Shows a Productivity Boost of Working From Home

#151
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Sometimes they come in late and leave early, sometimes they work from home and I can tell by what they produce they spent half the day doing something else. But then sometimes I’ll get an email at 2am on a Saturday because someone found his/her coding flow at an off hour. god bless you for this insight. As a contractor I've worked at multiple places, and my current gig cares more about 'asses in seats' than output.…

As a contractor, you are under no obligation to be an ass in any seat, and if client says otherwise you can point them towards IRS reclassification.

As a contractor you can also be fired. Most states are at will employment. "Bob wasn't performing and we had difficulties reaching him when needed"

Re: Study Shows a Productivity Boost of Working From Home

#152

Did their sample involve men with a 2 year old at home that constantly needs their attention as long as they are at home, and thinks that when their father is sitting on the laptop, he's making pink and blue spheres in paintbrush? Honestly, I can achieve little at home these days and feel like I'm doing injustice to both, work and the kid.

I worked from home large portions of the time from pregnancy into middle school twice and this was never an issue for me. My office was always off limits to the kids (no hope of baby proofing anyway), I had structured work hours where my wife knew to push note cards under the door and I would address them when the time was appropriate. When the kids were unable to be quiet, and I was working on tasks that needed deep focus, the wife took them to the park.

Re: Study Shows a Productivity Boost of Working From Home

#153
post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> lonelier How can being at home ever make you lonely when it gives you more time to focus on relationships that actually matter. Am I alone in thinking that those who expect any kind of meaningful bonding at work are misguided? Yeah, one can enjoy smalltalk and the like but I'd much rather change that for a chat with a friend or my dad early in the morning.

Social people enjoy both chatting in the morning and having company during the day.

This, I could not imagine having nobody to talk to or shoot the shit with at lunch or while taking breaks. It's a great way to de-stress for me

Re: Study Shows a Productivity Boost of Working From Home

#154
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you live in a 1-room home?

Nope. Whenever I try to work from home, I work from a separate room, and close it - but then the room does not have an attached bathroom inside, and there are other things (water/food etc.) for which you have to come out - and once she knows I'm at home, she will bang the door every few minutes to come in, to talk or play with me.

This has to be a different strokes for different folks kind of situation (the modus operandi for parenting) but just in case you truly are in need of the answer: discipline.

Re: Study Shows a Productivity Boost of Working From Home

#155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Culture is bullshit. Professionals working together in a project vs a factory or plantation.

What's your point here ?

Not GP but I think that the point is that the whole "corporate culture" is mostly bullshit - you wouldn't expect factory or farm workers to form a "culture" and "take pride in their work" or "share company values", so why are you expecting all of this from knowledge workers?

For me the whole "corporate culture" thing is just an attempt to brainwash people into accepting lower salary, because "we are changing the world here".

Re: Study Shows a Productivity Boost of Working From Home

#156

PhD student here so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I personally love the fact that I can choose to work at home or at the office. I can really concentrate at home (private room where I feel comfy) but on the other hand it is also significantly easier to distract yourself from work. Netflix is just one tab away and there's no one to look over your shoulder and whisper in your ear "Don't watch Netflix when you'r…

That last sentiment really resonated with me. I'm currently working somewhere that more or less requires a typical M-F 9-5 schedule. I often don't feel in the "mood" on various weekdays, while some weekends I get that "predator" feeling you described and can code non-stop for hours on end. However, since I need to be in the office M-F I more often feel, and give in to, the pressure to not work weekends lest my family…

> the pressure to not work weekends

It's interesting that you describe feeling pressure to not work; usually I think people talk about feeling the pressure to work.

But I know what you mean. It's hard to know how to balance the two. On the one shoulder is a little voice saying "Don't be a sucker and spend your free time making money for the company! It's just a job! Go have a life". On the other is the pride of craft, and the thrill of having a really good idea that you want to see to the end.

I've been thinking a lot about this, not least because my relationship was a bit strained last year due to both of us probably putting too much emphasis on our work. I don't know if ultimately one side or the other is the right answer. Doing good and creative work is important and fulfilling. But friends and family are equally important and fulfilling. Maybe the only way is to carefully guard against either one predominating.

Re: Study Shows a Productivity Boost of Working From Home

#157
post #33

With the population exploding and space to build new houses growing ever so scarcely I can not imagine a long-term future in which working from home would be profitable. Instead of working from home, living at work seems to be the more logical step forward. Personally I'd prefer living at a shared-workspace or company campus as long as work and living facilities are clearly separate.

>space to build new houses growing ever so scarcely If you are talking about the US, I think you are neglecting to take into account the hundreds of millions of square acreage between the coasts.

I guess there was some Swiss bias in what I wrote. Apologies for living in a tiny country.

Re: Study Shows a Productivity Boost of Working From Home

#158
post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>space to build new houses growing ever so scarcely If you are talking about the US, I think you are neglecting to take into account the hundreds of millions of square acreage between the coasts.

I guess there was some Swiss bias in what I wrote. Apologies for living in a tiny country.

We treat the US like it's a tiny country and require the population to live in small areas around the coasts. It's the craziest thing.

https://demographics.virginia.edu/DotMap/

Re: Study Shows a Productivity Boost of Working From Home

#160
post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's your point here ?

Not GP but I think that the point is that the whole "corporate culture" is mostly bullshit - you wouldn't expect factory or farm workers to form a "culture" and "take pride in their work" or "share company values", so why are you expecting all of this from knowledge workers? For me the whole "corporate culture" thing is just an attempt to brainwash people into accepting lower salary, because "we are changing the worl…

Ya I don’t think I’ve ever been in a “corporate culture” that wasn’t a facade.
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