Although I don't care much about billionaires (I care about the thousands of people they employ though), I'm pretty concerned about small businesses. Many local non-network non-franchise businesses go bankrupt these days.
Billionaires Want People Back to Work. Employees Aren’t So Sure
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Re: Billionaires Want People Back to Work. Employees Aren’t So Sure
#82What if, at the tail end of all this, a bunch of people find that they've tried remote work and decided: "Hey - this fucking rules! " In part because they've realized that they can complete their core work duties in less time, with less distractions, and zero commuting. Maybe - just maybe - this could be the unplug that helps people prioritize the things that they enjoy over their work. I recognize that's a viewpoint…
I think it's likely the exact opposite will happen. People are being thrown into seriously sub-optimal remote working experiences, and their productivity is likely to suffer for it. This will result in companies being less likely to consider remote working a viable path.
You can't overstate quite how sub-optimal.
I work almost completely remotely; my colleagues are as a result of this situation, and many of them having to try to work a daycare job at the same time with nurseries/schools closed.
I'm sure they don't think their experience is representative of normal remote working, but it certainly won't make anyone in a similar position think 'hey this is great'.
Re: Billionaires Want People Back to Work. Employees Aren’t So Sure
#83Re: Billionaires Want People Back to Work. Employees Aren’t So Sure
#84How can a billionaire stay rich if we don't go back to work?
Money doesn't grow on trees. It comes from our bodies.
Re: Billionaires Want People Back to Work. Employees Aren’t So Sure
#85Maybe this will be the moment when we realize that we actually don’t need billionaires or the whole rentier class at all? That we could all be working half the hours for the same standard of living without them? That we are effectively just serfs toiling at their pleasure?
Re: Billionaires Want People Back to Work. Employees Aren’t So Sure
#86What if, at the tail end of all this, a bunch of people find that they've tried remote work and decided: "Hey - this fucking rules! " In part because they've realized that they can complete their core work duties in less time, with less distractions, and zero commuting. Maybe - just maybe - this could be the unplug that helps people prioritize the things that they enjoy over their work. I recognize that's a viewpoint…
It's funny, I've been working remotely for the past 4 years and now more than ever, I miss going to an office and being around more people. Working remote has some amazing benefits, and I've certainly taken advantage of them, but eventually I've realized that decreased social interaction is something to consider. That said, I'll probably keep working remote.
We have a remote worker who's been doing it for 10 years now.
We hire an office in a building with other remote workers and small companies. So he goes to lunch etc with those people rather than us, but at least he gets a clear work/home boundary and social interaction when he feels like.
Re: Billionaires Want People Back to Work. Employees Aren’t So Sure
#87This is a generally unpopular opinion, and I don't know that I agree with it, but it does appear that the billionaires might be logically right from an ethical perspective. It might cost more QALYs (quality-adjusted life years) to have an economic recession the size of 2008 than to have millions die from COVID-19: https://medium.com/@benfinn/coronavirus-how-much-is-a-life-w...
You are making the very false assumption that we have a choice between deaths and economic collapse. Like it or not, we are seeing faster growth rates than Spain. With our awful response, we could be easily heading for 2+ million deaths if hospitals get overloaded as expected. Workers will not show up anyway because it is dangerous for them and their families (this is already happening). This will cause the economy t…
This comment made my day, thanks.
Re: Billionaires Want People Back to Work. Employees Aren’t So Sure
#88This shouldn't be surprising to anyone. Billionaires are billionaires because of the extreme disproportionate gains by the few at the expense of thousands/millions. They're used to seeing the many slave away for their interests. Not seeing that happening now is throwing their view of proper world order into chaos and they're not used to be back in a position without control.
Any person or group in the US can start a worker cooperative and run it as they see fit.
Re: Billionaires Want People Back to Work. Employees Aren’t So Sure
#89That's funny. Individually we don't have a lot of power, but when we work together we have lots of power. If only we had some mechanism to bargain collectively for our interests.
Re: Billionaires Want People Back to Work. Employees Aren’t So Sure
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's funny, I've been working remotely for the past 4 years and now more than ever, I miss going to an office and being around more people. Working remote has some amazing benefits, and I've certainly taken advantage of them, but eventually I've realized that decreased social interaction is something to consider. That said, I'll probably keep working remote.
I dream of a small office with a few people near to my home within cycling distance. If I have to choose between a big office and home I will choose home.
Then I'm living your dream - my office is right-next-to-my-house. I use the door in my garden to cross over. More often I take the main front yard door just so I get to walk a bit (Right now, nobody is coming in, everyone's remote. I prefer to go to the office now. Tho it's only six of us developers (company is 17 people) sharing a pretty nice office in a modern building owned by the company, I prefer to work over the wire. Unusual, huh? I realized for me it's about flexibility, not distance.
I wish you get to live the way you want. Good luck, sir.