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Earlier quoted context omitted.
People who stretch their budget to live in the best school district they can afford, which usually comes at the cost of spending their life in a car (or train or bus) commuting as far as possible.
I think those people are more likely to want to work from home given their long commutes.
I wonder if this is related to the long commutes Americans have gotten used to. I'm not in the US, and while I would say I definitely appreciate the flexibility of being able to work from home (or from "not the office") every now and then, and I do like the present drop in meetings, I cannot fathom how people stay sane without a variety of other people around. My productivity has definitely dropped, and it feels like…
As for the long commutes, I'm from a big european city and I still have almost a one hour commute to work. Granted, it's public transit so I can use the time somewhat (netflix on my phone, ebooks or whatever) but it's still two hours that I could otherwise use at the gym, having beers with friends or watching a movie.
- on site for a non-tech company
- on site for 2-3 small tech companies (10-100 employees) between 20 and 60 minutes away (depending on traffic)
- fully remote for a tech company 5 hours drive away (with on-site visits 2-3 times per year)
- a blend of on-site and remote at my own discretion for a tech company 20-45 minutes away
- fully remote as a contractor with occasional (monthly-ish) on-site visits
What I have learned through the years is that my needs change with the growth of my family and the dynamics of my work. I have by far enjoyed working the remote/on-site blend because it allows me the freedom to make a mature decision about my own work needs each day.
What we especially as thought workers ought to be advocating for as an industry is the freedom to CHOOSE where we work each day, not a fully-remote mandate or an on-site mandate. To me, this is a compromise among many concerns, such as infrastructure costs, accountability, collaboration, a quiet work environment, and generally the ability to break up the monotony of doing the same thing every day.
I'm anticipating that most HNers prompted to comment here will be those thinking this unlikely or wrong or whatever. Every time something positive about remote working is on HN, only those opposing it seem to comment... So, anyway, here's my vote in favour of remote working! I've worked from home for the last 10 years straight, and two years in the decade before that. Working from home has always been best for me. Hi…
I'm anticipating that most HNers prompted to comment here will be those thinking this unlikely or wrong or whatever. Every time something positive about remote working is on HN, only those opposing it seem to comment... So, anyway, here's my vote in favour of remote working! I've worked from home for the last 10 years straight, and two years in the decade before that. Working from home has always been best for me. Hi…
> I'm anticipating that most HNers prompted to comment here will be those thinking this unlikely or wrong or whatever. On the contrary, this seems like the most honest take on the topic of remote work preferences. The headline says that 50% of Americans prefer working from home. That suggests that 50% prefer working from the office or aren't sure yet. In other words: Some people like to work from home. Some people do…
If you even glance at the article that's just not true. The remaining vote is split between 'Prefers the Office' and 'Unsure'.
If you were to split the 'Unsure' based on the current ratio of 'Prefers Home':'Prefers the office' between the 2, you're looking at closer to 42% 'prefer the office'.
Who are these people? I've been working from home and I've noticed a steep dip in my productivity.
I heard on WFH opinions there are two groups of people, one that think this will usher in a new age of productive freedom working from home never having to commute again, and the group with kids.
Having your kids with you is a transitory thing, when school starts back up the problem will decline sharply. It’s worth remembering that these are not your standard work from home conditions - you’re being kept in due to an emergency, and trying to also get some work done.
I wont be going back to the office for a number of reasons, however, and I think everyone should boycott the office as well. Weather you want to work in the office or not should ultimately be the employees choice.
1. Commuting pollutes.
2. Commuting is lost time. Almost a month of lost time every year.
3. Office spaces are expensive. Without them, companies would have lots of extra cash. Ideally that extra cash goes to wages or hiring.
4. VR workplaces can be and will be a sufficient substitute. You can get about the same quality of social interaction + more in VR as you can in meat space. Its a different experience and until you try it you aren't really entitled to an opinion.
5. You can go to the gym whenever you want (assuming businesses open up again).
I'm sure there are other benefits that I'm missing.