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I Miss Working from the Office

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Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#261

Post by LockAndLol »

Shacklz wrote: post #136
Philip-J-Fry wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The distinction between the beginning and end of my work day. Just log off at 5pm or 4pm or whenever you have done your contracted working hours. I rarely end up in a meeting which goes over my usual working hours. But otherwise I just log off. I don't understand how someone can work longer hours unwillingly when it's entirely in your control. I guess it depends on how your remote working is implemented. For me I re…

> I don't understand how someone can work longer hours unwillingly when it's entirely in your control. I have that situation, but without the 'unwilling' part. In the office, I have often the situation "Gosh, I'd love to finish this, but if I don't catch the next train I have to wait another half hour for the next one", which automatically makes me stop work at fixed times. Sure, I could also just stop at the same ti…

It doesn't require willpower. Write a script that warns you 10-5 minutes before 5pm that your computer will be shutting down. Then again a minute before shutdown.

Then it shuts down.

Or write one that sends a message to your partner, friends or flatmates that you'll be done in a few and to put on a kettle. Plan to have tea or what have you with your SO or flatmate at 5pm sharp. Set an alarm to take your dog out. I'm sure you can come up with other things.

Add things to your schedule that force you to leave, just like your train. Even if you're in a meeting drop a "Sorry folks, we'll have to pick this up tomorrow, I have personal obligations waiting on me" and you're out.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#262

Post by yakattak »

I think the comments in this thread are testament enough to how divided this is. What I've found interesting is that there seem to be three sides to this, one with an overwhelming majority and two that are too extreme to really be appealing to everyone.

On one end you have the, I want to be back in an office full time and I don't care about working from home. On the other end you have, working from home is the future and everyone should do it full time.

Where, at least from what I've seen data wise, the majority is something flexible. Where WFH is an option, or something you can do when you feel like it.

What's interesting, and this is purely qualitative, is that to me it seems that folks on the WFH full-time end of the spectrum seem to have zeal for this idea. Whereas those on the other side seem more indifferent.

I personally believe that a hybrid solution is the best. I miss seeing the people I work with. I miss having company culture. I miss having a clear separation of work and home. However, I respect that others may have different goals and methods of working that WFH suits better. We should allow both.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#263

Post by ck425 »

gamesbrainiac wrote: post #162
matthewmacleod wrote: post #70

I'd like to think that after the n th discussion of this topic we could all generally agree: - Some people prefer working in an office environment. There are valid reasons for this, and it's totally fine. - Other people prefer working at home, and this is also completely fine and understandable. - People other than yourself who experience challenges with either one of these arrangements are not idiots and the things…

I very much agree. If you like working in the office, then work in the office, and if you prefer working at home, then work at home. We need to be inclusive of people, and let them work the way _they_ best feel productive. It is unfortunate that people think that it has to be either one or the other.

I think part of the issue, atleast within companies, it does need to be either or. An empty office often isn't any better than WFH for many folk. So if in your company you're in the minority then you might need to get a new job.

There's also the effect of the industry. While flexible working is great (I could already role out of bed and decide to WFH whenever before covid) there's a chance companies might cut back on offices or force bullshit like hot desking.

In the long run I think this'll turn out for the best and the OP is right to be optimistic. But in the short run there may be a lot of turmoil.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#264

Post by ck425 »

graderjs wrote: post #120
matthewmacleod wrote: post #70

I'd like to think that after the n th discussion of this topic we could all generally agree: - Some people prefer working in an office environment. There are valid reasons for this, and it's totally fine. - Other people prefer working at home, and this is also completely fine and understandable. - People other than yourself who experience challenges with either one of these arrangements are not idiots and the things…

I think office work should be an option companies provide, and it should be like an AirOffice, floating, in co-working or "business center" office space, or even ad-hoc such as at such and such a cool, wifi, remote work friendly cafe. I think this is the future of work and that's how I want to run my company when it employs people. I had this idea since around 2010/2011. I know this won't work for everything. Factori…

Would that be similar to WeWork? I'd want to be in an office with my actual colleagues rather than remote working from a co-working space.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#265

Post by ghaff »

tingol wrote: post #38
villgax wrote: post #20

I miss being able to leave office-work at the office at 5PM. No calls no BS after 5 is what I miss the most.

I've been working remotely for years and no one calls me after 5pm. Maybe you should change jobs because it has nothing to do with remote work.

In fact, absent maybe a "we're waiting for you in a meeting, where are you?" call, I generally don`t expect calls period and no one I work with would expect a chat message after 5 to be responded to until the next morning. (I frequently do glance at my email in the evening and may take care of something quick, but it's not an expectation.)

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#266

Post by m_t »

Jugurtha wrote: post #65

Yes. Some people on the internet were also advocating for a return to the office because people could not stand the loneliness anymore and need to interact socially. I had to point out that this was symptomatic of a poor social/family life [outside of work]. If someone is lonely working remotely and they miss humans, it is a sign the only humans they interacted with were colleagues. It's also a sign of what the perso…

> I had to point out that this was symptomatic of a poor social/family life [outside of work].

This is a symptom of being in a pandemic, where in many places you are forbidden or heavily discouraged to socialize.

I've been working from home since March. This is not what normal working from home looks like, this is what working from home _during a pandemic_ looks like.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#267

Post by chrisbrandow »

I have a great home setup with decent equipment and separation of work space, etc, etc. I’m very grateful for that.

But, I really miss my coworkers and all of the ways that collaborating is easier in person. It’s nice to be able to work from home some of the time, but all of the time sucks.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#268

Post by ghaff »

thendrill wrote: post #94
deadlyst0rm wrote: post #5

Most people when they say they miss the office they mean missing dragging everyone with them to the office. You were in the office weren't you? Stay there then and have all the space you want :D I for one will never go back to the office.

Engineer here too. Absolutely agreeing with you. The people that want to go back to the office are also the same people that were wasting everyone's time in the office. Middle managers, office365 consultants, project managers etc. Etc. Generally the people that had the bullshit jobs in the office, and had little contributions except the "social contribution". I don't not want to go back to the office mainly because o…

>The people that want to go back to the office

And my counter-anecdote is that I'm not seeing that at all. The people I see going back to the office are those who just didn't have good WFH situations (lack of space, family distractions, etc.)

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#269

Post by tubularhells »

donatj wrote: post #133
Jugurtha wrote: post #65

Yes. Some people on the internet were also advocating for a return to the office because people could not stand the loneliness anymore and need to interact socially. I had to point out that this was symptomatic of a poor social/family life [outside of work]. If someone is lonely working remotely and they miss humans, it is a sign the only humans they interacted with were colleagues. It's also a sign of what the perso…

I don’t follow. Why should where I spend the majority of my waking hours, the majority of my life in practical terms, not also be my primary source of socialization? I genuinely feel the opposite. Relying on your few off hours to satisfy your innate human need for socialization places an unhealthy demand on your off hours, not to mention an unfair demand on your friends and family. I am now forced to spend 8 hours a…

Office socialisation is hell for me. I'm probably autistic, but I would prefer socialising with people with whom I share a common interest. My coworkers are not those people. We collaborate, not comingle.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#270

Post by gamesbrainiac »

ck425 wrote: post #263
gamesbrainiac wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I very much agree. If you like working in the office, then work in the office, and if you prefer working at home, then work at home. We need to be inclusive of people, and let them work the way _they_ best feel productive. It is unfortunate that people think that it has to be either one or the other.

I think part of the issue, atleast within companies, it does need to be either or. An empty office often isn't any better than WFH for many folk. So if in your company you're in the minority then you might need to get a new job. There's also the effect of the industry. While flexible working is great (I could already role out of bed and decide to WFH whenever before covid) there's a chance companies might cut back on…

> An empty office often isn't any better than WFH for many folk.

That is really their problem. You can't force people to come to the office because you want it "hustling and bustling".

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