Ask HN: How have you fared working remotely this past year?

(Just in case anyone thinks it, I'm not running a survey for a company or something like that. I'm asking these questions out of curiosity)

1) Are you fully remote or hybrid? 2) How far away have you been from your physical workplace? 3) How have you handled it psychologically? Has remote work made your life easier/harder? 4) Pros and cons? 5) Any special observations you've made regarding your location, circumstances, et al.? 6) Would you recommend remote work either in general, in relation to your experiences, or not at all?

1) Fully remote company, GitLab. Since last year sharing a little office space with another GitLab employee. Think like an „external home office“, just the two of us in two rooms. Since about a month back at home because COVID.

2) No offices at all :)

3) Definitely easier. No commute, no office shenanigans. I dislike communal spaces because a lot of folks are not caring about them, but I DO care. In the office before I was one of the few who took care of the dishwasher etc. Now at least it’s just me and my mate.

Being back at home is a bit taxing, as I work from the kitchen. Hopefully lockdown is over soon and I can get back to my shared space.

4) pros: Nobody gets sick (COVID and colds). no times I have to be at the office. flexibility around doctors visits, shopping, etc. No noisy or smelly people around me.

Cons: have to be strict about my work hours not to overwork myself, For example separating work and private laptop. You have to have friends that you socialize with outside of work, or it can be lonely. I feel it is harder to train junior folks/mentor folks.

5) You should have a separate Home Office. Get good equipment for the team. Webcams, mics, etc. you need decent Internet speeds. Make sure you stop working after X hours, start routines around it. e.g. go on a walk after you stopped for the day

6) yes. I believe almost anyone can work remotely, but it likely needs adjustments that are not always possible.

1) Fully remote 2) Rather not say, just at home (how is it relevant?) 3) Easier to deal with other life things. Harder to learn stuff being on a new team. 4) See 3 5) Nope 6) I think it depends on the job and the person. I wouldn't make a general recommendation either way.

1) full remote

2) I live 20 minutes drive from work. About an hour on a bicycle

3) Not great. We have 2 small kids and remote work has been a constant challenge. We finally have a rhythm, but a covid surge (or worse a case in the household) could be looking any minute. I am busy around the clock with very little time for self-care.

4) Pros: short commute time, no pants at work. Cons: everything else.

5) kids are definitely a different game than wfh for single people.

6) Never. I like the ability to work from home, but the reality of doing it full time is souls sucking.

1) Fully remote

2) A domestic flight away

3) I was fully remote before the pandemic, so things aren't different.

4) Pros are work isn't a dominant experience in my life. Cons are that in normal times I have to travel by plane a few times a year.

5) Nothing special. I love a short flight to the Bay which really allows me to treat it like an extension of my local job market.

6) I have no plans to not be remote for the rest of my career unless I don't have a choice. So I recommend it. Not doing so means you're wasting hours of your life you could reclaim if you do the hard work of making remote work work for you.