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I went to the office for the first time. I fucking hated it

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Re: I went to the office for the first time. I fucking hated it

#61

Post by MattGaiser »

inter_netuser wrote: post #55
vallavaraiyan wrote: post #46

Unfortunately, there is a drop in empathy and trust (to varying degrees) when interacting with those who one hasn't met in person. Being in office, talking to your teammates face-to-face is super valuable when the team members are new to each other. Once the rapport is established, let each person do what works the best for them.

i wonder how companies survived until now with all kinds of outsourcing, outstaffing, contractors in 5 different timezones, vendors in 12 different timezones, regulators in 3 different time zones, separate divisions for APAC, EMEA, US and so on...? ...but just can't handle remote employees that they have so much more control over? Sounds like complete nonsense to me. If they can handle vendors located on a different…

A former colleague of mine quit a job over this. They wanted him back into the office. He mostly worked with their Toptal devs from Nigeria and and Hungary.

Re: I went to the office for the first time. I fucking hated it

#62

Post by MattGaiser »

enriquto wrote: post #56
MattGaiser wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but if everyone is out three days a week, in pretty much every meeting, at least one person is going to be out, making nearly all meetings virtual by default.

No, I mean monday and tuesday everybody goes there. This is how we are planning to do it from september and most people seem happy (especially new recruits).

Ah ok. Yes, this might work better for people.

Re: I went to the office for the first time. I fucking hated it

#63

Post by black_13 »

I think talking on this forum is going to invite trolling and smugness...of the variety „well im just fine“. I went out for a long walk on my break because I know its not going to last. I feel like a cancer patient who is in remission and want to use the time to experience the best and simplest things. Quiet going for a walk to the end of the street a slice and beer and an un interrupted conversation with my Mom.

Re: I went to the office for the first time. I fucking hated it

#64

Post by midev »

neolog wrote: post #47
midev wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like I said, it's ok to have a preference. People that whine about it are toxic.

The next step after having a preference is expressing that preference.

Expressing preferences is great! Why do you equate that to whining, though?

Re: I went to the office for the first time. I fucking hated it

#65

Post by gorbachev »

inter_netuser wrote: post #59
gorbachev wrote: post #54

Most of the people posting these sort of articles fail to realize people have different preferences. Some people prefer WFH, some the office, some something in between. Smart companies understand that and tailor their approach to fit. Dumb ones will dictate The One True Way and see half their people leave.

i wonder how companies survived until now with all kinds of outsourcing, outstaffing, contractors in 5 different timezones, vendors in 12 different timezones, regulators in 3 different time zones, separate divisions for APAC, EMEA, US and so on...? ...but just can't handle remote employees that they have so much more control over? I'll believe the complaints about WFH when they'll ban offshoring.

Yep.

Cherry picking justifications for management decisions is often an art form.

Re: I went to the office for the first time. I fucking hated it

#66

Post by enriquto »

MattGaiser wrote: post #62
enriquto wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, I mean monday and tuesday everybody goes there. This is how we are planning to do it from september and most people seem happy (especially new recruits).

Ah ok. Yes, this might work better for people.

at the end it may as well be just one day per week. The "pizza seminars" used to be a happy routine before the pandemic, and even colleagues who love WFH want to recover that.

Re: I went to the office for the first time. I fucking hated it

#67

Post by bigwavedave »

mastrsushi wrote: post #25
nine_zeros wrote: post #12

I loathe that I'm being asked to go back to an environment of constant chatter for a knowledge, focused job.

Then learn to socialize or get another job.

> Then learn to socialize or get another job.

I rarely rant on hn or espouse strong feelings, but you've made a couple of dismissive comments like this so I'm afraid I've lost my composure. Socializing isn't the problem. The problem is an open office plan filled with constant noise, the stench of whatever the guy five desks over is eating for lunch, the music being played loudly through four different peoples' headsets in an attempt to drown out the constant chatter, the team building exercise Accounting is doing in the fishbowl (this designated meeting room earned its nickname by being in the center of the open office plan with all four walls completely transparent), the crashing of weights from the 24hour Fitness on the floor above ours, the 45 minutes wasted in traffic each way every day, and the constant backlash of people with attitudes like yours who somehow think this is better, who somehow believe that I not only need this environment to write code, but that I and my teammates (half of whom are remote in another country anyway) need this kind of environment to thrive!

There are plenty of reasons to work in the office and there are plenty of reasons to prefer working from home, but pretending someone doesn't want to be around the environment I just described because they have poor social skills is tonedeaf, childish, dismissive, and demoralizing.

I would like to echo the sentiments of another commenter in another thread who said something along the lines of how the wfh debate has been a great litmus test for who they would and wouldn't want to work with.

Re: I went to the office for the first time. I fucking hated it

#68

Post by joelbluminator »

If anyone can do your work remotely...ANYONE can do your work remotely. Do you guys think maybe when the next recession happens we will see unprecedented offshoring due to companies not being able to pay 160K to a developer with 3 years experience? Its all nice and well when every startup can raise as much money as it wants. What happens when/if that pops?

Re: I went to the office for the first time. I fucking hated it

#69

Post by bww »

Like most people, I enjoy being physically around my colleagues from time to time. There is real value in that sort of interaction. It is not, however, an essential component of most jobs that traditionally have been conducted in an office. This fact has been indisputably proven over the last 18 months.

If you want to go to an office every day of the week, go ahead! That’s great, who’s stopping you? But if you think everyone you work with should also be there in order to interact with you? In the environment where you like to work, regardless of how productive your colleagues are there? I shouldn’t have to tell you that you are the one who is being unreasonable.

Re: I went to the office for the first time. I fucking hated it

#70

Post by neolog »

midev wrote: post #64
neolog wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The next step after having a preference is expressing that preference.

Expressing preferences is great! Why do you equate that to whining, though?

are your peers "whining" about being forced to move to office? or are you whining about your peers?
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