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Is going to the office a broken way of working?

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Re: Is going to the office a broken way of working?

#81

Post by throwaway14356 »

nafix wrote: post #45
jedberg wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that more an effect of your local social scene being shut down though, and not lack of commuting to an office? If all the local bars/clubs/libraries/whatever you like to do were open, wouldn't that solve the problem?

The workplace is a social hub for many people, although it seems many on HN don't care to socialize at work much.

people also hire those who fit the company culture. It's important if you are to spend the rest of your life in the same room. Better to just hire for skill.

Re: Is going to the office a broken way of working?

#82

Post by DylanBohlender »

jstx1 wrote: post #34

My impression from previous discussions is that people like what they like whether it's remote or in office and there isn't a lot of convincing that we can do to each other. Given the above, how do companies move forward? Make some % of your employees unhappy because they're either dragged back into the office or forced to work without one? Hybrid models? They seem like the worst of everything and they don't look lik…

Judging by the historic job changing trends in the last few months, I think your suggestion that "through quitting everyone reorganizes themselves" is already happening.

The only question that remains to be answered is whether remote or in-office companies have structural advantages over the other type, and it will probably take a decade or so before there's enough data to conclusively call it.

Re: Is going to the office a broken way of working?

#83

Post by sealthedeal »

The future of work is flexibility, it has nothing to do with in office or remote-first. It has everything to do with tech workers, or people who work from a screen having control and autonomy over their lives to decide to work how they would like too. We need to stop choosing one side or the other, its just a balance :).

Re: Is going to the office a broken way of working?

#84

Post by marcusverus »

pmontra wrote: post #7

IMHO no even if I've been working from home since 2006 when I became self employed. What's broken is having to go to the office every single day. In my experience before and after starting to work from home there is an absolute need to work face to face either to create some bonds between the team members or with a customer or in those rare phases when you have to create something and you need to go full speed with b…

Someone is going to pay for that increased efficiency--either your Employer will pay in dollars, or you will pay some opportunity cost. Why should you pay?

After all, there are plenty of things that you could do in your spare time that would make you a more efficient employee. But you wouldn't let your employer tell you to work unpaid for an hour each Monday, preparing for the week. Nor would you let them require that you spend an unpaid hour of your free time reading or doing professional development each week. The only difference between those things and commuting is that we've all been conditioned (not in any nefarious way, just by the reality of work in the past) to consider a commute a hard requirement to have a job. But it's not anymore.

Your time is a commodity. Why give it away?

Re: Is going to the office a broken way of working?

#85

Post by agumonkey »

Ancalagon wrote: post #8

I’m gonna go against the HN grain here and, despite having been fully for remote work for the first year or so of the pandemic, come out and say that life has really gotten a lot more repetitive and frankly disappointing since covid and the death of the office. I kind of miss meeting people in the office. I was in the unfortunate position of having moved to a new city for a new tech job where I knew nobody just seven…

I think this is gonna be a good re-evaluation of what work / office is.

commuting is horrendous for some, workplace social life can be too

but for some it's fine and needed

I think it can lead to a rebalancing effect.

Re: Is going to the office a broken way of working?

#86

Post by bradlys »

malandrew wrote: post #16
Ancalagon wrote: post #8

I’m gonna go against the HN grain here and, despite having been fully for remote work for the first year or so of the pandemic, come out and say that life has really gotten a lot more repetitive and frankly disappointing since covid and the death of the office. I kind of miss meeting people in the office. I was in the unfortunate position of having moved to a new city for a new tech job where I knew nobody just seven…

You need social hobbies on the weekend. I just wish weekends were three days so I got two days for hobbies and one day break for rest, errands and other life necessities.

Living for the weekend is an extremely draining way to live. I fucking hate it.

As it stands - I live for 2-3 hours on Sundays if the weather is good because everything is closed and will be closed for another 6 fucking months. It's fucking horrific. I have to spend the rest of my week grinding away at meaningless drivel.

Imagine actually spending 40+ hours/week around people and enjoying a significant amount of your interactions.

Re: Is going to the office a broken way of working?

#87

Post by Ancalagon »

ravenstine wrote: post #67
Ancalagon wrote: post #8

I’m gonna go against the HN grain here and, despite having been fully for remote work for the first year or so of the pandemic, come out and say that life has really gotten a lot more repetitive and frankly disappointing since covid and the death of the office. I kind of miss meeting people in the office. I was in the unfortunate position of having moved to a new city for a new tech job where I knew nobody just seven…

Have you wondered why your life on its own is repetitive and disappointing? Would you be making the same positive statement about working in an office if you didn't have the option of working remote?

Yes, I have. I have started to question whether its maybe a personality flaw of my own, or a real lack of interest in my career choice. All I do know is it feels less fulfilling now than it did before the lockdowns.

Re: Is going to the office a broken way of working?

#88

Post by HWR_14 »

jedberg wrote: post #17
Ancalagon wrote: post #8

I’m gonna go against the HN grain here and, despite having been fully for remote work for the first year or so of the pandemic, come out and say that life has really gotten a lot more repetitive and frankly disappointing since covid and the death of the office. I kind of miss meeting people in the office. I was in the unfortunate position of having moved to a new city for a new tech job where I knew nobody just seven…

Isn't that more an effect of your local social scene being shut down though, and not lack of commuting to an office? If all the local bars/clubs/libraries/whatever you like to do were open, wouldn't that solve the problem?

If you're new to an area, often coworkers will help introduce you to local bars/clubs/libraries/whatever. Not that you might like the same ones, but it does start you with a baseline you can modify, which is valuable.

Re: Is going to the office a broken way of working?

#89

Post by sim_card_map »

IggleSniggle wrote: post #72
Ancalagon wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the other point I wanted to make (but frankly I was too scared that maybe it’s just because I suck at meeting people now that I haven’t socialized like a normal person in a year). It just seems harder to meet people _in general_ than it did even two years ago. Like where is everybody? Does everyone stay home literally all the time now?

Well, yes. If not "everyone," certainly lots and lots of folks are just staying home whenever possible. Because we are in the middle of a global pandemic. I think this has much more to do with "we are in a global pandemic" than "you can't meet people doing remote work." Certainly, there were a number of larger groups that I used to hang out with consistently pre-pandemic, but now have totally abandoned. I'm not inter…

Life has always been normal here in Sweden.

No lockdowns, mask mandates, restaurants have always been open. And no excess deaths.

So don't speak for everyone.

Re: Is going to the office a broken way of working?

#90

Post by foobiekr »

Ancalagon wrote: post #8

I’m gonna go against the HN grain here and, despite having been fully for remote work for the first year or so of the pandemic, come out and say that life has really gotten a lot more repetitive and frankly disappointing since covid and the death of the office. I kind of miss meeting people in the office. I was in the unfortunate position of having moved to a new city for a new tech job where I knew nobody just seven…

I went to the office to work the other day for the first time since February 20th, 2020.

It was great. So quiet, open, well lit, great and comfortable desk and chair, ..

Obviously, I could improve my home office, but in reality my home office is taking space that I otherwise was using before 2/20 and now there's a whole space in my home that is allocated to being a work station instead of what it was before.

A few other people came in, and it was great to talk in person in front of a giant whiteboard.

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