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Google mandates workers back to Silicon Valley, other offices from April 4

reuters.com

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Re: Google mandates workers back to Silicon Valley, other offices from April 4

#451

Post by lostcolony »

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #443
ignu wrote: post #432

I'd prefer to work an environment where I can't get interrupted synchronously by someone wanting their problem resolved that moment. Also, one thing with those in person interactions is you have no artifact of the interaction. Slack or tickets are great for documenting how decisions are made. But ultimately, I have no desire to waste an extra 5 to 10 hours of my life just driving back and forth to sit at a different…

> I'd prefer to work an environment where I can't get interrupted synchronously by someone wanting their problem resolved that moment. FWIW, I found synchronous interruptions to be more of a problem when remote. Too many people used Slack messages or video calls for everything because it was only a click away, as opposed to having to get up and walk over to someone’s desk > Also, one thing with those in person intera…

Someone messaging on Slack can be ignored quite easily, without it being rude. If someone is starting a video call with you without arranging a time with you first then I agree you need to get in physical proximity with that person, but only to smack them.

Slack is not usefully searchable, true, but its purpose for documentation is not nearly as bad as you make it out to be. If you have a link to the conversation you have the whole conversation; that can be useful to share context. Likewise meetings; being able to record them is HUGE. But either way, you mention Slack should only be used for ephemeral communication...all in person communication is ephemeral. Slack at least has it saved, even if it's a pain to find; in person does not. I can share a Slack link; if you missed it, forgot it, or disagree about what was said, you're out of luck with in person.

Re: Google mandates workers back to Silicon Valley, other offices from April 4

#452

Post by [deleted] »

librish wrote: post #84

I think anyone who's claiming that remote work has been "proven" to be better or worse is wrong. There are some studies but they use estimations and proxies, carrying the same flaws as doing performance reviews based on lines of code. We've proven that the big tech companies can go fully remote and not completely crash and burn, that's about it. Some people love the lack of commute and less semi-forced hanging out, s…

[deleted]

Re: Google mandates workers back to Silicon Valley, other offices from April 4

#453

Post by Fezzik »

librish wrote: post #84

I think anyone who's claiming that remote work has been "proven" to be better or worse is wrong. There are some studies but they use estimations and proxies, carrying the same flaws as doing performance reviews based on lines of code. We've proven that the big tech companies can go fully remote and not completely crash and burn, that's about it. Some people love the lack of commute and less semi-forced hanging out, s…

I think the one thing that has unequivocally been proven though is that it works. To what degree it fits/supports peoples’ subjective state of mind is up for argument, but most professions got by just as they did prior to the pandemic. Heck, I’m a trial attorney and I never thought remote work would be feasible. After doing multiple 3+ day trials entirely by WebEx I never want to go back to a courtroom. I can skip security, use multiple monitors, seldom drive, cook my own lunches, pet my dogs on breaks… everything for my job is easier remotely. It’s a dream come true.

Re: Google mandates workers back to Silicon Valley, other offices from April 4

#455

Post by buzzert »

throwawaylinux wrote: post #405

Aren't we still recording among the highest rates of covid deaths since the start of the pandemic, and it's still coming and going in waves? Hospital systems are still run on the brink of overload as they usually are. What's changed?

It is now a preventable disease. It wasn't at the start of the pandemic, before vaccines.

Re: Google mandates workers back to Silicon Valley, other offices from April 4

#456

Post by bseidensticker »

vl wrote: post #303
skybrian wrote: post #201

I've worked at a startup where everyone being there was essential in how we worked. (We were all pair programming.) It was great. It beats code reviews any day. I learned a lot. But when I was at Google, we would schedule VC meetings with people in a different part of campus just to avoid the walk. Also, I worked on teams that had people worked out in many offices, mostly not Mountain View. I was surrounded by Google…

The irony, of course, that working conditions at Google , of all places, are truly atrocious. For years our desks were in hallways (KIR-C, KIR-D). When I left big G, there were desks literally in staircases (KIR-D). I have no idea how they passed fire inspections.

I worked at Google in KIR for the past 5 years. You calling the working conditions "atrocious" is hilarious. This is why people call Googlers entitled.

Re: Google mandates workers back to Silicon Valley, other offices from April 4

#457

Post by Morgawr »

ryanSrich wrote: post #132
DebtDeflation wrote: post #122

Why do so many assume that there are only 3 options: - 100% remote. - 100% office. - Some rigid hybrid scheme of n days per week in the office every week where n = 3 +/-1. Why not "mainly remote but be in the office when it makes sense to be in the office"? This is how my team has been operating since last July - remote first but every 1-2 months we'll do a week onsite somewhere. Now we're getting pressure to start b…

There may be some highly specific scheme that could make hybrid work, but in every situation where I've encountered hybrid it's been riddled with problems: - Decisions made in the office, remote employees input ignored - Manager sees others in the office, remote employees ignored for promotions - Remote employees given the green light to work remote, others who don't work remote resent the remote employee for having…

This would make sense if it wasn't for the fact that Google (at least my org) is already spread around several offices and project work already happens across different timezones and locations. We have regular meetings with people joining in remotely. I work mostly with people from the other side of the world (despite my immediate team sharing the same city as me), this is because my actual projects don't reflect necessarily my local team composition. We make it work, we've been making it work for the past 2 years and even before the pandemic we had people working remotely. My previous team was split across Europe and NYC and it worked just fine. Honestly, hybrid work with some people being permanently remote and some people working in the office would have very little effect on our already-existing working culture. Just my experience at least.

Re: Google mandates workers back to Silicon Valley, other offices from April 4

#458

Post by edgyquant »

munificent wrote: post #174
librish wrote: post #84

I think anyone who's claiming that remote work has been "proven" to be better or worse is wrong. There are some studies but they use estimations and proxies, carrying the same flaws as doing performance reviews based on lines of code. We've proven that the big tech companies can go fully remote and not completely crash and burn, that's about it. Some people love the lack of commute and less semi-forced hanging out, s…

> We've proven that the big tech companies can go fully remote and not completely crash and burn, that's about it. Agreed. We've proven that big tech companies can continue to be productive for up to two years going remote. I suspect that that doesn't generalize very well to being completely remote over the long term. It works well when you already have a bunch of personal relationships between teammates that were es…

I joined a new org earlier this year, fully remote, and my last gig was only a week in person before the pandemic started. I have also onboarded half a dozen juniors in the last few months, again all remote. Your comment is completely out of touch.

Re: Google mandates workers back to Silicon Valley, other offices from April 4

#459

Post by mFixman »

Asooka wrote: post #298
librish wrote: post #84

I think anyone who's claiming that remote work has been "proven" to be better or worse is wrong. There are some studies but they use estimations and proxies, carrying the same flaws as doing performance reviews based on lines of code. We've proven that the big tech companies can go fully remote and not completely crash and burn, that's about it. Some people love the lack of commute and less semi-forced hanging out, s…

For me, I'm just not comfortable sitting in an office. It's cold, the air is dry, the windows are tinted a horrible deep blue and don't let in any natural light. Everybody else is fine with these conditions, but I'm not. There is just no way to have the exact same conditions fit everyone, which is one of the problems with offices - everyone stuck together in the same room with little to no power over their surroundin…

I'm in a similar situation: the pandemic destroyed my ability to be comfortable in the office.

I like keeping the windows in my flat open, and two years of working from home made me extremely uncomfortable breathing the bad air of an hermetically sealed office.

Re: Google mandates workers back to Silicon Valley, other offices from April 4

#460

Post by MattGaiser »

devoutsalsa wrote: post #410
jmacd wrote: post #358

I once flew in to the Bay Area from Europe for several meetings, but the most important one was with a team at Google. We were trying to finalize a deal and they really needed to be on board. I arrived, checked in and was shown to a meeting room. A few minutes after the meeting was supposed to start the receptionist came scurrying in and connected me to the meeting via that cube looking meeting machine they had in ev…

I got a job that was onsite. On the first day I learned no one in my team worked in the same office.

My old company is this way. You can work from any of several offices, but work from the office you must.

So even when I went in, I never dealt with team members.

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