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Employees are returning to the office to sit on zoom calls

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Re: Employees are returning to the office to sit on zoom calls

#91

Post by jwiz »

JohnBooty wrote: post #78
cjmb wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't let it bother you man. It's just an example of cross-cultural confusion crossed with some blunt HN mannerisms (to put it politely). The tell is the callout that this is an "American thing" -- which, well, it is. America has a culture, and especially SF has a culture, that's pretty distinct from elsewhere. Talking up the raw intellect of one's coworkers is a very SF thing, and a very-non-European thing (not to s…

Interesting perspective, thanks. It's hard to wrap my mind around somebody thinking a stranger is "bragging" or "uncouth" or "sycophantic" because they think their team is smart and fun to work with. But, I understand that it's a thing.

To be clear, it's not that you think they are smart and fun to work with, it's that you are saying they are smart and fun to work with.

Re: Employees are returning to the office to sit on zoom calls

#92

Post by fartcannon »

JohnBooty wrote: post #49
fartcannon wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did the same and it was as unbelievably worthless as I recalled from before the pandemic. You know what really stands out in the office? How sad it all is. The frowns on the subway, the fake smiles in the office, the pretending, the posturing. Bleh. I'm resigning.

Quoted post unavailable.

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Re: Employees are returning to the office to sit on zoom calls

#93

Post by mulcahey »

My only 2c is that the WFH vs office conversation often seems to pretend that there aren't a ton of businesses with desk workers where many of their colleagues can't feasibly work from home -- manufacturing for example. It's not even only the people physically building the products who obviously have to be there, but even mechanical engineers have a reason to.

My job is to build software to make the lives of the people building our product better. I'd prefer myself and my team to be there with them frequently, instead of considering ourselves to be part of some class of special people that have the luxury of working at home most of the time.

That said, I do appreciate the flexibility of being able to work from home for house maintenance, deliveries, family stuff, etc.

Beyond all that, going into the office (or factory really) is energizing. Too much time at home and I get reminded of CGP Grey's "spaceship you" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snAhsXyO3Ck

Re: Employees are returning to the office to sit on zoom calls

#94

Post by icedchai »

fartcannon wrote: post #39
JohnBooty wrote: post #25

I recently spent a week in the office with my team. First time I'd had office time with any team since mid-2018. It was really, really, really nice. I've been a diehard work-from-home guy for ages. Why spend perhaps 10+ hours per week commuting? It's a productivity and environmental nightmare. But... sometimes? Yeah. It's nice to be in the room with other smart people, solving hard problems. I didn't realize I missed…

I did the same and it was as unbelievably worthless as I recalled from before the pandemic. You know what really stands out in the office? How sad it all is. The frowns on the subway, the fake smiles in the office, the pretending, the posturing. Bleh. I'm resigning.

I miss in-person activities, especially going to lunch with coworkers, trying a new restaurant, or one of our old favorites. Remote has become pretty old.

Re: Employees are returning to the office to sit on zoom calls

#95

Post by koonsolo »

JohnBooty wrote: post #60
flurie wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It could be an example of Lake Woebegon effect[1], though I'm not sure that's the case here. On the other hand, making broad proclamations about nationalities based on anecdotes has another name. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Wobegon#The_Lake_Wobegon_...

I've worked on a number of crap, toxic teams over 20+ years. This one's good. I'm absolutely dumbfounded at the replies here. I make an offhand remark about my current team being a pleasure to work with, and I have multiple replies suggesting that there is something fishy afoot? "The Lake Wobegon effect, a natural human tendency to overestimate one's capabilities" Oh, cool. Because I say my coworkers are good and I e…

Some people are just very grumpy that they have to go back to the office.

So here comes along this guy that loves going back to the office. Fuck that guy! He must be faking it, he's lying to himself. It's that fake American culture that acts as if it's a nice thing to go back to work. It's because of these kind of people that I'm forced to go back! :)

I'm European and I know the fake US thing, but I didn't read that in your post.

Re: Employees are returning to the office to sit on zoom calls

#96

Post by fartcannon »

icedchai wrote: post #94
fartcannon wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did the same and it was as unbelievably worthless as I recalled from before the pandemic. You know what really stands out in the office? How sad it all is. The frowns on the subway, the fake smiles in the office, the pretending, the posturing. Bleh. I'm resigning.

I miss in-person activities, especially going to lunch with coworkers, trying a new restaurant, or one of our old favorites. Remote has become pretty old.

What stops you from doing that now? You still get lunch breaks when WFH.

Re: Employees are returning to the office to sit on zoom calls

#98

Post by elisbce »

JohnBooty wrote: post #25

I recently spent a week in the office with my team. First time I'd had office time with any team since mid-2018. It was really, really, really nice. I've been a diehard work-from-home guy for ages. Why spend perhaps 10+ hours per week commuting? It's a productivity and environmental nightmare. But... sometimes? Yeah. It's nice to be in the room with other smart people, solving hard problems. I didn't realize I missed…

1. There are people who are more sociable and more likely to thrive working with other people in person, while some other type of people are more introverted, sensitive and dislike human interactions.

2. There are companies/work environments/jobs/teams where coworkers are mostly nice, smart and a pleasure to work with. There are also companies/work environments/jobs/teams that suck and filled with political, disgruntled and unhappy employees.

So, the only thing that is universally true is YMMV.

Re: Employees are returning to the office to sit on zoom calls

#99

Post by icedchai »

fartcannon wrote: post #96
icedchai wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I miss in-person activities, especially going to lunch with coworkers, trying a new restaurant, or one of our old favorites. Remote has become pretty old.

What stops you from doing that now? You still get lunch breaks when WFH.

Nothing, but it's more than exception than the rule now.

Re: Employees are returning to the office to sit on zoom calls

#100

Post by JohnBooty »

koonsolo wrote: post #95
JohnBooty wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've worked on a number of crap, toxic teams over 20+ years. This one's good. I'm absolutely dumbfounded at the replies here. I make an offhand remark about my current team being a pleasure to work with, and I have multiple replies suggesting that there is something fishy afoot? "The Lake Wobegon effect, a natural human tendency to overestimate one's capabilities" Oh, cool. Because I say my coworkers are good and I e…

Some people are just very grumpy that they have to go back to the office. So here comes along this guy that loves going back to the office. Fuck that guy! He must be faking it, he's lying to himself. It's that fake American culture that acts as if it's a nice thing to go back to work. It's because of these kind of people that I'm forced to go back! :) I'm European and I know the fake US thing, but I didn't read that…

Thanks for the kind words and the guidance.

I think there was also a misunderstanding. I'm not returning to the office. It was just a one week visit. I am back to working remote. I live 500mi/800km from my office. I will not move there.

    fake American culture that acts as if it's a nice thing to go back to work
Are you from America? I do not understand this statement. I have lived in America my whole life and everybody complains about their jobs 99% of the time. Maybe a person might lie to their boss about being happy. But nobody lies to their friends or strangers about loving their jobs. I mean, wtf? That's what people think Americans do?
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