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What I don’t like about working at a remote job

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Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#71

Post by tpmoney »

_s wrote: post #27

Working from home, or remotely is not for everyone - neither is being in an office. Some folks thrive in an office environment, they value the things it provides - a schedule, a time, a reason to get up and out, socialising with others, being out in the world. It comes at a cost of time and a bit of freedom; you don't really get to choose the hours or where this happens, neither the folks you interact with. Others pr…

>There is also a somewhat of divide between introverts and extroverts between which they prefer, but of course - there are many in either camp leaning the other way too.

Yeah, as an introvert, seeing the constant assertion that only extroverts want to work from the office is very frustrating. It is because I am an introvert that I want to work from the office. Sure, I struggle with interacting with people in general already. But I will have that trouble whether I'm at home or in the office. But here's just a small list of the additional troubles that pile on WFH:

Having to speak out on a public chat channel, where everything I say will be recored for a legally mandated long time, seen by who knows and potentially misinterpreted because of a lack of tone (slack).

Having to interrupt someone without being able to see if they're busy (IMs).

Being self conscious of the existence of a camera and not knowing if people are or aren't looking at me (web conferences)

Not being able to get tone and body language feedback from the people I'm talking to (any text based medium)

Accidentally speaking over or interrupting someone because of latency (web and audio conferences)

Having to specifically put effort into promoting myself and my work because it's less visible now

Not having the chance side conversations with my mangers, skip managers and directors. I know a lot of people doubt these happen, but I've had enough of them, and am convinced one or two major changes in my career have been in part because of those conversations that I would not have otherwise had. This goes hand in hand with the item above.

I am 100% behind having more choice and more flexibility, but I really wish people would stop pretending that the divide on this is extrovert/introvert. I'm far enough along in my career to understand the importance of speaking up and being seen and therefore to put the effort into doing it, but make no mistake, 100% remote requires me to put more more effort into it and for my personal form of introversion, it makes things much much harder on me.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#73

Post by freeone3000 »

wokwokwok wrote: post #47

It’s not an unfair set of points and this one rings true harder than most: > It’s extremely hard to be friends with your co-workers. You have to go out of your way to reach out and be available. Friendships don’t happen “organically” like they do in the office …because, most people seem to think they can just on their asses all day, don’t post on slack, don’t talk to anyone other than on standup and just get work don…

>> It’s extremely hard to be friends with your co-workers. You have to go out of your way to reach out and be available. Friendships don’t happen “organically” like they do in the office

>…because, most people seem to think they can just on their asses all day, don’t post on slack, don’t talk to anyone other than on standup and just get work done.

>So many tickets done.

>So totally miserable.

Oh no, people being productive at their jobs. I went remote for this, so I don't have to socialize at work and can actually get things done. My friends exist outside of the work sphere.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#74

Post by StevePerkins »

lumb63 wrote: post #56
projectazorian wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can still have that by getting the team together every so often for a week or two of intensive meetings and planning. Many companies new to remote since COVID have skipped this part, maybe because it would mean admitting that remote is here to stay and not just a temporary contingency.

In my experience, meetings and planning are exactly the opposite of the enjoyable moments of being on an in-person team working on a project together. It is the impromptu ideas, brainstorming sessions, late nights figuring something out, that create a shared experience worth having, in my opinion.

> late nights

Nothing is universal, but I can't help but assume that the work-from-office cohort is VERY disproportionately young. People whose lives are not yet as full as they likely will be a decade in the future, and for whom their job may be at the center of their personal socialization.

I remember the shared experience that you're describing, and sure... it's great to have a few years of that when you're fresh out of school, working your first couple jobs as a junior dev, and transitioning out of that college student lifestyle. But I was married at 25, and had two children in my 30's. I am OVER late nights for the sake of late nights, and think that's normal and healthy by the time you're a mid to senior level professional.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#75

Post by [deleted] »

civilized wrote: post #49

Remote works best for people who already have their lives stuffed with meaning and structure and don't need any help from the office on those fronts. OP might have resonated with me a decade ago, but now I have a wife and kids. I don't need office socialization to give my life meaning. I have my eight hours of work to do and then I have my life to get back to. I definitely don't need to lose two hours a day commuting…

[deleted]

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#76

Post by avgDev »

jcpst wrote: post #69
civilized wrote: post #49

Remote works best for people who already have their lives stuffed with meaning and structure and don't need any help from the office on those fronts. OP might have resonated with me a decade ago, but now I have a wife and kids. I don't need office socialization to give my life meaning. I have my eight hours of work to do and then I have my life to get back to. I definitely don't need to lose two hours a day commuting…

I agree with this. I think there would have been a much higher chance of failure if I was remote a decade ago. I look back and I don’t even know how commuting fit into my schedule. In between work obligations, wife, 3 kids (one in college), dogs, home maintenance, and musical aspirations, I have zero problems with getting my work done and getting back to my life. If you know what you’re doing, you can get all of your…

I have pretty good relationship with my boss. Some weeks I work 20-30 actual hours. Others, I will get on in the evening to fix things if we are having issues. My salary is decent but I would love to continue building my career, however, whenever I interview its so hard to gauge the actual work load. Devs often say "we work 40 hours a week"...

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#77

Post by sensanaty »

They can pry my home office from my dead, cold hands. I am never stepping foot into another godawful, soul-sucking office ever again.

The sole fact that I get to actually sleep like a human rather than waste away 2 hours of my life every single day travelling in the early morning is more than enough reason for me to never, EVER go back to an office. Not having to interact with the parasitic middle management types is also a big bonus, because I have actual friends outside of work and have ZERO interest in turning my co-workers jnto anything resembling friends.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#78

Post by sabellito »

civilized wrote: post #49

Remote works best for people who already have their lives stuffed with meaning and structure and don't need any help from the office on those fronts. OP might have resonated with me a decade ago, but now I have a wife and kids. I don't need office socialization to give my life meaning. I have my eight hours of work to do and then I have my life to get back to. I definitely don't need to lose two hours a day commuting…

I dislike remote work and have a full social life.

What you think would be a good adjective to describe this opinion you just shared, that people who prefer in person work don't have their lives stuffed with meaning and structure?

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#79

Post by gumby »

civilized wrote: post #55
sharms wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone with teenagers, they also need less and less supervision over time. I wouldn’t be overly confident given the data on social relationships and age.

I have lots of ideas for how to use spare time. I hope when I get it that I'm better at utilizing it than I was in my twenties.

I think the poor ability to use spare time is a feature, not a bug, when you are young.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#80

Post by sabellito »

seibelj wrote: post #20

Working remote is for adults with established social structures, skill sets, and maturity. It’s not the ideal environment to start your career. What’s interesting is that successful fully-remote companies are full of emotionally mature and established people. This is a moat in itself.

When you put it like that it sounds like you're saying that people who prefer to work in an office don't have established social structures, skill sets, nor maturity. Is that the point you are making?
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