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Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

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Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#51

Post by FooBarWidget »

prmoustache wrote: post #48
FooBarWidget wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some people don't have a home office, or even a basic desk + chair setup that's suitable for long hours of computer work. A colleague of mine prefers going to the office because at home he's constantly distracted by kids. Another has literally injured himself due working from his kitchen in a bad position for a year. It's worse than RSI. He had to rehabilitate for half a year just to get back to 95% health, and even…

> A colleague of mine prefers going to the office because at home he's constantly distracted by kids. Why aren't they at school?

School is until 14.30. And they have many holidays.

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#52

Post by orwin »

Gordonjcp wrote: post #42
andersa wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it is? It's time you can't spend on your hobbies. Of course, if repeatedly driving the same route every day is one of those, then go ahead.

I generally travel at least 40 miles and sometimes a few hundred miles a day to get to work. When else do I get to sit on my arse for a couple of hours and listen to the radio?

Home?

Irony aside, I'd rather drive to meet friends or family living in the countryside than to work. And all things being equal, I'd rather bike, I'm still sightly overweight and it helps.

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#53

Post by prmoustache »

Gordonjcp wrote: post #16
andersa wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never understood why anyone would spend hours traveling each day just so they can sit in front of a computer in another place for a while and go back home. Glad the world has caught up with this being complete nonsense!

I never understood why people think time spent travelling is "lost".

If you can walk to a train station in 5 minutes, then socialized with your train friends for half an hour to 45 minutes or read a book. Or if you commute by walking, cycling and running and it is considered your daily physical activity, it is fine.

If you spend your time running to a bus stop, not being able to do anything in the bus because it is crowded and bouncy, then have to catch a train, that is also full then another one, to run to another bouncy crowded bus and reach your office 1h30 to 2h00 without having been able to spend a decent amout of time reading, chatting or something else, this is totally lost. If you are driving chance is it is also lost for the most part.

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#54

Post by 2000UltraDeluxe »

Gordonjcp wrote: post #44
2000UltraDeluxe wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Commutes are often filled to the brink with people, there usually isn't enough space for everyone to move freely, and depending on one's location, you might have nothing but a black tunnel wall outside the windows. Public transport often requires one to switch trains or buses, and traffic jams are a constant worry for drivers. Travelling, as in actually going somewhere, is often a nice and relaxing experience. Taking…

Maybe travel at a different time, then.

That's the thing, though; when you're bound by working hours and need to commute (which most people are), you don't really have much choice and will need to commute during rush hours.

Personally, I'd rather find a non-tech sector job close to my home than commuting to a tech job. I am very happy to be fortunate enough to have the option to work from home all of the time -- most people don't

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#55

Post by prmoustache »

citrin_ru wrote: post #39
dt3ft wrote: post #2

Why would I commute (and in doing so lose 2 hours of my time per day)? Focusing in the office is next to impossible, the equipment is sub-par (I have a 3-monitor setup at home)? What is it about software engineering that requires physical presence? Currently we meet once a week in the office and I get almost no work done that day, and I’m not the only one.

I personally would prefer to working remotely (at least 4 days a week) unless my commute is less than 15-20 minutes but executives put significant value in seeing people working from the office. If they'll decide to save (offices are not cheap) and hire a remote developer what would stop from hiring around the world? Developer salaries in developed countries (and especially the US) are much higher than world average.…

Well maybe it can help the world be a better place by levelling income and costs of living accross all borders.

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#56

Post by machinawhite »

Gordonjcp wrote: post #47
rytis wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

so what do you call 3 hours a day when you're forced to sit/stand in a carriage? sure, I can find activities to occupy myself, read a book, listen to podcast, etc, but this is not by choice. I'd rather go for a run. So if I cannot do what I want during the time, then the time for me is lost. And don't even get started on "learning new skills" while on a train. Studying requires concentration, at least for me, so no,…

If you need to travel three hours by train every day and you don't like it, you need to get a job that's not three hours away.

Brilliant mate but 3 hours a day is 1.5h away

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#58

Post by machinawhite »

Gordonjcp wrote: post #42
andersa wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it is? It's time you can't spend on your hobbies. Of course, if repeatedly driving the same route every day is one of those, then go ahead.

I generally travel at least 40 miles and sometimes a few hundred miles a day to get to work. When else do I get to sit on my arse for a couple of hours and listen to the radio?

1. Turn off pc

2. Turn off phone

3. Turn on radio

4. Enjoy

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#59

Post by remus »

nohuck13 wrote: post #6

Do 40% of software engineers work fully remotely now?

No. Pet peeve of mine, but actually this article is based on a survey and the actual detail from the survey is:

> The report showed that nearly 40% of software engineers preferred only remote roles, and if their employers mandated a return to the office, 21% indicated they would quit immediately, while another 49% said they would start looking for another job.

So it sounds like they've asked a few questions along the lines of "Do you prefer remote or onsite work?" and "If your employer said you had to return to the office, what would you do?" and they're drawing these conclusions based on the response to those questions. I'd be surprised if this is much of a reflection on reality.

Some questions that are fun to think about with surveys like this (that arent answered in the article):

  - What is the sample size?
  - How was the sampling performed? (Just guessing here, but I'd be surprised if they sampled many software engineers in china for example)
  - Could the sample be biased? Did this survey go out in a newsletter for example? What kind of people might be subscribed to that newsletter?
  - The survey asked people what they would do in a hypothetical situation. If push came to shove would they actually do it?

Re: Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely

#60

Post by sh4rks »

Gordonjcp wrote: post #47
rytis wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

so what do you call 3 hours a day when you're forced to sit/stand in a carriage? sure, I can find activities to occupy myself, read a book, listen to podcast, etc, but this is not by choice. I'd rather go for a run. So if I cannot do what I want during the time, then the time for me is lost. And don't even get started on "learning new skills" while on a train. Studying requires concentration, at least for me, so no,…

If you need to travel three hours by train every day and you don't like it, you need to get a job that's not three hours away.

That's the entire point of this argument
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