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Return to Office Is Bullshit and Everyone Knows It

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Re: Return to Office Is Bullshit and Everyone Knows It

#11

Post by TerrifiedMouse »

There are so many “habits” left over from industrial work.

On an assembly line everyone needed to be in sync but this generally isn’t true for most office work. You need to be present at the factory to do the work, hasn’t been true for office work for awhile now.

Yet we still operate synchronously. Everyone commutes through traffic/crowded public transport and risk catching the latest novel virus, to arrive at work at the same time. Everyone has lunch at the same time so it’s crowded as heck and we get even more mortal danger.

Re: Return to Office Is Bullshit and Everyone Knows It

#12

Post by yellow_lead »

ramon156 wrote: post #6

This post both says "I was most important at the company" And "I was easily dismissed". Can a CEO really be that disconnected from their company?

Spend some time listening to the CEOs where you work and you will find the answer. CEOs are normally very out of touch. I also don't think the author implied they were most important, but that they were a good contributor and respected by many.

Re: Return to Office Is Bullshit and Everyone Knows It

#13

Post by throwaway290 »

Two9A wrote: post #3

This is one aspect of the RTO discussion that's sometimes missed: there are plenty of people in the tech sphere (myself included) who've been comfortably remote for much longer than those who were pushed into remote work by lockdowns and pandemic response. We're not about to give up a whole lifestyle we've built over (in some cases) decades, on the whim of whichever executive we happen to be serving under at the pres…

Been remote for 15 years, recently started full time job, love going to office. No strict work hours but I come anyway, nice to chat with colleagues (and much more productive than those tedious calls or text chats). Also I was already making myself leave home at least daily for physical activity, so if I'm out why not travel to the office? There's a nice coffeeshop near there. Also the chair is comfy enough, desk is adjustable etc.

So no, to say it's "bullshit and everyone knows it" is just pushing for some agenda. I wish everyone can have their way, if you don't want to come to the office then don't, employers should make it possible, but don't make it sound as if everyone hates it, it's just wrong.

Re: Return to Office Is Bullshit and Everyone Knows It

#14

Post by iandanforth »

ramon156 wrote: post #6

This post both says "I was most important at the company" And "I was easily dismissed". Can a CEO really be that disconnected from their company?

I don't see the part where they were 'easily dismissed'. They mention other engineers who say 'no, fire me if you don't like it', but the described behavior here was to say "sure" and then find another job.

Re: Return to Office Is Bullshit and Everyone Knows It

#15

Post by some_furry »

ramon156 wrote: post #6

This post both says "I was most important at the company" And "I was easily dismissed". Can a CEO really be that disconnected from their company?

Large company + Dunbar's number, but in this case the leadership didn't even listen to their immediate subordinates.

Re: Return to Office Is Bullshit and Everyone Knows It

#16

Post by Contusion3532 »

ramon156 wrote: post #6

This post both says "I was most important at the company" And "I was easily dismissed". Can a CEO really be that disconnected from their company?

I think so. It's my belief that they often times leadership sees software engineers as cogs that can easily be replaced by another. They don't appreciate the years of institutional knowledge that experienced engineers have, vast productivity differences between workers, etc.

Re: Return to Office Is Bullshit and Everyone Knows It

#18

Post by kleiba »

hef19898 wrote: post #9
ramon156 wrote: post #6

This post both says "I was most important at the company" And "I was easily dismissed". Can a CEO really be that disconnected from their company?

Not the CEO, because everybody is replaceable. Heck, even Steve Jobs was.

> Heck, even Steve Jobs was.

Replaceable or replaced, which one are you referring to?

Re: Return to Office Is Bullshit and Everyone Knows It

#20

Post by grumblingdev »

Video conf still sucks. It's literally the same as 10 years ago.

Does anyone have a workplace where it is really seamless, high resolution, and just works? Or is using any of these new technologies?

Maybe VR will help...

But not being in-person for collaboration/morale is miles apart.

I wonder if employees would personally cover the cost of a one week meetup once per month if their other option was move city and office all the time.

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