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Programmers are most likely to work from home

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Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#11

Post by dsgriffin »

HenryBemis wrote: post #9
draw_down wrote: post #3

It's not really a perk. It comes with its own set of problems, friends.

Lack of focus, being taken advantage of and ending up working 10-12 hours instead of 8 and plenty more (lack of networking, etc.) If it works "for you" then it'a a great thing to have in your life WFH!! If not, then there is always the office.

Not really taken advantage of in my case, but it can sometimes feel like you need to "prove yourself" that little bit extra (maybe the guilt of not being seen?) and end up working longer due to that

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#13

Post by HenryBemis »

johan_larson wrote: post #8

I've been working from home now for a year and a half, and I love it. It's really quiet, and no one interrupts me. The best possible arrangement would be a private office at work, but working at home is miles better than an open-plan office.

I find that when I'm coding, if I get stuck I take a break and go to my baby daughter and start talking to her about the problem (she's 4 months old so her skills are not that great).

3/4 times while talking to her I find workarounds. Her smile is the extra bonus!

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#14

Post by ooqr »

eddieh wrote: post #12

I like working from my office. I don't understand people that like working from home. Possible confounding variable: I live exactly two blocks from my office and don't have to commute. Perhaps, in actuality, people don't like to commute?

That, and the snacks I buy and put in my fridge are better than the free snacks at work.

Also I can take a shower in the middle of the day. Which is the best time.

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#15

Post by humbleMouse »

There is a dirty secret that nobody talks about and the real reason that companies want programmers in the office.

Companies want their top performers in the office so they can serve as trainers/mentors/teachers to the new college kids and the incompetent older people they hire.

I think this is the real reason companies crack down on working from home. It's infuriating as a top performer - I just want to get my assigned work done and leave it at that. I don't want to teach all your shitty college grads how to actually code.

edit: I'm not against mentoring people and helping build teamwork, knowledge sharing, etc. I'm just saying that an all out ban on WFH makes me feel like I am sitting in an open office all day doing other people's assigned work.

I actually am very social and enjoy teaching and helping people. I just wish it wasn't one extreme or the other - I can still mentor/knowledge share with tools like WebEx.

edit2: I am a contractor who was recently banned from WFH. We used to have a very lax WFH policy and it was great. Now I'm banned from WFH completely. The article was discussing the merits of WFH policies, which I am commenting on.

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#16

Post by kalleboo »

eddieh wrote: post #12

I like working from my office. I don't understand people that like working from home. Possible confounding variable: I live exactly two blocks from my office and don't have to commute. Perhaps, in actuality, people don't like to commute?

What I want is flexibility.

I've worked in an office before, I work from home now. Really what I want is to work from home some days, in an office some days, all depending on my mood or schedule.

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#17

Post by School-Cotton »

humbleMouse wrote: post #15

There is a dirty secret that nobody talks about and the real reason that companies want programmers in the office. Companies want their top performers in the office so they can serve as trainers/mentors/teachers to the new college kids and the incompetent older people they hire. I think this is the real reason companies crack down on working from home. It's infuriating as a top performer - I just want to get my assig…

If you really are a top performer, a big part of the justification for your high pay is because you multiply your impact by mentoring more junior employees.

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#18

Post by scandox »

eddieh wrote: post #12

I like working from my office. I don't understand people that like working from home. Possible confounding variable: I live exactly two blocks from my office and don't have to commute. Perhaps, in actuality, people don't like to commute?

I agree. I like a clear separation of activities. I dislike phone communication and like to discuss ideas in person and/or on a whiteboard if at all possible.

On the other hand my commute is 11 minutes. So that makes it easy.

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#19

Post by maxfurman »

eddieh wrote: post #12

I like working from my office. I don't understand people that like working from home. Possible confounding variable: I live exactly two blocks from my office and don't have to commute. Perhaps, in actuality, people don't like to commute?

The lack of commute is a huge part of the appeal. If the office is half an hour away (which really isn't that bad if you live or work outside of a city), and you work from home, you get a whole hour back every day. I don't think I would ever make it to the gym if I had a long commute.

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#20

Post by hamandcheese »

humbleMouse wrote: post #15

There is a dirty secret that nobody talks about and the real reason that companies want programmers in the office. Companies want their top performers in the office so they can serve as trainers/mentors/teachers to the new college kids and the incompetent older people they hire. I think this is the real reason companies crack down on working from home. It's infuriating as a top performer - I just want to get my assig…

I work at a 100% remote company and I have no trouble getting the mentorship I desire/need from more experienced folks.

Maybe the key is 100% remote though. I hear remote sucks if it's not ingrained in a companies communication patterns.

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