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Remote workers work longer, not more efficiently

economist.com

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Re: Remote workers work longer, not more efficiently

#13

Post by chrisseaton »

wavefunction wrote: post #4

Efficiency is for robots. I deliver value to my company on a continuous basis and if taking a nap in the afternoon means I work an hour or two in the evening then I don't see what worries The Economist should hold about the situation.

> I deliver value to my company on a continuous basis and if taking a nap in the afternoon means I work an hour or two in the evening

But this sounds efficient.

Re: Remote workers work longer, not more efficiently

#14

Post by burlesona »

I’ve found remote work is hardest with time management, specifically when I have lulls in the day where I don’t feel particularly focused.

At the office I would have gone to the cafe or for a walk outside the building (downtown), had a short break, and gotten back to work.

When I try that from home it doesn’t work well. I’m fortunate to have a home office with a door I can close. But if I leave that room I’m immediately in my home space, full of distractions. If I walk outside it’s a neighborhood, and unfortunately as part of the pandemic I moved to a more suburban locale so the walking is abysmal. More often than not I end up giving up on work for several hours, which leaves me with work I now need to do in the evenings or on weekends.

(The move to the burbs was done so I could have the office that closes… but losing the walkable neighborhood was a huge hit and I’m not sure it was a net benefit.)

I also miss the motivating effect of seeing my coworkers in the morning. There are plenty of days working from home where I just really don’t feel like getting started, and maybe I won’t start till 10 or 10:30 in the morning. This just means more work that I need to find another time to do. By contrast, knowing I had 9:30 stand up in person, with people I liked, usually with coffee, helped get me moving even on days when I initially didn’t feel like it.

The last drawback for me is the lack of commute. I had carefully arranged my life so that it was a 15 minute bike ride to work. That was perfect for me, and really helped me mentally transition from home to work mode. I’ve tried doing an “out and back” in my new neighborhood, but it doesn’t work, I think because I’m not actually going to a different place. Ie the bike part wasn’t the magic, it was the physical move from home to work. The bike was just a way to make that an enjoyable transition.

All of this adds up to a feeling that I’m always working and always needing to find time to squeeze in the next 3-4 hours of focus since I haven’t fit that all in my 9-5 box as I used to. The only real payoff I get in exchange for this is some increased flexibility scheduling appointments and what not. But, on the whole, it feels like it’s been a bad trade for me.

Finally, lest anyone think this is just because of the pandemic not being “normal WFH,” I worked full remote for an agency for three years (long before the pandemic) and had the same struggles then.

Everyone is different, and I think there has been an under supply of remote and WFH jobs in the past. I know that for some, none of what I’ve said applies, and WFH is a blessing. So I hope (and expect) that post-2020 it will be much easier for anyone who wants full-remote to have lots of good jobs available to pick from.

But as for me, I am really looking forward to getting back to office work - and advocating hard for offices with doors that close, to make that environment even better :)

Re: Remote workers work longer, not more efficiently

#15

Post by codingdave »

underseacables wrote: post #3

The line between at work and “Not at work” has become very blurred at home. Especially with everyone in different time zones. I find that in the Midwest I need to start at least 2 hours early, and stay 2 hours late, to accommodate both coasts. It was easier when people were at the office. They’re either at their desk or not, and if not, then it’s not my job to track them down. Now if someone is not at their desk, I h…

I am not seeing the connection between the problems described and remote work. If someone is not at their desk, your being remote doesn't mean it becomes your job to track them down. In either scenario, try them later or leave a message. Likewise, being in a different time zone was true before, too. They clearly must be remote to you if they are in a different time zone, so the location of your desk should have zero impact on your scheduling of calls with them. If you are adding hours to your day to match theirs, that isn't a fault of remote work, it is faulty team dynamics.

It sounds like your self-expectations have changed based on being remote, not the actual problems.

Re: Remote workers work longer, not more efficiently

#16

Post by andrew_ »

Very much YMMV.12 year remote engineer here, and I absolutely work less on the whole, versus my past in-office gigs, due to far more focused and efficient stints of development, etc.

Perhaps some folks just aren't the type that should/can work remotely. As all things in life, we're not made from the same mold.

Re: Remote workers work longer, not more efficiently

#20

Post by newsclues »

burlesona wrote: post #14

I’ve found remote work is hardest with time management, specifically when I have lulls in the day where I don’t feel particularly focused. At the office I would have gone to the cafe or for a walk outside the building (downtown), had a short break, and gotten back to work. When I try that from home it doesn’t work well. I’m fortunate to have a home office with a door I can close. But if I leave that room I’m immediat…

You tried setting up a bike trainer in your home office for sprints to refocus or get out bad energy?

Or a yoga mat?

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