181–190 of 216 posts
I generally like working in the office. I get more completed, I enjoy my coworkers, communication is easier, and I'm visible to management. If it came down to RTO, or a 4 day work week, It would be an unbelievably simple choice: 4 day week.
when people say 4 day week, do they mean 4 10 hour days or work 32 hours a week?
Workers need to tread carefully here. If you there's no need to be in the office, what's to stop corporate from replacing you with an Indian that costs 1/3rd as much? Push back too hard on RTO and you may not have a job at all in five years.
My unioned wife lives a life I can only dream of. The respect, the dignity of her job makes me feel like I made the wrong choice by getting into tech. Unionization is the answer. For a long time, tech workers were gaslighted into thinking that unions will not let them get paid high salaries. Guess what, without unions, tech workers don't even have job stability. Forget high salaries. Vote for unions.
In Austria, every year the unions negotiate salary increases for almost all job groups (IT, metal work, etc.) and this is very important to keep our wages at least up with inflation. No-one would ever think this is a bad idea here.
I dislike RTO for one simple reason . I'm not at work to make friends, I'm not at work to chit chat. I'm not at work so we can talk about who won the last football game . I go to work in exchange for currency, which is required to acquire goods and services. All this other crap, all these holiday parties, all of this let's dance in diversity videos, no that's not what I'm here for . Most of the time coming to the off…
Professionalism is learned largely or even exclusively by socialization.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'd love to see data on RTO mandates vs real estate lease/own status. For companies that own, Low occupancy = asset write downs = higher cost of capital.
Control for overhiring during the pandemic. Almost every RTO whiplash I've seen is a shadow restructuring.
What are managers doing if they're only measure for who stays is "who is willing to drive or train to work?"
That's not management imho.
I dislike RTO for one simple reason . I'm not at work to make friends, I'm not at work to chit chat. I'm not at work so we can talk about who won the last football game . I go to work in exchange for currency, which is required to acquire goods and services. All this other crap, all these holiday parties, all of this let's dance in diversity videos, no that's not what I'm here for . Most of the time coming to the off…
It pains me to say this, but I find in-person discussions more productive than online ones. It's not just shooting the shit--for me, spontaneous social chats often lead to work-related brainstorming. Being in the office next to co-workers leads to more spontaneous discussions.
There is some hesitancy people have to contact others remotely.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Control for overhiring during the pandemic. Almost every RTO whiplash I've seen is a shadow restructuring.
I think you're right, but it's a non optimal way to reduce headcount. What are managers doing if they're only measure for who stays is "who is willing to drive or train to work?" That's not management imho.
The amusing complaint that I heard was that remote management is harder ( it is likely true ) when compared to in-person.
This is the part that is interesting to me for several different reasons. I don't consider myself a top player ( and I objectively am not ), but I know people who are. Those people tend to be capable enough to go on their own if needed, but are sufficiently comfortable that they won't unless pushed too far. In simple terms, either companies find ways to make exceptions undermining the whole spirit of this exercise ( because that is all it is -- show of power ) losing the few people that make things happen or stick to their guns to ease managerial discomfort and keep commercial property values in place.
I don't have to make those decisions, but having seen some recent projects lately, I don't think management can afford to lose those key individuals, because I can say with all certainty that throwing a bunch of contractors on it will not work; I will even go a little further, throwing contractors on it will only make things worse.
edit: Removed last line. It sounded better in my head.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
There will always be some social-ness, but let’s be real that it’s out of fucking control right now. I’ve been doing this professionally for more than 20 years and “who you know not what you know” hasn’t run this badly amok in that entire time. The industry is very unsettled right now: credible (or at least loud) opinions on AI range from “fancy autocomplete nothingburger” to “programmers are obsolete starting now”,…
RTO is studied and found to be equal to, or less efficient and profitable than, hybrid. My guess is that RTO mandates act as a lay off.
Unless, and I do mean unless, because I did not work at JPM, JPM is so well run, that it truly does not matter.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you're right, but it's a non optimal way to reduce headcount. What are managers doing if they're only measure for who stays is "who is willing to drive or train to work?" That's not management imho.
It isn't. I made this point on this forum before, but I personally think management class has been largely skating by for multiple decades now with covid ( and maybe very briefly OWS ) being the only few things remotely changing the balance of power in a way that forced them to re-asses the situation. The amusing complaint that I heard was that remote management is harder ( it is likely true ) when compared to in-per…
I dislike RTO for one simple reason . I'm not at work to make friends, I'm not at work to chit chat. I'm not at work so we can talk about who won the last football game . I go to work in exchange for currency, which is required to acquire goods and services. All this other crap, all these holiday parties, all of this let's dance in diversity videos, no that's not what I'm here for . Most of the time coming to the off…
> We're just talking to each other, shooting the s*, and it was cool to meet some Junior Devs who were just starting their career. But none of that made me a more productive worker. You're not the only employee of the company. They aren't trying to maximize _your_ output, they're trying to maximize the company's output. You being present for a junior dev to ask quick questions to (the type that don't get asked if the…
[1]https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/02/17/new-york-c...