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Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

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Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#341

Post by newswasboring »

Gustomaximus wrote: post #299
alexgmcm wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they do then why don't they share it? I mean they must realise this is a pretty unpopular decision so why not share their justification. Otherwise it's just an appeal to authority - "Ours not to reason why.."

> If they do then why don't they share it? Sometimes its easier not to share. In a perfect world we'd be more transparent. If its an popular decision, discussion potentially fans the flames of disagreement and ill will. E.g. People take some small point of the rationale and blow it out of proportion for why this is bad etc, why it isn't relevant to them without seeing a bigger picture etc. I think we've all seen this…

Thats a charitable interpretation. But how do we distinguish when this is the reason and when the reason is "there is no data"? Why am I the only one who has to trust the upper management on their decision but they can look into mine and change it at any time they wish?

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#342

Post by varispeed »

austinjp wrote: post #288
wg0 wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely - in knowledge economy, insisting on physical presence is darn damn stupid. And I don't want to hang "with friends at work" I go to "work" that has to be specified clearly and that I expect to deliver with purely professional merit driven collaboration and not friendships and gangs. I have friends or would love to have friends out of the place where I work. I want strict compartmentalisation between work a…

What about those who _do_ want a friendly workplace with some element of social interaction?

You can be friendly without having to socialise. Not sure why those things would have to go together? Doing socials after work is such a waste of time - sure it may be fun, but this way you are using up time that otherwise you could use to maintain friendships outside of work. Socialising at work is when you develop unconscious and conscious biases and it is a breeding ground for a toxic atmosphere and disruption of team dynamics.

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#343

Post by DebtDeflation »

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-31/ibm-expec...

IBM expects >80% of their employees to be spending at least 3 days per week in the office post-pandemic. Parents will be allowed to continue to WFH until schools re-open in September. And they're labeling THIS as a "hybrid model".

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#344

Post by varispeed »

beforeolives wrote: post #305
me_me_me wrote: post #298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

hybrid model, let your workers decide how they work as long they deliver.

In a hybrid model the people who choose to be remote are damaging their own impact and career development. That's a tradeoff they're free to make if they want but it's the reason why I think hybrid models won't last for too long.

Longing for a career at a one company it seems like a concept from the 80s-90s or movies, where you start as a janitor and finish as a director. However, this indeed can impact your day to day life at a company, as managers will develop biases towards people who they socialise with. That's why I think any kind of socials are a bad idea as they may be potentially discarding people who are bad are socialising but are great workers otherwise and that comes as a negative to a whole organisation.

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#345

Post by aspaceman »

castlecrasher2 wrote: post #7

As someone who's worked only remotely for several years, this makes sense. I know many will disagree with this assertion but in my estimation in-person collaboration is far better than online-only. I think the best balance is at least a couple days per week in the office and the rest remote.

“Maximum of 14 days every year”

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#346

Post by austinjp »

square_usual wrote: post #296
austinjp wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about those who _do_ want a friendly workplace with some element of social interaction?

What about those who don't?

Well that was the point of the comment I was replying to, which I felt was somewhat one-sided.

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#347

Post by beforeolives »

varispeed wrote: post #344
beforeolives wrote: post #305

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a hybrid model the people who choose to be remote are damaging their own impact and career development. That's a tradeoff they're free to make if they want but it's the reason why I think hybrid models won't last for too long.

Longing for a career at a one company it seems like a concept from the 80s-90s or movies, where you start as a janitor and finish as a director. However, this indeed can impact your day to day life at a company, as managers will develop biases towards people who they socialise with. That's why I think any kind of socials are a bad idea as they may be potentially discarding people who are bad are socialising but are g…

It's not just about socializing or climbing the ladder - you need to communicate with other people to get stuff done. Even if you only care about technical contribution and getting work done, if you aren't in the office and everyone else is, you'll have a difficult time.

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#348

Post by varispeed »

gfxgirl wrote: post #252
ohthehugemanate wrote: post #199

Just in case you were operating under the illusion that tech giants are run by forward thinking executives who are immune to the usual politics and problems of corporate life. Nope, most of their exec layer is a bunch of people who cut their teeth the industry in the 90's, and are operating within a thick fog of local workplace politics. I guarantee that behind this move is an executive who believes that developers n…

Disagree completely. All metrics at my company, gamedev, show throughput is down ~66% since WFH Me, I want to go back to the office. Like hanging out with my work friends.

Would that 34% come from fear and stress? People at office feel the pressure more and work above their means and then take holidays when they are completely burned out to recover instead of enjoying it. 66% is probably your real baseline level of productivity and something to learn from. If you are their superior they may not even be your friends, but just pretend they are out of fear of being fired or treated unfavourably.

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#349

Post by DebtDeflation »

Cd00d wrote: post #151

I'm a little shocked by this. I thought the big tech companies and Google specifically were leading the charge in "we will allow significant WFH forever going forward", but maybe I wasn't paying enough attention. Personally, I'm at a small data company, and we're opening a new office for people where WFH is a burden (NYC apartments and all), but is so far voluntary. In fact, I think there are only seats for less than…

When companies started announcing "permanent 100% WFH" last Spring I knew it would never last. I feel bad for the people who picked up and moved from SV or NYC and now are being told to expect to be back in their old office by June. Though it was naive to think you could move to a cabin in Wyoming with a Starlink and continue to pull an SV or NYC level TC.

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#350

Post by aspaceman »

BreakfastLover wrote: post #291
qbasic_forever wrote: post #261

If any Google employees are reading this thread and don't agree with this move, it seems like the kind of issue that the Alphabet Workers Union would be in a perfect position to help push back on. Join up: https://alphabetworkersunion.org/

The union is probably the reason. Pretty hard to have a strong united culture when everybody is at home reading the NYT about how Google is evil. It's easier to think of Google as good when you face your coworkers, but when they are behind avatars and just text, it's easier to fall for the propaganda of the NYT et.al

I really don’t understand this argument.

The reason Google is bringing people back is to have a united culture, which they need because the NYT is naughty? Not following here.

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