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Apple asks staff to return to office 3 days a week starting in early September

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Re: Apple asks staff to return to office 3 days a week starting in early September

#391

Post by bluedino »

dcolkitt wrote: post #380
calvinmorrison wrote: post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I spend 150$+ per month on AC and heat because of the pandemic. I spent ~30$ in gas a month commuting. I could even walk if my bike didn't work. Personally I like the free AC. Once you optimize your job to be close to your home, many of the benefits of wfh disappear.

$150 extra from 40 hours of AC is insanely high. That's about what I pay total in the middle of summer in Florida for a decent-size SFH. Check the insulation on your house for a leak. Also maybe consider upgrading to a ductless heat pump mini split. That would almost certainly cut your marginal cost to near $30/month.

It’s not uncommon to pay $3-400 for your electrify per month because of AC in the Midwest (for three months a year, that is)

Re: Apple asks staff to return to office 3 days a week starting in early September

#392

Post by [deleted] »

justapassenger wrote: post #267
jjeaff wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Surely there are other reasons to leave your home than work and other people to socialize with in person than co-workers.

Depends on your character, stage of your life and priorities. It looks way different when you’re young, outgoing single person. Vs when you’re older, with a family (and tons of obligations) and introverted. Work is then often a place where you socialize and take a break from all the other stuff happening in your life.

[deleted]

Re: Apple asks staff to return to office 3 days a week starting in early September

#393

Post by scantron4 »

staticassertion wrote: post #361
ghaff wrote: post #353

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To a first approximation, no one is spending $60/day on restaurant meals unless they're traveling.

When Dropbox served food I valued it at 50k, ie: in order fro a company to poach me, given they don't have food, that's 50k they'd have to make up for. While I don't spend anywhere near 4k a month on food, there were a few things to consider: a) 3 meals prepared for me saves me time and money. I love to cook but I don't have tons of time anymore and I don't have a a good kitchen. If I want to save time via delivery I…

What you are saying is that it became 50k cheaper to poach you when they let the leases go and gave away all the plants?

Re: Apple asks staff to return to office 3 days a week starting in early September

#394

Post by dcolkitt »

aikinai wrote: post #90
coldtea wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I save money by spending less on food, drinks, and electricity. Compared to commuting (car+gas) and time-to-commute opportunity costs (to use for personal house tasks, side projects, self health)? I seriously doubt it.

Why does everyone here just assume that everyone’s commute is as bad as theirs? There are many people in the current working generation that avoided the soul-sucking suburban commute from the start.

> There are many people in the current working generation that avoided the soul-sucking suburban commute from the start.

Very few of those people have kids. Unless you're making L8 comp, raising a few kids within bicycle commute the major tech campuses is financially unobtainable. The cost of a backyard, good schools, and safe streets is astronomical in tier one urban cores.

Re: Apple asks staff to return to office 3 days a week starting in early September

#395

Post by rblatz »

mFixman wrote: post #334
gnicholas wrote: post #296

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The food/drink part could be the most of it. A Google employee enjoying free food and drink could save $60/day versus buying prepared food ($10 for breakfast, $20 for lunch, and $30 for dinner). If you drink much coffee or other beverages, that could be another $15/day. If you weigh this against spending an extra hour or two commuting, then it looks like a lousy bargain. But if you are like many people, and ended up…

A Google Employee working from home could save $200/day versus getting a fancy limousine to go to work. Nobody buys prepared food every day, and the costs of food are negligible for a Google employee.

I buy prepared food multiple times a day.

Re: Apple asks staff to return to office 3 days a week starting in early September

#396

Post by nsonha »

rubicon33 wrote: post #251
Nbox9 wrote: post #51

I work for another company that is going to do a partial return to office. I will be looking at options for companies that offer full in person office (or 90% in person office) after things settle down. I have worked full remote for a total of 5 years of my career, and I believe working in the office is a competitive advantage. * Overhearing hallway conversations (and joining them) helps spawn invocation. * I often d…

This is what most of the newcomers to WFH don't understand: There is a big different between WFH for a few months where EVERYONE else is also WFH ... and WFH for YEARS where some, or most, of the others are in office. The latter is years upon years of feeling disconnected, left out, and sidelined. The vast majority of companies even if they allow remote are not remote first. Remote first involves actual structural an…

it's about having the option isn't it, you should not be forced into either way. Going to the office 1 per month for that buzz is fine by me. Some people needs more. No one size fits all.

Re: Apple asks staff to return to office 3 days a week starting in early September

#397

Post by fullshark »

swiley wrote: post #369
fullshark wrote: post #363

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My prediction: Talk is cheap and all the bellyaching will amount to maybe a temporary increase in attrition for a quarter (2x perhaps?) but negligible long term.

Commuting means an immediate 14% pay cut in time alone (ignoring CoL due to required proximity and vehicle maintenance, so it's really closer to 20%.) There are real economic forcings on the worker side against required office presence.

I don’t deny it, some will quit. But most will suck it up and no major tech firm goes full remote, merely allowing it on a case by case basis.

Re: Apple asks staff to return to office 3 days a week starting in early September

#398

Post by dcolkitt »

slavapestov wrote: post #191
themacguffinman wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not everyone spends a significant amount of time commuting by personal car to the office. I see a lot of angst about hypothetically long 1-2hr commutes when the average commute in major tech cities is ~30 mins, and of course you can always control it by living closer to the office. Sure, not everyone is willing to make sacrifices for commute, which is one reason why it can be a competitive advantage.

How much do homes cost within a 30 minute commute radius of FAANG HQ?

This seems to be why senior executives are so out of touch on the issue. "I don't see what the big deal about commuting to the office is. Just buy a $12 million house in the middle of Palo Alto"

Re: Apple asks staff to return to office 3 days a week starting in early September

#399

Post by node-bayarea »

Our company did a survey and 85% of people said they wanted to work=from-home. I think pandemic has shown and also forced people to learn to work from home. I honestly don't understand the need to go to office. I don't understand the benefit for the company at all.

Re: Apple asks staff to return to office 3 days a week starting in early September

#400

Post by watermelon59 »

amyjess wrote: post #198
Nbox9 wrote: post #51

I work for another company that is going to do a partial return to office. I will be looking at options for companies that offer full in person office (or 90% in person office) after things settle down. I have worked full remote for a total of 5 years of my career, and I believe working in the office is a competitive advantage. * Overhearing hallway conversations (and joining them) helps spawn invocation. * I often d…

I do not care about being competitve. I work so I can draw a salary to fund my life. That's it. I don't care about constantly climbing a ladder. I don't care about advancing my career for the sake of advancing my career. I just want to enjoy my life, and working for a living is just my means to that end. If I'm making enough to be comfortable, I don't care about chasing a promotion or getting ahead of people. I can't…

> I do not care about being competitve.

> I work so I can draw a salary to fund my life. That's it. I don't care about constantly climbing a ladder. I don't care about advancing my career for the sake of advancing my career. I just want to enjoy my life, and working for a living is just my means to that end. If I'm making enough to be comfortable, I don't care about chasing a promotion or getting ahead of people. I can't think of a single thing I care about less than having a competitive advantage over other people in the Game of Offices.

I’ve made the mistake of saying that out loud during pre-pandemic lunch conversations and happy hours and every time people looked at me like I had two heads.

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