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I Miss Working from the Office

roguelazer.com

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Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#461

Post by leipert »

m463 wrote: post #358
diarrhea wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your work just sounds very subpar. Crippling developers with that sort of equipment and environment is a poor move and also an awful trade-off, business-wise.

I have to say employees are just as silly sometimes. All my life I've always just bought the stuff I need and took it to work. No matter where I've worked it was 1/100th the hassle to do that rather than figure out how to go through channels. I've also tried stuff and ditched it a few weeks later and tried something else. this applies to lots of things at work -- who cares if the office pens are free - they suck.

Well. I don’t expect doctors to bring their own scalpel, construction workers their own hammers, firefighters their own hoses.

If you want to employ me, please provide me with the tools to do the job properly. An ergonomic keyboard, mouse, chair and desk are a given. A nice display is a bonus.

Especially when it comes to ergonomics I don’t understand employers, an engineer going on leave for a week because of RSI / back pains, is way more expensive.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#462

Post by oblio »

user5994461 wrote: post #196
benhurmarcel wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems pretty standard to me. Typical open-office setup, with one 24" screen and $5 keyboard and mouse that come with the PC, and a basic 10-years-old office chair. I've seen quite a few mid to large size industrial/engineering companies and it's a standard setup. Actually the ones having a 24" screen are lucky, most people get a 20". That's why people commonly bring their personal headphones, keyboard and mouse. A…

I don't buy it. Even when I was working in countryside Europe a decade ago we had better equipment than that and often double display (17" or 19" at the time). Some of the companies even had personal offices or small offices for 1-3 people. I don't doubt that there are some shitty companies out there that can't get an office chair and a display from this decade, but it's far from the norm.

Almost every bank I've seen in 3 European county has something like this. Java middleware companies, same story. And these are big companies and they're not a few companies.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#463

Post by dmamills »

phponpcp wrote: post #288
slumdev wrote: post #239

I don't miss the office at all, and I never want to go back. If management asks us to go back full-time, I will start looking for another job. I'm happier and more productive than ever. I never want to go back to rotting in a cube farm pretending that 1-2 productive hours a day is enough. 1. Cubes, cube pods, and "open offices" are inhumane. 2. I don't have to wear headphones to "hear myself think" anymore. 3. Meetin…

"unhumane" lol just quit and take up a job as one of the thousands of professions who dont work in an office. Your entitlement is ridiculous.

I don't know why this is being down voted, I find the idea that open offices are "inhumane" to be obscenely hyperbolic.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#464

Post by mcbutterbunz »

I had an office built in my backyard earlier this year and I was lucky enough that it was completed just before the pandemic hit. I would highly recommend something like this for remote employees. There is a strong enough delineation between home and work with the added benefit that I can turn the office into sort of a man cave. I can “decorate” it in ways that I don’t really want in my home. I guess its sort of a compartmentalized place that I can be an adult for work but also a kid during off hours.

I do miss the interactions with coworkers and the water cooler conversations but there are always trade offs.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#465

Post by Aeolun »

krzyk wrote: post #387
petra wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is it so hard to explain to employers the value of using 2 displays ?

My company provides 2 displays. But I'm the only dev that doesn't use the second display. I tried it for a month and it was tiresome. I had to move my head to often, I also always maximize my windows so maybe it is useful to those that don't. I would much more prefer a big screen (30 inch?) instead of two 24 inch. But unfortunately my Corp doesn't have such options. I would much more prefer

Switching from dual monitors to 1 34” ultrawidescreen has definitely improved the ergonomics of it.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#466

Post by taylodl »

What I don't miss about working from the office:

- the commute

- paying for parking

- paying for lunch

- wearing "business appropriate" clothes

- inability to multi-task while sitting through meetings I'm forced to attend

- inability to listen to music via a speaker instead of headphones

My employer, a Fortune 200 company, allowed us to take our machines, monitors, chairs and whatnot home. I have a great setup. My team is more productive than we've ever been and in a way we've been closer as well. This is preferable to sitting on top of each other while wearing headphones so we can maintain some personal space.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#467

Post by Aeolun »

kuzimoto wrote: post #247
sharken wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed, bringing your own keyboard and mouse if necessary should be a nobrainer. Though having the employer pay for those things would be even better, but it’s not always the case.

I've been bringing my own keyboard and mouse for years. My current employer would buy at least an ergonomic keyboard for those that want it, but they aren't going to drop $200 on my mechanical keyboard for everyone, and I think that's pretty fair.

Given what they’re paying in salaries it seems like a silly thing to try and save on.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#468

Post by [deleted] »

benhurmarcel wrote: post #401
arthurjj wrote: post #397

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I worked at a aerospace defense contractor 8 years ago and this tracks with my experience. The quality of the equipment is terrible as is the pay in comparison to jobs with similar qualifications. I understand the economics of why these jobs suck, but there's no reason to stay. 8 years ago I had to move from an area I liked to get a better job. It will be interesting to see what happens with the rise of more remote h…

The issue is that in my experience the entire aerospace/aeronautics sector is like that. As well as most industrial sectors. At least if I stay in Europe. So changing that means doing something else than my studies and experience. And I like working on aircraft. I don't really have complains about salaries though. I find it's pretty normal compared to other industries. It's pale in comparison to the US, but that's a…

[deleted]

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#469

Post by noirbot »

ubercow13 wrote: post #249
noirbot wrote: post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But it is somewhat true. The point of being in the office is to get work done. You're being paid to do work, and in the past, part of that was a requirement you be in the office some portion of the time. You were in the office _to work_. It's not to say you may not have other things you like about the office, but the reason the company bought an office and requires you to be there is to work. Which leads to the other…

>There's plenty of coworkers I like and some I'm actually friends with, but also plenty of people who try to use the conditions of our mutual employment to fill in for friendships they didn't develop outside of work. That seems an uncharitable way to put it. People only make friends in general by putting themselves out there and making an effort. Is the difference between those two groups merely that the 'actual frie…

I mostly mean it to be people who try to push for "team events" or "team lunches" or "team happy hours", even when some or most of the team make it clear that they're not interested. Often this is accompanied by shaming/annoyance if you're not interested in joining in.

I don't mind people trying to make friends at work, and often I don't even dislike the people who annoy me like this, I just don't like them as much as they seem to like the idea of spending time with me. There's a gap between people I like making smalltalk with before a meeting or while I'm taking a break to get coffee, and people I want to have a dedicated social time with.

If you want to make friends at work, don't use the mechanisms of my employment to coerce me into spending time with you.

Re: I Miss Working from the Office

#470

Post by bradlys »

FalconSensei wrote: post #388
bradlys wrote: post #373

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Single pane life over here. It’s never quiet. And I don’t live on a busy street. I live in a relatively quiet suburb in the bay. However, there is a war being raged by crows and squirrels right now. It’s quite obnoxious. Cheap landlords...

I'll trade that for my upstairs neighbours that walk on their heels. I can feel them walking

I made the similar trade. It is better. Just saying it isn’t perfect. I’m in a horrible in-law unit that used to be a small workshop.
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