I just don't know how you get the Genie back in the bottle. Will employees come back in eventually probably if forced to enough. will smaller companies see how much of a benefit WFH is and use it as a hiring advantage I would imagine. I wonder if people forced to come back into the office are working a ton of free hours for the company. I can't really stay late because I have that commute now. And every time someone…
Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase
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Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase
#52Another anecdote to throw in the bucket: they announced that we'll be returning to the office on July 10th, and also that we'll be pausing catered lunches on July 7th. (I know that it's the peak of privilege to complain about not getting free food delivered to work, but this feels like all-stick, and literally no carrots.)
One could consider a paycheck a carrot....
Plus, if you don’t have food on campus, your engineers might go out to lunch, which always takes much longer. Add to that, since they are going out anyway they might go around the cubes and grab their friends for a group lunch trip (might as well carpool if you are leaving campus, right?), so hopefully nobody needs a disruption free stint of work between like 11:00 and 1:00.
Sure, the paycheck helps, it is just the most expensive way to buy somebody’s attention.
Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase
#53Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase
#54Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
Meanwhile, those unflexible, union-backed jobs in Germany now come more often than not with 40% remote work included, and guaranteed by signed, collectively bargained agreements.
That sounds super interesting! Any source you can share to learn more about how that works in Germany?
In addition to those general agreements, worker councils and thwir individual employers can, and routinely do, negotiate supplental agreements, e.g. extended working hours, christmas and vacation bonuses, overtime (up to the possibility to save up for early retirememt or fully paid sabaticals).
And since Covid, those agreements include up to 40% of remote work where possible. Before Covid, working councils, and thus unions as the majority of council members are union members normally, where oppossed to that. Which kind of makes sense, since most union members tend to be blue collar folks with serious problems when it comes to taking work home. And those priviledged, like in no shift work, bettwr pay and less physical labour, office folks (I am one of those) already had enough benefits (which I get). Covid changed that, even if I have no idea how that came about, I wasn't working in collective bargaining environment during that time.
Overall so, unions turned out to be way more flexible and pragmatic, as were employers, that some people, certainly myself, expected.
Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase
#56Another anecdote to throw in the bucket: they announced that we'll be returning to the office on July 10th, and also that we'll be pausing catered lunches on July 7th. (I know that it's the peak of privilege to complain about not getting free food delivered to work, but this feels like all-stick, and literally no carrots.)
Meanwhile, those unflexible, union-backed jobs in Germany now come more often than not with 40% remote work included, and guaranteed by signed, collectively bargained agreements.
Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase
#57Another anecdote to throw in the bucket: they announced that we'll be returning to the office on July 10th, and also that we'll be pausing catered lunches on July 7th. (I know that it's the peak of privilege to complain about not getting free food delivered to work, but this feels like all-stick, and literally no carrots.)
One could consider a paycheck a carrot....
Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
One could consider a paycheck a carrot....
Given that my employer makes more money from me than they pay me in salary, that carrot is for them, not me.
So you are almost always in a situation that your employer needs you more than you need your employer.
Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase
#59Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase
#60> “You can interrupt each other without being rude when you’re in person,” said Mr. Medina, whose company, Outreach, is now in the office on a hybrid basis. “In a Zoom conversation, you have to let somebody finish their thought.” How is this not admitting that WFH is superior? If it puts a damper on people like this who feel it's their right to interrupt your thoughts, it's only a good thing. This article title may s…