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Why Working from Home Will Stick [pdf]

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Re: Why Working from Home Will Stick [pdf]

#61

Post by ameister14 »

uncledave wrote: post #24
croutonwagon wrote: post #4

The problem is multi-faceted. While this is entirely anecdotal I have observed a LOT of time theft by employees. And been asked more than ever to investigate employee behavior (even when I normally try and advise against the approach) Some more egregious than others. While most probably aren’t going to awol for a day at a time I know a LOT of people that now spend working hours doing leisure things. Maybe that’s a su…

Time theft is about the most dystopian concept I have ever heard. A huge chunk of my time (40% approx) is consumed by pointless cargo cult corporate activities which have no direct correlation on revenue, reputation or longevity but merely serve to sustain positions or activities in the company which someone felt needed to exist otherwise it wouldn’t be a real company. This is a universal truth for all companies with…

>A huge chunk of my time (40% approx) is consumed by pointless cargo cult corporate activities which have no direct correlation on revenue, reputation or longevity but merely serve to sustain positions or activities in the company which someone felt needed to exist otherwise it wouldn’t be a real company. This is a universal truth for all companies with more than about 50 employees I’ve worked for.

I've found it isn't so much the cargo cult stuff that causes inefficiency as it is administrative hiring and artificially increased complexity.

Re: Why Working from Home Will Stick [pdf]

#62

Post by krrrh »

DC1350 wrote: post #43

WFH makes the new grad experience miserable if you go to college somewhere far from where you grew up. I’m graduating soon and the only place I have geographic ties to is my home town where I tried very hard to get away from forever. Everyone I know from college is scattering all over the continent. Does anyone have tips for choosing where to live as a remote worker, or how to make friends as a young person in a new…

I think that cities with a high net flow of migration tend to be easier. Of course this means high cost of living because of housing competition, but it’s easier to make new friends when you’re surrounded by other people who are also looking for the same. I lived in Berlin for a few years and made a lot of close friends but almost none of them were originally from the city. It’s tough to break into pre-existing social networks.

I would say that it also helps a lot if you know at least 1-2 people who moved to that city just before you. You can plug into their social network and work together to expand it.

The other advice I have is find people who share your interests through sites like meetup.com. Lots of people who show up to those events will also have space on their dance cards. Get comfortable going out to shows, art exhibits, or whatever you’re into by yourself, and then if you hit it off with someone at a meetup event you’ll have something to talk about and something to invite a new freind to join you at.

Re: Why Working from Home Will Stick [pdf]

#63

Post by pdimitar »

varjag wrote: post #48
pdimitar wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But the results of the hours put aren't objective, so I don't get your point. I've known people who became masters at imitating work 8 hours a day.

I don't see how them imitating 8 hour work a day in say 2 actual hours is any improvement.

You immediately assume people don't work which is not what I am seeing. Sure, some absolutely do, but you are making it look like everyone is more lazy in WFH conditions.

Re: Why Working from Home Will Stick [pdf]

#64

Post by varjag »

pdimitar wrote: post #63
varjag wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see how them imitating 8 hour work a day in say 2 actual hours is any improvement.

You immediately assume people don't work which is not what I am seeing. Sure, some absolutely do, but you are making it look like everyone is more lazy in WFH conditions.

I don't assume anything, just going by with your hypothetical 8-hour slacker.

Re: Why Working from Home Will Stick [pdf]

#65

Post by throwaway45349 »

croutonwagon wrote: post #4

The problem is multi-faceted. While this is entirely anecdotal I have observed a LOT of time theft by employees. And been asked more than ever to investigate employee behavior (even when I normally try and advise against the approach) Some more egregious than others. While most probably aren’t going to awol for a day at a time I know a LOT of people that now spend working hours doing leisure things. Maybe that’s a su…

You call it time theft, I call it work life balance.

If I'm struggling with a problem, sitting on my ass for 5 hours is not going to make the solution come quicker. Going for a walk, playing video games, or calling somebody are a great way to recharge, and as long as I'm not blocking anybody or producing worse output, it's a net plus over time for productivity.

In return, I'm happy to throw in a few extra hours in the evening or over the weekend if I suddenly have a breakthrough, but I'm doing that on my terms.

The team cohesion part can be a real issue, but defaulting to asynchronous communication can really help here.

Re: Why Working from Home Will Stick [pdf]

#66

Post by lrossi »

Jestar342 wrote: post #10
croutonwagon wrote: post #4

The problem is multi-faceted. While this is entirely anecdotal I have observed a LOT of time theft by employees. And been asked more than ever to investigate employee behavior (even when I normally try and advise against the approach) Some more egregious than others. While most probably aren’t going to awol for a day at a time I know a LOT of people that now spend working hours doing leisure things. Maybe that’s a su…

Has your team productivity actually dropped? You mention things that are supplemental to productivity but nothing about the actual productivity itself. If not, then I suspect there is no more "time theft"* than usual and you shouldn't get wound up by it. * that is a hideously obnoxious and entitled phrase to use - instead of "distracted" or even simply just "not working".

Right, somehow I missed the time “theft” part. He thinks of his people as if they’re criminals.

This is like a textbook example of manager red flags that you should check for and avoid when joining a company.

Re: Why Working from Home Will Stick [pdf]

#67

Post by varjag »

ameister14 wrote: post #56
varjag wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, most employers would take 8 hours of quality work over 4 hours of quality work for the same salary.

Most employers aren't actually operating with efficiency as the main goal. Look at it this way: worker A makes 10 widgets an hour. In 8 hours, he makes 80 widets. worker B makes 20 widgets an hour. In 4 hours, he makes 80 widgets. Why should the employer care about which one works more hours?

How many widgets will worker B make in 8 hours?

Also, how many widgets will worker A make in 4 hours?

Re: Why Working from Home Will Stick [pdf]

#68

Post by DC1350 »

fartcannon wrote: post #57
DC1350 wrote: post #43

WFH makes the new grad experience miserable if you go to college somewhere far from where you grew up. I’m graduating soon and the only place I have geographic ties to is my home town where I tried very hard to get away from forever. Everyone I know from college is scattering all over the continent. Does anyone have tips for choosing where to live as a remote worker, or how to make friends as a young person in a new…

Well, pick a big city? While it will definitely happen, it's unhealthy to befriend only coworkers. Learn how to make friends outside of your office life. That way your employer can't use your social life against you leaving. Trust me, after the pandemic, when the daily grind kicks in and your office life and daily commute drains every ounce of energy, you'll be happy to WFH.

> Well, pick a big city?

I know. I guess it’s just choice paralysis.

Re: Why Working from Home Will Stick [pdf]

#69

Post by ameister14 »

varjag wrote: post #67
ameister14 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most employers aren't actually operating with efficiency as the main goal. Look at it this way: worker A makes 10 widgets an hour. In 8 hours, he makes 80 widets. worker B makes 20 widgets an hour. In 4 hours, he makes 80 widgets. Why should the employer care about which one works more hours?

How many widgets will worker B make in 8 hours? Also, how many widgets will worker A make in 4 hours?

worker B will make 80 widgets in 8 hours and be unhappy because he knows the employer expects 80 and he's not going to work harder for no reward.

Worker A will make 40 widgets in 4 hours.

Re: Why Working from Home Will Stick [pdf]

#70

Post by ghaff »

DC1350 wrote: post #43

WFH makes the new grad experience miserable if you go to college somewhere far from where you grew up. I’m graduating soon and the only place I have geographic ties to is my home town where I tried very hard to get away from forever. Everyone I know from college is scattering all over the continent. Does anyone have tips for choosing where to live as a remote worker, or how to make friends as a young person in a new…

At least in bigger cities, there tend to be a lot of clubs and other organizations for outdoor activities, sports, etc. That may not be to your taste but I've always been more involved with that sort of thing than work colleagues even when I was working in a fairly large office on a day-to-day basis. (I've been remote or effectively remote for years.)
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