Live data from Hacker News

Tech layoffs could push workers back to the office

sfexaminer.com

1–10 of 17 posts

Re: Tech layoffs could push workers back to the office

#4

It's baffling that companies spend so much money on offices for tech workers. It makes no sense to me. It wastes money and it's pointless with tools like slack, miro, loom etc.

I work for a software company who bought a giant new building a couple of years before the pandemic hit. They waited until the last possible minute to let us WFH once the pandemic hit, and then as soon as it got better they instituted a “hybrid” WFH policy - in office 3 days, WFH 2 days.

I don’t understand why. The 2 years we worked from home were the most profitable despite a worldwide pandemic going on, and I felt most productive WFH. We have been seeing a lot of turnover since this policy has gone into effect (last 2 months), more so than in previous years.

It sucks.

Re: Tech layoffs could push workers back to the office

#5

It's baffling that companies spend so much money on offices for tech workers. It makes no sense to me. It wastes money and it's pointless with tools like slack, miro, loom etc.

I work for a software company who bought a giant new building a couple of years before the pandemic hit. They waited until the last possible minute to let us WFH once the pandemic hit, and then as soon as it got better they instituted a “hybrid” WFH policy - in office 3 days, WFH 2 days. I don’t understand why. The 2 years we worked from home were the most profitable despite a worldwide pandemic going on, and I felt…

Y’all need to unionize and negotiate for remote work as a mandated benefit if you don’t want to leave but want to keep working remote. Otherwise, they'll keep treating you like peasants demanding whatever they can get away with within the bounds of or on the edge of labor law.

Re: Tech layoffs could push workers back to the office

#7

It's baffling that companies spend so much money on offices for tech workers. It makes no sense to me. It wastes money and it's pointless with tools like slack, miro, loom etc.

I work for a software company who bought a giant new building a couple of years before the pandemic hit. They waited until the last possible minute to let us WFH once the pandemic hit, and then as soon as it got better they instituted a “hybrid” WFH policy - in office 3 days, WFH 2 days. I don’t understand why. The 2 years we worked from home were the most profitable despite a worldwide pandemic going on, and I felt…

I think there’s a large moralistic component to it. There are people who see remote work as a moral failing, and if you don’t work in person then there’s something wrong with you.

Re: Tech layoffs could push workers back to the office

#8

The article is not available if browsing from EU. Seriously?

Yeah it's silly.

It's safe to skip the article as it doesn't bring anything special to the table.

All it is saying is that the recent wave of layoffs in the US, could make workers return to the office to secure a job.

Re: Tech layoffs could push workers back to the office

#9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work for a software company who bought a giant new building a couple of years before the pandemic hit. They waited until the last possible minute to let us WFH once the pandemic hit, and then as soon as it got better they instituted a “hybrid” WFH policy - in office 3 days, WFH 2 days. I don’t understand why. The 2 years we worked from home were the most profitable despite a worldwide pandemic going on, and I felt…

Y’all need to unionize and negotiate for remote work as a mandated benefit if you don’t want to leave but want to keep working remote. Otherwise, they'll keep treating you like peasants demanding whatever they can get away with within the bounds of or on the edge of labor law.

This past year or two would have been prime time to do that while labor power was at an apex, but once the recession hits that opportunity will be long gone. When the trend flips back to employer power dominant then WFH will no longer be as prevalent as it has been. Not to mention the chipping away at untold amounts of perks and benefits that tech workers, primarily Silicon Valley ones, have taken for granted for the past decade. This was a lost opportunity, a real "the ants and the grasshopper" situation.

Re: Tech layoffs could push workers back to the office

#10
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work for a software company who bought a giant new building a couple of years before the pandemic hit. They waited until the last possible minute to let us WFH once the pandemic hit, and then as soon as it got better they instituted a “hybrid” WFH policy - in office 3 days, WFH 2 days. I don’t understand why. The 2 years we worked from home were the most profitable despite a worldwide pandemic going on, and I felt…

I think there’s a large moralistic component to it. There are people who see remote work as a moral failing, and if you don’t work in person then there’s something wrong with you.

I can see this as the main reason why. Top level executives didn’t even have a standard work from home exception for bad weather (I’m in New England) and we had to work individually with our direct manager to get WFH approved when it was blizzard conditions. Luckily my manager isn’t a douche.

For a tech company, they are very slow to adopt modern convenience benefits for their employees outside of “free drinks and cafeteria food.”

Post reply on HN