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Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase

nytimes.com

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Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase

#3
> “You can interrupt each other without being rude when you’re in person,”

With a large pay increase and a promotion to “guy who remembers stuff so nobody else has to”, I would gladly come into the office and not feel like it was rude to be constantly interrupted.

But as it is, my job is “finish the work you asked me to do”, and constant interruption is quite rude, in-person or otherwise.

Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase

#4
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 from management sent an email or tried to have a zoom I'd have a hard time not asking in the zoom why it wasn't an in person meeting?

And I could see people spending a whole lot of time "collaborating" too.

Maybe there needs to be a blog post 50 passive aggressive ways to get back at your employer for making you come back into the office.

Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase

#5
I’ve been seeing companies that have tried to get people to commute to/from and “work” from their office (any number of days) starting to lose the good people - the ones you want to keep around.

I’ve kept in contact with a couple of them and they’re now 100% remote, one is working for a local company the other an international and they seem genuinely so much happier.

Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase

#6
post #3

> “You can interrupt each other without being rude when you’re in person,” With a large pay increase and a promotion to “guy who remembers stuff so nobody else has to”, I would gladly come into the office and not feel like it was rude to be constantly interrupted. But as it is, my job is “finish the work you asked me to do”, and constant interruption is quite rude, in-person or otherwise.

It's the complete opposite when you’re in person. It’s so much more rude as your demanding their immediate attention at a time that suits you. Remote you can manage your notifications and methods of contact which is so much healthier.

Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase

#8
post #3

> “You can interrupt each other without being rude when you’re in person,” With a large pay increase and a promotion to “guy who remembers stuff so nobody else has to”, I would gladly come into the office and not feel like it was rude to be constantly interrupted. But as it is, my job is “finish the work you asked me to do”, and constant interruption is quite rude, in-person or otherwise.

I took a significant pay increase on a new job with the understanding that the role would be hybrid, two days a week. That was agreed upon above everything else.

Our whole team agreed to do the two days so we could have our project meetings in the lab and do our scrums in person. We also acknowledged that the days are shorter because of commuting time and productivity will not be as strong because of the office environment.

Hell, we spend half our time shooting the shit, eating lunch, and talking about non-work stuff. But we're happy to see real people. So far I'm not unhappy with the setup.

Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase

#9
post #2

Funny how they close the article with an in office gossip update as being an example of a major benefit of coming in. Really, couldn't close on something more substantial to the business?

its polite to discuss the chit-chat.. its "not polite" to discuss the actual supervision as it is implemented. This is about supervision and metrics, manager roles and executive roles, as much as anything IMHO

Re: Return to Office Enters the Desperation Phase

#10
Another 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.)

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