Ask HN: Who's getting pulled back into the office?
Sweden has, as of today, retracted all Covid-19 restriction as is basically we're "back to normal". Within 12 hours several companies went out and said we are all going back to the office. Some companies (like mine) said mandatory one day per week in the office, others said "fun's over, back in the office 100%".
What's your situation?
50 comments
[ 3.2 ms ] story [ 104 ms ] threadConsequently, I can't share the enthusiasm of the crowd that seems to have deluded itself into believing this whole mess would usher in the age of the Glorious Work From Home revolution.
Personally it seems like the worst of both worlds.
Had to go in one day a week to spend the day on Zoom to the team overseas we where working with. Two to three hours lost a day commuting to use Zoom at a desk in the office instead of Zoom in my home office.
Ironically the days we where forced to go in where the least productive days as we’d catch-up with other colleagues, get coffees, get lunch etc. We looked busy though and that’s what the CEO wanted, it was a one day check in for all intent and purposes to make sure we where not slacking at home.
If it is your own choice though, its a different story.
I commute to empty office daily
I think everybody is gonna quit and just compete for remote jobs.
We were told early on that we would get a 30 day warning if we were expected to come back to the office, and management for my team has said they would never require us to come back, that it would always be optional. (Always is a long time. I'm under no illusion that this policy is immutable).
I would be very surprised if myself or any of my peers asked to come back to the office in the next year or so.
I guess it works both ways, over exposure to anything can cause the opposite effect.
That being said, I work a lot (but it is my company). I thought I worked a-lot at the office but being back at home it never stops - This is also down to personal traits such as having ADHD and the drive to succeed, the guilty feeling when i’m not working or achieving anything.
Maybe this is the big difference. I need that buffer zone so I don’t just continuously work every waking hour.
What i’ve seen from employees is that they are firm about working from home and I need to take into consideration these people work 7.5 hours 5 days a week and not 14-16 7 days a week, different perspectives.
I’ll never go back to commuting.
There's no work community or camaraderie at home. Doggo should count. Kittah jumping on the keyboard is just using you for food and grooming.
There's no grabbing lunches.
There's no visiting X down the hall.
No grabbing a beer after work.
Boss G, H, or J can't see you around.
Colleagues M, N, P, and Q don't have a sense of your performance or amount of work that happens far away. "Out of sight, ..."
Pair programming becomes less effective.
It's typing away by yourself like a writer, occasionally seeing "holograms" of other people on screens, or taking calls like you're working a call center.
As for the rest, I (personally) don’t see them as positives anyway…
You say this like it's a bad thing .
>Boss G, H, or J can't see you around.
So you're saying you can grab a beer during work without issue? Sounds pretty good to me.
Official word is that at some point in the future we might have a central location again but this is not for certain.
I do miss the office sometimes but having all that time and energy back of just getting to and from work is more than worth it.
If most of employees hands in resignation notes; then the policy will be reverted as quickly as it was created. Unless whole management is toxic and they cannot survive without having ability to micro-manage and shoulder-peek all day long.
Which is why I'll be looking for a new remote job soon.
We are a cloud shop 100% remote and I can say we have been hiring some really good talent at the major companies just because of this.
Some people even accept a full pay cut for this.
I like to be among people, to have my team mates few steps away and not few clicks and Zoom call away.
I would say that one third of my current company is coming to office, and the rest of the team is remote.
So far I've worked like 95% days from the office, and 5% days from home.
Coworkers (report writers and the like) tried it - loved it - hate the fact that our C levels want them back in the office. But even though they felt like they were more productive at home they didn't do half their work, and they weren't around to fix the easy stuff before it became a ticket... rest of the buiilding resented the fact that they were never around to help