Of all the industries trying to force people back into offices, the tech business might be the most absurd. Really just goes to show how silly it is. There is zero reason for me to be in an office to do my job.
That’s exactly what my office does. We even have to clock in and out with an app that only activates when connected to the office wifi. Getting the hell out of here.
Wow they have you clocking in and out? What is this, McDonald’s? Who does that?
As a disabled woman I need fully remote work. The longer I’ve worked in tech the more I’ve seen that an office really isn’t needed. If you like being in an office and the company wants to provide one then that’s great but there is no reason to require it.
Depends on the tasks at hand, I think.
Just writing code or discussing things in meetings feels much better remote. IMO things like mentoring juniors or on-boarding new colleagues is pretty hard when you’re not sitting next to each other.
And that’s why I love my company’s policy. Basically, we have two days “mandatory” at office (i.e. you’re expected to be in, unless you have obligations), and our VP has committed to three days minimum remote and stuck by that. And we’re totally cool with people doing full remote for a month or whatever if they are doing an extended trip or have some other reason why coming into the office is impractical.
So all of the mentoring and whatnot happens on those two days. It works quite well because the barrier to collaboration is lower those two days, and people still have the majority of their work remote for better focus and comfort.
We’re not a tech company, but I do have a tech job, so I’m very happily surprised that my org is so sensible.
The best on-boarding experience I’ve ever had was with a remote company. I think it’s more that companies still haven’t adapted properly to remote working, or have paid lip service to it. If a company does it well, it can be excellent, I’d argue better than in-person because it’s more inclusive.
I’m not in tech, but work in the public service sector with offices and all that, and we’ve been under a similar in-office twice a week mandate for a few months now, after 2.5 years of working from home due to COVID. I do see some value of being in the office occasionally - it’s nice to be able to talk to your co-workers face to face, and at least in my line of work, meeting with clients/partners face-to-face is incredibly important.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though. The office complex I’m in has been woefully outdated for over a decade and they’re only getting around to renovations now, which has led to everyone having to cram on far too few floors during workdays (though it’s better than having to work in the old sections filled with asbestos, bed bugs, and bats in the ceiling). Commuting still sucks and will always suck (and costs too much money + pollution!). At times, it feels like coming into the office is just a formality and it’s a crappy feeling being at a desk all day when I know for a fact I could be doing all my work from home just fine.
The largest issue I feel I have with it, though, is the fact that it causes centralization in our specific city, and prevents people who don’t live within driving distance of the core to reasonably be able to work. During COVID, my department was able to hire a slew of employees from across the country for 100% remote work - people who would have never gotten the chance to have such a job simply because they don’t live in one specific city timezones away. Now that we’re not only back in the office, but that upper management places such an importance on being in the office for the sake of being in the office instead of using the office space in meaningful ways, I feel like it’s a step backwards from being able to expand the talent pool, improve people’s work-life balances, cut back on our physical and carbon footprint, and reduce our cost of living.
It doubly makes me roll my eyes due to the fact that a large reason why we’re even back in the office now was because the local government feeling that it was the duty of us office workers to support downtown restaurants/businesses. I kid you not, the higher-ups behind this decision were making public statements about how important it is for us to go and spend our money through lunches and other things to stimulate the local economy - but guess what! No pay raises and we haven’t had any in 3 years despite record inflation and the rising cost of living! No - instead of these businesses having to adapt and shift their approach to the new post-COVID reality, we all have to lug our sorry asses in to spend money instead.
It doubly makes me roll my eyes due to the fact that a large reason why we’re even back in the office now was because the local government feeling that it was the duty of us office workers to support downtown restaurants/businesses.
I swear a significant chunk of my employer’s motivation to get people into the office is that they’re paying rent on it.
The way to get workers back is to increase pay and reduce working hours.
First, we’ve all gotten used to the extra time from the lack of commute. I can’t imagine going back to a commute.
Secondly, the quality of life and the cost savings from working from home are tremendous. I don’t buy coffee, I just drink the coke coffee in the pot. I don’t buy lunch, I eat leftovers or make a quick sandwich. And I am so much more comfortable working from home instead of sitting in an office where I don’t control the aircon surrounded by distractions.
If you want me in office double my pay and reduce me to 30 hours a week.
I can meet with exactly two people from my team of eight in the office. I have no advantage of going to the office but somehow the management doesn’t want to understand that…
