4 ms·

The only thing that working from home hurts is your ability to put up with the general "office bullshit" that you put up with in order to have a career prior to

by NDizzle 10y ago

The only thing that working from home hurts is your ability to put up with the general "office bullshit" that you put up with in order to have a career prior to technical remote work becoming a possibility. I know that, at least for me, I would have to get paid a lot more to come into the office. I don't miss the commutes, business lunches, and the general overcrowding of the city.

sshagent 10y ago
exactly this. I've been working from home for about 8 years now, and even those days when i don't have 100% concentration I'm still a lot more productive than in an office environment. I've been offered and approached about multiple roles which have had a variety of nice bits about them, but having to commute for them ...costing me 4 hours of my time per day just doesn't make it make any sense. I've turned down roles for twice my wage. Don't get me wrong i want a new challenge but i also love my free time. Getting to bed my 22:00 each night and setting my alarm for 06:00 is something i don't think i can tolerate.
- jlebrech 10y ago
  if those extra 4 hours means you can work those extra 4 hours for someone online in emergencies you can be a lot more valuable.
  - sshagent 10y ago
    Well I am primarily a NetBackup guy, so those emergencies happen a lot more frequently than you'd think :) And yes, I'm fine with working late when needed.
    - jlebrech 10y ago
      so you're making the most of your available time. when i'm stuck with a commute i'll cycle, as it replaces gym time.
- pclstyle 10y ago
  There is quite a lot of middle ground between working from home and a four hour daily commute. I was at a similar crossroads a few years back, but my total commute was closer to 50 minutes and the 60% bump in pay was well worth it for me. At the end of the day, it's a personal decision that is highly dependent on circumstances and preferences. What I will say is that there are certainly advantages to being in a shared space with collaborators for a scheduled bracket of time on a regular basis. I haven't yet found a remote-working setup that can properly mimic these advantages. Certainly some make a praiseworthy attempt -- but some of my team's most productive days have been kicked off with a brief hallway conversation that resulted in alignment/commitment that would have taken far longer if attempted remotely.
  - sshagent 10y ago
    I agree with that completely. I'm actually a team of one, no one else does my work. So there isn't any random coffee chat, or overhearing someone talking of a problem that i can help with. There are two big negatives i find from working from home, by the end of Friday I NEED socialising which can be at odds with my partners desire to chill inside after her week 'outside'. Secondly i don't get involved in side projects not directly associated with my actual role, which i do miss.
- pc86 10y ago
  My commute limit is 30 minutes one way, door to door. My actual commute right now is under 10 minutes, by car. Where are you that a 2-hour one way commute is reasonable?
markbnj 10y ago
This x 100. I've been working from home for ten years and I don't miss any of the stuff associated with commuting.
kartan 10y ago
> is your ability to put up with the general "office bullshit" I have been lucky enough to work with really awesome people in good environments. If I have worked from home I will have lost the pleasure to meet them, and - with some of them - to have long lasting friendships. I also have learned a lot about people needs, fears, and worries. And how that affects the work environment, and how to deal with it to create a more productive environment, at the same time that a happier one. To hide away from "office bullshit" just hides the problem, it doesn't solve it. If you have a lot of that in your company, maybe it will be better to change to another one. > I don't miss the commutes, business lunches, and the general overcrowding of the city. I live at 10 minutes from the office, 45 minues if I walk. And I love to go for lunch with my co-workers. We have a really relaxed and welcoming environment at the office. So it translates in people that want to work toguether. Working from home can solve some problems. But "office bullshit" needs to be solved in other ways. Otherwise you are just hiding it behind distance.

by NDizzle 10y ago

sshagent 10y ago

exactly this. I've been working from home for about 8 years now, and even those days when i don't have 100% concentration I'm still a lot more productive than in an office environment. I've been offered and approached about multiple roles which have had a variety of nice bits about them, but having to commute for them ...costing me 4 hours of my time per day just doesn't make it make any sense. I've turned down roles for twice my wage. Don't get me wrong i want a new challenge but i also love my free time. Getting to bed my 22:00 each night and setting my alarm for 06:00 is something i don't think i can tolerate.

jlebrech 10y ago
if those extra 4 hours means you can work those extra 4 hours for someone online in emergencies you can be a lot more valuable.
- sshagent 10y ago
  Well I am primarily a NetBackup guy, so those emergencies happen a lot more frequently than you'd think :) And yes, I'm fine with working late when needed.
  - jlebrech 10y ago
    so you're making the most of your available time. when i'm stuck with a commute i'll cycle, as it replaces gym time.
pclstyle 10y ago
There is quite a lot of middle ground between working from home and a four hour daily commute. I was at a similar crossroads a few years back, but my total commute was closer to 50 minutes and the 60% bump in pay was well worth it for me. At the end of the day, it's a personal decision that is highly dependent on circumstances and preferences. What I will say is that there are certainly advantages to being in a shared space with collaborators for a scheduled bracket of time on a regular basis. I haven't yet found a remote-working setup that can properly mimic these advantages. Certainly some make a praiseworthy attempt -- but some of my team's most productive days have been kicked off with a brief hallway conversation that resulted in alignment/commitment that would have taken far longer if attempted remotely.
- sshagent 10y ago
  I agree with that completely. I'm actually a team of one, no one else does my work. So there isn't any random coffee chat, or overhearing someone talking of a problem that i can help with. There are two big negatives i find from working from home, by the end of Friday I NEED socialising which can be at odds with my partners desire to chill inside after her week 'outside'. Secondly i don't get involved in side projects not directly associated with my actual role, which i do miss.
pc86 10y ago
My commute limit is 30 minutes one way, door to door. My actual commute right now is under 10 minutes, by car. Where are you that a 2-hour one way commute is reasonable?

markbnj 10y ago

This x 100. I've been working from home for ten years and I don't miss any of the stuff associated with commuting.

kartan 10y ago

> is your ability to put up with the general "office bullshit" I have been lucky enough to work with really awesome people in good environments. If I have worked from home I will have lost the pleasure to meet them, and - with some of them - to have long lasting friendships. I also have learned a lot about people needs, fears, and worries. And how that affects the work environment, and how to deal with it to create a more productive environment, at the same time that a happier one. To hide away from "office bullshit" just hides the problem, it doesn't solve it. If you have a lot of that in your company, maybe it will be better to change to another one. > I don't miss the commutes, business lunches, and the general overcrowding of the city. I live at 10 minutes from the office, 45 minues if I walk. And I love to go for lunch with my co-workers. We have a really relaxed and welcoming environment at the office. So it translates in people that want to work toguether. Working from home can solve some problems. But "office bullshit" needs to be solved in other ways. Otherwise you are just hiding it behind distance.