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I've worked entirely from home before and I didn't really like it after a while. It was too hard to get motivated every day and keep to the schedule I'd set and

I've worked entirely from home before and I didn't really like it after a while. It was too hard to get motivated every day and keep to the schedule I'd set and I missed having coworkers even just being around even if we don't talk all the time. But I would enjoy being able to work from home while still having a workplace I needed to go to at leaat a few days a week.

ams6110 9y ago
Where I work, "working from home" is code for "checking email a few times during the day so it appears I'm at least somewhat engaged, while really doing very little at all yet not using a PTO day." Too hard to get anything done when others you need to collaborate with are not there.
- Myrmornis 9y ago
  Yes, it only works (from the employers point of view) if the following are true: 1. the employee either genuinely enjoys the work or genuinely cares about the company 2. the employee has not become cynical about the company, even if (1) was originally true. In most lines of work these are unlikely to be true for most people. However, software engineering can, if you're lucky, have an addictive quality and be intellectually enjoyable and intellectually meaningful. If that coincides with a decent company with decent people, then weirdly, remote working can result in people working hard away from the office. In my case, getting much more done away from the office because personally I can get nothing done in an open plan office with frequent meetings.
  - karmajunkie 9y ago
    You left out the critical ingredient: the company has to have remote-first DNA. If they aren't set up to handle that style of employee, its going to result in a hire that feels isolated and who will very probably experience being passed over for anything interesting. Remote-first implies all kinds of things, up to and including having slack convos with someone sitting one desk over, and most companies just don't care enough to put the effort in to make a truly remote friendly workplace.
- megaman22 9y ago
  While I will agree that "working from home" can often be codewords for fucking around and slacking off, one day I actually work at home I usually get more done than in a good week at the office.

ams6110 9y ago

Where I work, "working from home" is code for "checking email a few times during the day so it appears I'm at least somewhat engaged, while really doing very little at all yet not using a PTO day." Too hard to get anything done when others you need to collaborate with are not there.

Myrmornis 9y ago
Yes, it only works (from the employers point of view) if the following are true: 1. the employee either genuinely enjoys the work or genuinely cares about the company 2. the employee has not become cynical about the company, even if (1) was originally true. In most lines of work these are unlikely to be true for most people. However, software engineering can, if you're lucky, have an addictive quality and be intellectually enjoyable and intellectually meaningful. If that coincides with a decent company with decent people, then weirdly, remote working can result in people working hard away from the office. In my case, getting much more done away from the office because personally I can get nothing done in an open plan office with frequent meetings.
- karmajunkie 9y ago
  You left out the critical ingredient: the company has to have remote-first DNA. If they aren't set up to handle that style of employee, its going to result in a hire that feels isolated and who will very probably experience being passed over for anything interesting. Remote-first implies all kinds of things, up to and including having slack convos with someone sitting one desk over, and most companies just don't care enough to put the effort in to make a truly remote friendly workplace.
megaman22 9y ago
While I will agree that "working from home" can often be codewords for fucking around and slacking off, one day I actually work at home I usually get more done than in a good week at the office.