4 ms·

I’m disappointed in Sundar’s tone deaf vision for the future of work. A hybrid model requires employees to be on site some of the time, and forces them to live

I’m disappointed in Sundar’s tone deaf vision for the future of work. A hybrid model requires employees to be on site some of the time, and forces them to live nearby. It will also make people feel like they HAVE to come in to the office so they aren’t othered. This also sacrifices some of the major benefits for employees like the freedom to live wherever we want, suiting our financial needs, familial needs, political/cultural needs, etc. We need to avoid having gigantic concentrations of our society in a few locations, and COVID lockdowns have proven we can make it work in knowledge industries.

kostarelo 6y ago
It seems like you are comparing his vision with your own ultimate preference.
danans 6y ago
> This also sacrifices some of the major benefits for employees like the freedom to live wherever we want, suiting our financial needs, familial needs, political/cultural needs, etc. We need to avoid having gigantic concentrations of our society in a few locations, The freedom to live wherever you want is great, but it is not without costs. Major cities aren't going away. They are the creative hubs of society. Most group human endeavors are the product of cities. To be part of that creative community, you have to be near a city. However, we could afford to have some diversification in tech industry beyond the big hubs, but in Google's case they've already done this (i.e. Boulder, Ann Arbor). Bear in mind that there will be resistance in those places, also, for very rational reasons (i.e. escalating housing costs). There is undoubtedly a societal reorganization underway, but it is highly unlikely to satisfy either the purely remote or purely in-office preferences.
- ghaff 6y ago
  Depending upon what getting together sometimes looks like, it can still give a lot of flexibility. If it's come in 2 days per week, you probably still need to live a 2-3 hour drive away. (Not that some consultants etc. don't sly to a work location every week.) But if it's the odd off-site/2 day team meeting, people can live pretty much anywhere--at least domestically in the US.
  - danans 6y ago
    > Depending upon what getting together sometimes looks like, it can still give a lot of flexibility. Exactly. IMO most people would prefer a few less days of commute, and a less grueling commute overall due to the possibly reduced congestion.
MrScruff 6y ago
I have the opposite take. Having some work from home means those who can’t stand working that way such as myself are forced to completely restructure how we communicate and collaborate to enable those that want it. I’ve spoken to many others who feel the same way.

kostarelo 6y ago

It seems like you are comparing his vision with your own ultimate preference.

danans 6y ago

> This also sacrifices some of the major benefits for employees like the freedom to live wherever we want, suiting our financial needs, familial needs, political/cultural needs, etc. We need to avoid having gigantic concentrations of our society in a few locations, The freedom to live wherever you want is great, but it is not without costs. Major cities aren't going away. They are the creative hubs of society. Most group human endeavors are the product of cities. To be part of that creative community, you have to be near a city. However, we could afford to have some diversification in tech industry beyond the big hubs, but in Google's case they've already done this (i.e. Boulder, Ann Arbor). Bear in mind that there will be resistance in those places, also, for very rational reasons (i.e. escalating housing costs). There is undoubtedly a societal reorganization underway, but it is highly unlikely to satisfy either the purely remote or purely in-office preferences.

ghaff 6y ago
Depending upon what getting together sometimes looks like, it can still give a lot of flexibility. If it's come in 2 days per week, you probably still need to live a 2-3 hour drive away. (Not that some consultants etc. don't sly to a work location every week.) But if it's the odd off-site/2 day team meeting, people can live pretty much anywhere--at least domestically in the US.
- danans 6y ago
  > Depending upon what getting together sometimes looks like, it can still give a lot of flexibility. Exactly. IMO most people would prefer a few less days of commute, and a less grueling commute overall due to the possibly reduced congestion.

MrScruff 6y ago

I have the opposite take. Having some work from home means those who can’t stand working that way such as myself are forced to completely restructure how we communicate and collaborate to enable those that want it. I’ve spoken to many others who feel the same way.