4 ms·

I think an important thing to keep in mind is that the past 8 months aren't really a good indicator of what working remotely is really like. I've worked remotel

I think an important thing to keep in mind is that the past 8 months aren't really a good indicator of what working remotely is really like. I've worked remotely for the past 4 years, and this year has easily been the most difficult and most unlike typical remote work: - Normally, I'd try to mix up my day and get some socialization in by going to a co-working space 1-2 times a week. - I had a lot of freedom to catch up with friends after work, or over lunch, and while that's not impossible in 2020, it's very different (it's a much smaller group, always outside, and never over food or drinks - mostly just a walk or something like that). - I had much more freedom to travel (YMMV depending on your work, but I would work remotely from a cottage, or a nearby city sometimes if I was meeting up with someone - even a couple of times from more exotic locales). - For gigs where an office was close by, I still had the option to pop in once in a while, and for really remote jobs, I still tended to have some form of face to face interaction by doing a bigger visit every few months. If you're not liking remote work during 2020, I don't entirely blame you. I still don't think it's for everyone, but I would recommend trying it outside the context of a global pandemic.

draw_down 6y ago
It’s true, but doesn’t change the fact that a ton of people are going to associate this period with working from home because it’s the first time they’ve experienced it. For some it may have opened their eyes to working from home and shown them that it could be a better way to organize their day. For others it will only underscore their preference for the office. I think that’s what you would find even in a more desirable experiment than the one we’re living through.
gamesbrainiac 6y ago
This is a truly understated point. My usual routine would be to go to the office once a month, and every now and then just talk to people, meet up with colleagues on the weekend etc. This is really different from the regular WFH that I am used to.
sologoub 6y ago
This! Can’t upvote enough. People keep glossing over the structural differences of being in a crazy, hopefully once-in-a-lifetime, situation and comparing to the good’ol days of when office was amazing. I’d love to hear from those that have to go in and deal with no amenities and all the safety stuff that’s now so imperative. The other thing to consider - a lot of posters talk about sub-par home setups. Much of that is driven by cost and living close to the office and preventing the city lifestyle. If you stop forcing people to the office, your costs will likely go down as now you won’t compete for space with families with kids or those who really want the space but hate commute. Seems like a win-win.
matwood 6y ago
This is a great point. For parents, kids wouldn't be home during a 'normal' wfh scenario. I've done wfh for years and really miss going to my local coffee shop, and other various activities I used to do throughout the day because of the freedom offered with wfh.

draw_down 6y ago

It’s true, but doesn’t change the fact that a ton of people are going to associate this period with working from home because it’s the first time they’ve experienced it. For some it may have opened their eyes to working from home and shown them that it could be a better way to organize their day. For others it will only underscore their preference for the office. I think that’s what you would find even in a more desirable experiment than the one we’re living through.

gamesbrainiac 6y ago

This is a truly understated point. My usual routine would be to go to the office once a month, and every now and then just talk to people, meet up with colleagues on the weekend etc. This is really different from the regular WFH that I am used to.

sologoub 6y ago

This! Can’t upvote enough. People keep glossing over the structural differences of being in a crazy, hopefully once-in-a-lifetime, situation and comparing to the good’ol days of when office was amazing. I’d love to hear from those that have to go in and deal with no amenities and all the safety stuff that’s now so imperative. The other thing to consider - a lot of posters talk about sub-par home setups. Much of that is driven by cost and living close to the office and preventing the city lifestyle. If you stop forcing people to the office, your costs will likely go down as now you won’t compete for space with families with kids or those who really want the space but hate commute. Seems like a win-win.

matwood 6y ago

This is a great point. For parents, kids wouldn't be home during a 'normal' wfh scenario. I've done wfh for years and really miss going to my local coffee shop, and other various activities I used to do throughout the day because of the freedom offered with wfh.