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not only are they half-assed incomplete attempts to solve problems solved by private offices, they ignore the excellent solution to the problem open-plan office

not only are they half-assed incomplete attempts to solve problems solved by private offices, they ignore the excellent solution to the problem open-plan offices were meant to solve: using a small office space for a large staff. if you let people work from home if they want to, you need far less office space. so instead of trying to cram in a ton of workspaces, just let people who want to work from home do that, and use the space that frees up to give private offices to the people who want to work at the office.

ghaff 6y ago
At least hoteling spaces of some sort for people. Combined with conference spaces for when people want to come into the office to meet and work together.
heavyset_go 6y ago
> if you let people work from home if they want to, you need far less office space. Some companies made investments in properties, or signed multiyear leases, before the pandemic happened. I know of a couple that are itching to get people back to work in-person.
- ashtonkem 6y ago
  I do not care that the company invested in office spaces. I’m paid to do work, and if I do worse work from an open plan office then demanding that I return to it because some executive is suffering from a sunk cost problem is genuinely stupid. That executive can mourn their losses privately and leave me alone do to the work I’m actually paid to do, thankyouverymuch.
  - heavyset_go 6y ago
    > I do not care that the company invested in office spaces Trust me, I do not care either. I'm just explaining the motivation some smaller employers have for getting employees back to the office, and hopefully those employees can see through it and advocate for their wellbeing.
- notatoad 6y ago
  yeah, i get that companies have space and want to make use of it. but that's my point - they can still make use of that space, and give everybody working on-site a better experience, by simply allowing people to work at home if they want to. There's plenty of people who actually do want to work from an office. it's not like offices will be empty if you simply let people work from home. especially if you stop forcing people to work in a fishbowl and make the office an actual productive place where people can get focused work done.
- jack9 6y ago
  > Some companies made investments in properties, or signed multiyear leases, before the pandemic happened. That was unfortunate, but incidental. Larger companies certainly can do the cost-benefit analysis that cancels out those losses if they plan on being around in 10 years.

ghaff 6y ago

At least hoteling spaces of some sort for people. Combined with conference spaces for when people want to come into the office to meet and work together.

heavyset_go 6y ago

> if you let people work from home if they want to, you need far less office space. Some companies made investments in properties, or signed multiyear leases, before the pandemic happened. I know of a couple that are itching to get people back to work in-person.

ashtonkem 6y ago
I do not care that the company invested in office spaces. I’m paid to do work, and if I do worse work from an open plan office then demanding that I return to it because some executive is suffering from a sunk cost problem is genuinely stupid. That executive can mourn their losses privately and leave me alone do to the work I’m actually paid to do, thankyouverymuch.
- heavyset_go 6y ago
  > I do not care that the company invested in office spaces Trust me, I do not care either. I'm just explaining the motivation some smaller employers have for getting employees back to the office, and hopefully those employees can see through it and advocate for their wellbeing.
notatoad 6y ago
yeah, i get that companies have space and want to make use of it. but that's my point - they can still make use of that space, and give everybody working on-site a better experience, by simply allowing people to work at home if they want to. There's plenty of people who actually do want to work from an office. it's not like offices will be empty if you simply let people work from home. especially if you stop forcing people to work in a fishbowl and make the office an actual productive place where people can get focused work done.
jack9 6y ago
> Some companies made investments in properties, or signed multiyear leases, before the pandemic happened. That was unfortunate, but incidental. Larger companies certainly can do the cost-benefit analysis that cancels out those losses if they plan on being around in 10 years.