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Key to a negotiation is understanding what the other party wants (and what you want, of course). WHY do they want you to work on premise? Wanting your presence

Key to a negotiation is understanding what the other party wants (and what you want, of course). WHY do they want you to work on premise? Wanting your presence is just a means to an end. There could be many reasons, like: * They think it's easier to control how much somebody works if it's on premise * it might be easier to manage * it might be inertia * they think it's more efficient * somebody is trying to exert control, or demonstrate to a higher-up that they can do so ... and so on. You should first try to understand where they are coming from, and then you can try to argue your case, framing it in a way that they can get most of their underlying motivation. Also, it helps to know in advance what you are willing to give up and what not (are you willing to walk away if you don't reach an agreement? what compromises would be acceptable to you?)

CardenB 5y ago
I think this is a significant part of the problem that has prompted the question. It would be really helpful to have some insight into what is driving the move back to the office from people on HN.
- heavyset_go 5y ago
  > It would be really helpful to have some insight into what is driving the move back to the office from people on HN. I've posted about one of the reasons that some employers are itching to get their employers back in the office here[1]. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27011439 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27011439
- Tempest1981 5y ago
  HR proudly proclaims, "we work best when we're all together"
  - pbhjpbhj 5y ago
    So they agree we should wfh? I'm kinda being facetious, but everyone is a couple of clicks away at the moment; whilst when we were in the office and video chat wasn't normalised then it would be a case of 'walk for a few minutes, find a meeting room (due to open plan offices) then chat and then a couple more minutes walking back to your own desk space' for lots of daily interactions. I prefer the later (in a large part for the exercise, change of scenery, chance for incidental meeting of people in the corridors, etc.), but the former seems like we're more together in some ways. I guess if anyone is wfh then we're "closer" if everyone is wfh (or behaving as if they were).
- bradleyjg 5y ago
  You aren’t going to get that if people that want to believe there are no downsides to companies from wfh, and so do believe it, downvote everyone that disagrees. That’s how you get a bubble and a poor model of the world.
mturmon 5y ago
Helpful comment. So for instance, if OP can address in some way what their issue is, i.e., if it's an "easy to manage" question, maybe there's a fig leaf to address it. (E.g., I'll be present on slack or whatever with a short reaction time during business hours, or whatever.) Here's another viewpoint: sure, the company may be "giving something up" letting you WFH. But, there are also positives for you and them in terms of productivity, health, etc. Clarify that it's a change, but change happens, and that the positives will outweigh the negatives.
marcus_holmes 5y ago
This. Knowing why they want you to work in the office is the first step. Get clarity on that (and that might mean reading between the lines - the boss might be lonely and just want everyone back in the office, but they'll never admit that). Once you have clarity about why they want you in the office, then you can begin to work out how you can craft a deal.

CardenB 5y ago

I think this is a significant part of the problem that has prompted the question. It would be really helpful to have some insight into what is driving the move back to the office from people on HN.

heavyset_go 5y ago
> It would be really helpful to have some insight into what is driving the move back to the office from people on HN. I've posted about one of the reasons that some employers are itching to get their employers back in the office here[1]. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27011439 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27011439
Tempest1981 5y ago
HR proudly proclaims, "we work best when we're all together"
- pbhjpbhj 5y ago
  So they agree we should wfh? I'm kinda being facetious, but everyone is a couple of clicks away at the moment; whilst when we were in the office and video chat wasn't normalised then it would be a case of 'walk for a few minutes, find a meeting room (due to open plan offices) then chat and then a couple more minutes walking back to your own desk space' for lots of daily interactions. I prefer the later (in a large part for the exercise, change of scenery, chance for incidental meeting of people in the corridors, etc.), but the former seems like we're more together in some ways. I guess if anyone is wfh then we're "closer" if everyone is wfh (or behaving as if they were).
bradleyjg 5y ago
You aren’t going to get that if people that want to believe there are no downsides to companies from wfh, and so do believe it, downvote everyone that disagrees. That’s how you get a bubble and a poor model of the world.

mturmon 5y ago

Helpful comment. So for instance, if OP can address in some way what their issue is, i.e., if it's an "easy to manage" question, maybe there's a fig leaf to address it. (E.g., I'll be present on slack or whatever with a short reaction time during business hours, or whatever.) Here's another viewpoint: sure, the company may be "giving something up" letting you WFH. But, there are also positives for you and them in terms of productivity, health, etc. Clarify that it's a change, but change happens, and that the positives will outweigh the negatives.

marcus_holmes 5y ago

This. Knowing why they want you to work in the office is the first step. Get clarity on that (and that might mean reading between the lines - the boss might be lonely and just want everyone back in the office, but they'll never admit that). Once you have clarity about why they want you in the office, then you can begin to work out how you can craft a deal.