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It's hard. A lot of office workers are so happy not just about the lack of a commute but also avoiding office politics and office jerks. At the same time I do f

It's hard. A lot of office workers are so happy not just about the lack of a commute but also avoiding office politics and office jerks. At the same time I do feel for people in the lunch, transportation industry or those office workers that depend on staff being in an office to function. Personally I really hope I never go back to an office. Its so much easier to work with others online than in person.

s1artibartfast 5y ago
How does wfh avoid office politics? I feel like it has only been accentuated and most employees have vastly reduced visibility.
- NortySpock 5y ago
  Yeah, it just hides office politics behind private slack channels and zoom calls. I certainly have reduced visibility to what's going on. On the other hand, not having a ~40 minute commute is a real perk.
- foobiekr 5y ago
  I work for a very political company but have a high, broad-in-scope role. The politics have gone to eleven. I think most employees who think politics has _diminished_ in the last year are just demonstrating how remote can lower your ability to read the room.
- mumblemumble 5y ago
  It gives one the freedom to choose not to actively participate. In person, it's not considered polite to take a breath and step away to think for 10 minutes before responding. So it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind. Remote, there's room to pause, reflect, and decide how to respond. That makes it a lot easier to choose not to engage. Does that mean that you're often letting the white collar Machiavellis have their way? Yes. But perhaps that's not your problem. It's often easier to choose not to have it be your problem when you're physically removed from the situation.
- SunlightEdge 5y ago
  I guess it varies by company. In my previous company, there were a fair few unpleasant company people that enjoyed gossip, snidy remarks, and being just general jerks. As soon as I was fully remote I didn't need to engage with them anymore. There's also the below point on being able to take timeout and avoid office politics if you so wish while working remotely. I can appreciate it varies but definitely for me remote work feels a lot more focused on the job with less bullshit human interaction needed.

s1artibartfast 5y ago

How does wfh avoid office politics? I feel like it has only been accentuated and most employees have vastly reduced visibility.

NortySpock 5y ago
Yeah, it just hides office politics behind private slack channels and zoom calls. I certainly have reduced visibility to what's going on. On the other hand, not having a ~40 minute commute is a real perk.
foobiekr 5y ago
I work for a very political company but have a high, broad-in-scope role. The politics have gone to eleven. I think most employees who think politics has _diminished_ in the last year are just demonstrating how remote can lower your ability to read the room.
mumblemumble 5y ago
It gives one the freedom to choose not to actively participate. In person, it's not considered polite to take a breath and step away to think for 10 minutes before responding. So it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind. Remote, there's room to pause, reflect, and decide how to respond. That makes it a lot easier to choose not to engage. Does that mean that you're often letting the white collar Machiavellis have their way? Yes. But perhaps that's not your problem. It's often easier to choose not to have it be your problem when you're physically removed from the situation.
SunlightEdge 5y ago
I guess it varies by company. In my previous company, there were a fair few unpleasant company people that enjoyed gossip, snidy remarks, and being just general jerks. As soon as I was fully remote I didn't need to engage with them anymore. There's also the below point on being able to take timeout and avoid office politics if you so wish while working remotely. I can appreciate it varies but definitely for me remote work feels a lot more focused on the job with less bullshit human interaction needed.