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That is astounding. When asked to decide, my place went 100% software engineers committing to WFH, and well over two-thirds of every other group as well. Team

That is astounding. When asked to decide, my place went 100% software engineers committing to WFH, and well over two-thirds of every other group as well. Team admin is tag-teaming a physical presence at the office, the big boss likes to come in, there's one person in sales who likes to come in, and the guy who assembles the hardware has to come in on a number of days. I think that's about it. Almost the entire company chose to go remote, and we're never going back. The big boss indicated towards the end of last year that we're giving up the lease on one of the two office spaces. At least one person has already moved hundreds of miles to Yorkshire where he's simply having a better life. That's what it is. It's the opportunity for a better life, just waiting to be grasped. I do have sympathy for people who have discovered that their social well-being depended on physical interaction with people in the office; I would hazard that the solution to that is not to go back to the office. There are better ways to get that. There is a better life to be had.

bradlys 5y ago
It could be that you had a really bad office culture that no one wanted to go back to. It wouldn’t be surprising then that everyone was like, “yeah, let’s not.”
- EliRivers 5y ago
  We do have a lot of people who are married and have children; for them, it is absolutely zero contest. Being at home and having that flexibility makes home and family life so much better in every way for them. Even things like having breakfast every day with the kids. For a lot of these people, there is no office culture good enough to make up for it. For these people, every office culture is bad; they just didn't notice until now. One chap moved back to Yorkshire where his family is from and where he grew up, and his out-of-office culture is now so much better. Again, for him, no office culture could compare. No office culture could make up for losing that. Had a guy go back home to Spain. Two back to France. They're just all so much happier being around family and friends in the parts of the world where they feel most comfortable. I don't have children and I'm not married, but even I agree with them the a job and an office is not something I'd choose to do if I didn't have to; not having to physically transport myself and sacrifice large parts of what actually matters on the altar of employment makes a big difference. Hyperbolising for making a point, I suspect that for people who are married and have school-age children, any office culture is bad in that it sucks up time and attention from the things that really matter [0]. Maybe it's about what matters to the individual. If the job and the office is the most important thing in someone's life, then I can see that they'd want the office back. And genuinely, good for them, hope they enjoy it just as much as I hope the people above enjoy spending time with their kids and family. [0] Yes, I know, recharge the batteries away from the kids, maybe I hate my family, etc etc. There are always exceptions.

bradlys 5y ago

It could be that you had a really bad office culture that no one wanted to go back to. It wouldn’t be surprising then that everyone was like, “yeah, let’s not.”

EliRivers 5y ago
We do have a lot of people who are married and have children; for them, it is absolutely zero contest. Being at home and having that flexibility makes home and family life so much better in every way for them. Even things like having breakfast every day with the kids. For a lot of these people, there is no office culture good enough to make up for it. For these people, every office culture is bad; they just didn't notice until now. One chap moved back to Yorkshire where his family is from and where he grew up, and his out-of-office culture is now so much better. Again, for him, no office culture could compare. No office culture could make up for losing that. Had a guy go back home to Spain. Two back to France. They're just all so much happier being around family and friends in the parts of the world where they feel most comfortable. I don't have children and I'm not married, but even I agree with them the a job and an office is not something I'd choose to do if I didn't have to; not having to physically transport myself and sacrifice large parts of what actually matters on the altar of employment makes a big difference. Hyperbolising for making a point, I suspect that for people who are married and have school-age children, any office culture is bad in that it sucks up time and attention from the things that really matter [0]. Maybe it's about what matters to the individual. If the job and the office is the most important thing in someone's life, then I can see that they'd want the office back. And genuinely, good for them, hope they enjoy it just as much as I hope the people above enjoy spending time with their kids and family. [0] Yes, I know, recharge the batteries away from the kids, maybe I hate my family, etc etc. There are always exceptions.