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Another point to consider: while one alternative is butt-in-seat mentality, WfH shifts the infrastructure, space, and social/professional networking costs onto

Another point to consider: while one alternative is butt-in-seat mentality, WfH shifts the infrastructure, space, and social/professional networking costs onto employees while increasing domestic efficiencies, cutting commutes, emissions, and transportation costs. It does seems like turning employees into contractors, to a degree, like requiring Lyft/Uber drivers to provide their own vehicles and eat the maintenance and depreciation costs.

silicon2401 5y ago
I agree with your sentiment to a degree, but I disagree with your implication that any expense spent on work makes you a contractor. Almost all workers have to buy their own clothes, bring their own lunch, and find their own time to sleep and pay for medical needs. Personally I would even buy my own laptop for work if it means I don't ever have to go to the office.
- failwhaleshark 5y ago
  I muddled the point. Not as a contractor literally, but as a "sharecropper" who must provide more things themselves instead of work providing them. > Personally I would even buy my own laptop for work This reduces your income if work would pay for it. This reminds me of some jobs where employees have to buy their own uniforms, equipment, etc. as the point I almost made.
  - silicon2401 5y ago
    > This reduces your income if work would pay for it. I agree; I guess my personal point is that I don't remotely care about anything as much as I do the ability to wfh. After that is salary, after that is other comp. Offer me a fully-remote job at an acceptable salary and you've got me very interested. In contrast I've flat out turned down recruiters, including FAANG, when I asked about remote opportunities and they say they maybe will do a hybrid model in the future. At the end of the day if I'm making a good salary and can work wherever I want to in the US/world, nothing else matters to me too much.
slavapestov 5y ago
Giving employees the choice to work remotely or come into an office is the best approach. There are tradeoffs to each, and it should really be up to the individual to decide what is best for them.

silicon2401 5y ago

I agree with your sentiment to a degree, but I disagree with your implication that any expense spent on work makes you a contractor. Almost all workers have to buy their own clothes, bring their own lunch, and find their own time to sleep and pay for medical needs. Personally I would even buy my own laptop for work if it means I don't ever have to go to the office.

failwhaleshark 5y ago
I muddled the point. Not as a contractor literally, but as a "sharecropper" who must provide more things themselves instead of work providing them. > Personally I would even buy my own laptop for work This reduces your income if work would pay for it. This reminds me of some jobs where employees have to buy their own uniforms, equipment, etc. as the point I almost made.
- silicon2401 5y ago
  > This reduces your income if work would pay for it. I agree; I guess my personal point is that I don't remotely care about anything as much as I do the ability to wfh. After that is salary, after that is other comp. Offer me a fully-remote job at an acceptable salary and you've got me very interested. In contrast I've flat out turned down recruiters, including FAANG, when I asked about remote opportunities and they say they maybe will do a hybrid model in the future. At the end of the day if I'm making a good salary and can work wherever I want to in the US/world, nothing else matters to me too much.

slavapestov 5y ago

Giving employees the choice to work remotely or come into an office is the best approach. There are tradeoffs to each, and it should really be up to the individual to decide what is best for them.