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I remember reading on a different post (can't find it) that productivity went up sharply at the beginning of the pandemic-induced WFH trend, but then subsided o

I remember reading on a different post (can't find it) that productivity went up sharply at the beginning of the pandemic-induced WFH trend, but then subsided over time. The thinking was that people were on their toes early on for fear of being viewed as a slacker, but then once they adjusted to WFH they relaxed. Maybe someone else saw this study...

mikelward 5y ago
People were running on adrenaline at first. Then the fatigue of having kids at home and not having the usual ways to let off steam eventually hit.
- reader_x 5y ago
  I agree, there was the adrenaline at first. Plus, pandemic made my work suddenly WFH on a project already underway, with coworkers I already knew, so we went into it with momentum, perhaps even greased by being suddenly free of meetings, brown bags, time taken forever birthday celebrations down the hall, etc. Gradually, however, those projects finished and new began. Yet, those new projects lacked the momentum. The toll of zero socializing crept up. Then, 8 months into pandemic, I started a new job at new company. Onboarding 100% remote. Have never met new coworkers in person. I definitely feel I’m flying blind, that coworkers don’t really understand what the others work on. But the corrosion is subtly happening at just about the speed of rust. I miss the meetings, the brown bags, the casual chats in the hall, the conversation at lunch that make unexpected connections or spark ideas. My takeaways: 1. WFH isn’t static; effect changes over time as projects turn over and new employees onboard. 2. The organizational effect of the difference between 100% vs. 75% WfH, as compared to 75% vs 50% WFH is NOT = 25%; some other logarithmic scale of corrosiveness is resulting as we move to higher % WFH. Personally, I think I’d be most productive at 50% WFH (2-3 days per week). (PS-none of above relates to trying to WFH with kids; that’s just impossible and a completely different topic.)
- foobiekr 5y ago
  An obvious possible explanation is that work from home was running on the momentum early on and once people started having to move on to new tasks and new projects work from home got in the way.

mikelward 5y ago

People were running on adrenaline at first. Then the fatigue of having kids at home and not having the usual ways to let off steam eventually hit.

reader_x 5y ago
I agree, there was the adrenaline at first. Plus, pandemic made my work suddenly WFH on a project already underway, with coworkers I already knew, so we went into it with momentum, perhaps even greased by being suddenly free of meetings, brown bags, time taken forever birthday celebrations down the hall, etc. Gradually, however, those projects finished and new began. Yet, those new projects lacked the momentum. The toll of zero socializing crept up. Then, 8 months into pandemic, I started a new job at new company. Onboarding 100% remote. Have never met new coworkers in person. I definitely feel I’m flying blind, that coworkers don’t really understand what the others work on. But the corrosion is subtly happening at just about the speed of rust. I miss the meetings, the brown bags, the casual chats in the hall, the conversation at lunch that make unexpected connections or spark ideas. My takeaways: 1. WFH isn’t static; effect changes over time as projects turn over and new employees onboard. 2. The organizational effect of the difference between 100% vs. 75% WfH, as compared to 75% vs 50% WFH is NOT = 25%; some other logarithmic scale of corrosiveness is resulting as we move to higher % WFH. Personally, I think I’d be most productive at 50% WFH (2-3 days per week). (PS-none of above relates to trying to WFH with kids; that’s just impossible and a completely different topic.)
foobiekr 5y ago
An obvious possible explanation is that work from home was running on the momentum early on and once people started having to move on to new tasks and new projects work from home got in the way.