5 ms·

One of the arguments I'm surprised I don't hear more often is how much more inclusive remote work is. People who find driving intensely stressful can be accomm

One of the arguments I'm surprised I don't hear more often is how much more inclusive remote work is. People who find driving intensely stressful can be accommodated. People who might not feel comfortable being themselves in physical corporate spaces (e.g. those whose appearance/ethnicity gets remarked on, or people who feel the need to code switch around co-workers) can be accommodated. People who want to maximize time near their loved ones can be accommodated. People on the autism spectrum can be accommodated. Germophobes, agoraphobes, and those who are just socially anxious can be accomodated. People with disabilities can be accommodated. And if all of these people have proven to do effective work remotely, are we really doing a healthy thing for society in demanding their physical presence?

tailspin2019 5y ago
Well said!
twodave 5y ago
At Greenshades, working remote has been an option now for several years. It started with a few folks who just had good reasons to stay home (I was one of them). Then we started recruiting nation-wide, which is nice for the company but you can imagine how the locals had a sense of community that the true remotes felt they were missing. Fast forward to 2020--nearly everyone has moved to 100% remote. It's hard to tell who is local vs not anymore. There are _some_ local events, but they usually coincide with flying folks in. I'd say it's much more inclusive as it puts us all on a more level playing field.
BrissyCoder 5y ago
People who want to take their morning poop in a clean private bathroom.
- schoolornot 5y ago
  Toilet privacy seems to come up at every company I've worked at. American stalls tend to have large gaps whereas European offices usually have private rooms with their own sink and mirror. Bathroom hygiene seems less important still even in post-COVID times.
- claviska 5y ago
  I used to work in an old building with six floors. The bathrooms were all in the common area hallways, only two stalls per floor. It was a challenge to find an empty one between 8-10am, running up and down the stairs frantically trying door knobs. You either got there early, or you waited and then suffered the smell of the last peoples’ business while you did your business. Oh, the frustration of stealthily making your way to the hallway only to get stopped by a chatty coworker as your bowels begin to churn. The ticking of the clock as the sweat drips down your face. The movement of your coworker’s lips in slow motion as small talk pours out of their mouth while everyone else sneaks off to fill the bathrooms up. Nah, can’t say I miss that part very much.
  - klipklop 5y ago
    The times I have come closest to pooping my pants as an adult is working at a FAANG office. Not enough male bathrooms!
sg47 5y ago
I have severe IBS and need to use the bathroom many times a day. I have disc bulges in my spine that make driving very difficult. WFH has been a massive boon in helping me manage my difficulties better. I'm dreading going back to work even if it's only 3 days a week.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
csnover 5y ago
I’m baffled by the companies which are fully remote but still consider it an essential job function[0] for their employees to travel to their annual company-wide social retreats. I understand that the boss thinks it’s super important for employees to occasionally mingle in person or whatever, but I struggle to not see this as a policy intentionally designed to avoid employing disabled people. Is there some good faith reason to do this that I’m not thinking of? [0] https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/essential-job-functions-under-the-ada.html https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/essential-job-functi...
- dleslie 5y ago
  My company has those but doesn't require them; I've missed a couple, myself. Is it common to _require_ them?
- plorkyeran 5y ago
  I've never encountered a company where those are _required_. Missing out on the networking that occurs at them will hurt your career, but that won't be the direct cause of getting fired or missing a promotion.
coredog64 5y ago
Apropos the spectrum, I’ve noticed that remote work can also be harder. People mute and don’t show video, or the video is so small and grainy that it’s extremely hard to pick up the not-so-subtle clues and vibes they are throwing off. It’s taken years to work out what are generally positive/negative signs in-person and now that’s all out the window.

tailspin2019 5y ago

Well said!

twodave 5y ago

At Greenshades, working remote has been an option now for several years. It started with a few folks who just had good reasons to stay home (I was one of them). Then we started recruiting nation-wide, which is nice for the company but you can imagine how the locals had a sense of community that the true remotes felt they were missing. Fast forward to 2020--nearly everyone has moved to 100% remote. It's hard to tell who is local vs not anymore. There are _some_ local events, but they usually coincide with flying folks in. I'd say it's much more inclusive as it puts us all on a more level playing field.

BrissyCoder 5y ago

People who want to take their morning poop in a clean private bathroom.

schoolornot 5y ago
Toilet privacy seems to come up at every company I've worked at. American stalls tend to have large gaps whereas European offices usually have private rooms with their own sink and mirror. Bathroom hygiene seems less important still even in post-COVID times.
claviska 5y ago
I used to work in an old building with six floors. The bathrooms were all in the common area hallways, only two stalls per floor. It was a challenge to find an empty one between 8-10am, running up and down the stairs frantically trying door knobs. You either got there early, or you waited and then suffered the smell of the last peoples’ business while you did your business. Oh, the frustration of stealthily making your way to the hallway only to get stopped by a chatty coworker as your bowels begin to churn. The ticking of the clock as the sweat drips down your face. The movement of your coworker’s lips in slow motion as small talk pours out of their mouth while everyone else sneaks off to fill the bathrooms up. Nah, can’t say I miss that part very much.
- klipklop 5y ago
  The times I have come closest to pooping my pants as an adult is working at a FAANG office. Not enough male bathrooms!

sg47 5y ago

I have severe IBS and need to use the bathroom many times a day. I have disc bulges in my spine that make driving very difficult. WFH has been a massive boon in helping me manage my difficulties better. I'm dreading going back to work even if it's only 3 days a week.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

csnover 5y ago

I’m baffled by the companies which are fully remote but still consider it an essential job function[0] for their employees to travel to their annual company-wide social retreats. I understand that the boss thinks it’s super important for employees to occasionally mingle in person or whatever, but I struggle to not see this as a policy intentionally designed to avoid employing disabled people. Is there some good faith reason to do this that I’m not thinking of? [0] https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/essential-job-functions-under-the-ada.html https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/essential-job-functi...

dleslie 5y ago
My company has those but doesn't require them; I've missed a couple, myself. Is it common to _require_ them?
plorkyeran 5y ago
I've never encountered a company where those are _required_. Missing out on the networking that occurs at them will hurt your career, but that won't be the direct cause of getting fired or missing a promotion.

coredog64 5y ago

Apropos the spectrum, I’ve noticed that remote work can also be harder. People mute and don’t show video, or the video is so small and grainy that it’s extremely hard to pick up the not-so-subtle clues and vibes they are throwing off. It’s taken years to work out what are generally positive/negative signs in-person and now that’s all out the window.