5 ms·

I think, quite simply, remote work in the tech sector has redefined work-life balance. Rather than work 9-5 and go home and disconnect, you can mix and match pe

I think, quite simply, remote work in the tech sector has redefined work-life balance. Rather than work 9-5 and go home and disconnect, you can mix and match personal and work tasks throughout the day. This reduction in sole focus on "work time" has led a lot of us to realize that work isn't everything. As such, for those who have significant savings, resigning and taking a sabbatical or an early retirement is an attractive option as it allows us to maximize our life balance. For others, the taste of flexible remote work is preferred and so they'll resign and find a job that better suits their desired work-life balance. Consequently, because companies are more flexible on location since they're remote, competition to hire talent has become a national game and not just a localized one. Therefore, salaries _must_ go up across the board to pay the risk premium of folks going to a FAANG. As such, companies that want top-talent in the midwest are going to have to pay significantly closer to Bay Area/FAANG rates, or settle for less than top talent (which is likely). For those who fall into the upper echelons of talent, though, the compensation and location are no longer mutually exclusive ventures. Again, this expansion of the game makes finding new work more attractive and with significant, and sufficient, savings, resignation is suitable while they lackadaisically find their next opportunity.

novok 5y ago
For me, being stuck inside with COVID made me stay at a job longer than I would have, because I'm stuck inside, might as well make money. Taking a sabbatical during covid lockdowns feels pretty sucky and even more isolating.
- kuraudo 5y ago
  I think the american paradigm of "going out on your own" at 18 and not starting a family until you have had a career is what fuels this psychological damage. Immigrant types with big families seemed to not have this problem and are ok with whatever allows them full wfh. Myself, I never once lamented the lack of physical interaction in the office; it was a burden precisely because my full religious/family support group was always accessible even under maximum lockdown conditions.
  - op00to 5y ago
    … immigrant types? What “type” is an immigrant? Not all immigrants have “big families”.
    - david-gpu 5y ago
      Not to mention that our extended families are in the opposite side of the world, so we hardly ever see them.
    - effingwewt 5y ago
      It's an optics issue. Immigrants will come often come with family in tow and often live together. Compared to American families which are spread out with usually only the immediate family living together. So it just looks like they have bigger families- but of course it's usually quite the opposite, they are just new to the country.
  - kayodelycaon 5y ago
    Not everyone has the luxury of a supportive family or a religious group that’s willing to risk its members by ignoring quarantine.
KaiserPro 5y ago
> Rather than work 9-5 and go home and disconnect, you can mix and match personal and work tasks throughout the day. Personally that sounds, difficult. I cannot multitask, and frankly the lockdown was horrifically lonely for me. Stuck in the same place, all the time, with no opportunity to go out.

novok 5y ago

For me, being stuck inside with COVID made me stay at a job longer than I would have, because I'm stuck inside, might as well make money. Taking a sabbatical during covid lockdowns feels pretty sucky and even more isolating.

kuraudo 5y ago
I think the american paradigm of "going out on your own" at 18 and not starting a family until you have had a career is what fuels this psychological damage. Immigrant types with big families seemed to not have this problem and are ok with whatever allows them full wfh. Myself, I never once lamented the lack of physical interaction in the office; it was a burden precisely because my full religious/family support group was always accessible even under maximum lockdown conditions.
- op00to 5y ago
  … immigrant types? What “type” is an immigrant? Not all immigrants have “big families”.
  - david-gpu 5y ago
    Not to mention that our extended families are in the opposite side of the world, so we hardly ever see them.
  - effingwewt 5y ago
    It's an optics issue. Immigrants will come often come with family in tow and often live together. Compared to American families which are spread out with usually only the immediate family living together. So it just looks like they have bigger families- but of course it's usually quite the opposite, they are just new to the country.
- kayodelycaon 5y ago
  Not everyone has the luxury of a supportive family or a religious group that’s willing to risk its members by ignoring quarantine.

KaiserPro 5y ago

> Rather than work 9-5 and go home and disconnect, you can mix and match personal and work tasks throughout the day. Personally that sounds, difficult. I cannot multitask, and frankly the lockdown was horrifically lonely for me. Stuck in the same place, all the time, with no opportunity to go out.