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In the end, someone has to pay for office space: either you as the employer, or your employees in the form of higher rent/mortgage for a larger home with dedica

In the end, someone has to pay for office space: either you as the employer, or your employees in the form of higher rent/mortgage for a larger home with dedicated office areas. (And for employees with families based in urban areas, such a larger home may be entirely unaffordable.)

bearjaws 5y ago
That non-affordability is created by the scarcity of housing, because many spaces are entirely dedicates to jobs that (now) don't need them. Think about a Manhattan with 40% more housing, what would that do to affordability?
- alexanderdmitri 5y ago
  Also the 1.6 million office workers[0] would have one less reason to live in the city in the first place. [0] https://www.osc.state.ny.us/files/reports/osdc/pdf/report-11-2022.pdf https://www.osc.state.ny.us/files/reports/osdc/pdf/report-11...
jjav 5y ago
> In the end, someone has to pay for office space True, of course. But geographically distributing the need for space reduces the very concentration of demand in the office park areas. The larger home (with an office) may be entirely unaffordable in the city center where HQ was, but with remote you can move elsewhere where it can be cheaper than an apartment in that city. Or you could rent a small office away from the crowds where it's cheaper. This is what I've been doing since pandemic start. Sure, I wish the employers would pay for it but it's still so much better that it's worth it. On fuel alone I save enough every month to pay the rent a couple times over. And my commute is ~5 minutes on a bike instead of 60-90 minutes sitting in traffic.
Chinjut 5y ago
Larger home with dedicated office areas? How many people are living in homes without computers? People already want homes that support using a computer, WFH status or no.
- tetromino_ 5y ago
  Sure, everyone has some sort of a space where a computer could be used. But there's a huge difference between "kitchen counter or dining table or couch where you can unfold your laptop on occasion" and "a place where you can work in comfort and without interruptions from the rest of your household for 8 hours at a time every day and not develop back and wrist pain".

bearjaws 5y ago

That non-affordability is created by the scarcity of housing, because many spaces are entirely dedicates to jobs that (now) don't need them. Think about a Manhattan with 40% more housing, what would that do to affordability?

alexanderdmitri 5y ago
Also the 1.6 million office workers[0] would have one less reason to live in the city in the first place. [0] https://www.osc.state.ny.us/files/reports/osdc/pdf/report-11-2022.pdf https://www.osc.state.ny.us/files/reports/osdc/pdf/report-11...

jjav 5y ago

> In the end, someone has to pay for office space True, of course. But geographically distributing the need for space reduces the very concentration of demand in the office park areas. The larger home (with an office) may be entirely unaffordable in the city center where HQ was, but with remote you can move elsewhere where it can be cheaper than an apartment in that city. Or you could rent a small office away from the crowds where it's cheaper. This is what I've been doing since pandemic start. Sure, I wish the employers would pay for it but it's still so much better that it's worth it. On fuel alone I save enough every month to pay the rent a couple times over. And my commute is ~5 minutes on a bike instead of 60-90 minutes sitting in traffic.

Chinjut 5y ago

Larger home with dedicated office areas? How many people are living in homes without computers? People already want homes that support using a computer, WFH status or no.

tetromino_ 5y ago
Sure, everyone has some sort of a space where a computer could be used. But there's a huge difference between "kitchen counter or dining table or couch where you can unfold your laptop on occasion" and "a place where you can work in comfort and without interruptions from the rest of your household for 8 hours at a time every day and not develop back and wrist pain".