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I have worked remotely more often than not in the last 10 years. I think it absolutely works in some cases, and hybrid (e.g. 3 days remote per week) works for

I have worked remotely more often than not in the last 10 years. I think it absolutely works in some cases, and hybrid (e.g. 3 days remote per week) works for more cases. But... The first time there is a bad labor market, most of the current remote jobs are going to disappear. Not all, but most, and in nearly all professions the remote jobs will mostly be contractors who have no long-term employment with the company anyway. Not saying this is the way it _should_ be, but when it comes time for layoffs, the people who were working remotely are just emotionally and practically so much easier to choose, than the people who show up in the office every day. Not saying it's right, just that it's so.

spookthesunset 4y ago
Remote workers should be mostly contract in the first place. If you look at how most are operating odds are good they’d pass almost every test from the IRS. All they’d need is to take a couple gigs at once. And why shouldn’t they take multiple gigs at once? It’s not like people working remote are at their current employer for the culture or politics or anything. In fact most do remote to avoid that crap. Might as well formalize the relationship and just go 1099. Then you can deduct your very real home office expenses and whatnot. Then you can own your own equipment and office expenses. Then you can work “arms length” from your clients. All I know is if I went full remote again, I would definitely restructure myself as an independent contractor. Turns out though that I actually like being in the office and working side by side with my team to build cool shit. But that is a bit because my role isn’t a developer. Developers are easy to do remote if they don’t care much about the actual product they are building. As long as you feed them fairly well speced work they are good to go.
- hellisothers 4y ago
  The main test has nothing to do with remoteness and everything to do with how much influence your employer has over your day to day work. None of the companies I’m familiar with that are in this struggle have suddenly let the workers have more free determination over their work then before.
  - jleyank 4y ago
    They also have not changed employment agreement to reflect remote work. Nothings changed except when the developer’s butts rest.

spookthesunset 4y ago

Remote workers should be mostly contract in the first place. If you look at how most are operating odds are good they’d pass almost every test from the IRS. All they’d need is to take a couple gigs at once. And why shouldn’t they take multiple gigs at once? It’s not like people working remote are at their current employer for the culture or politics or anything. In fact most do remote to avoid that crap. Might as well formalize the relationship and just go 1099. Then you can deduct your very real home office expenses and whatnot. Then you can own your own equipment and office expenses. Then you can work “arms length” from your clients. All I know is if I went full remote again, I would definitely restructure myself as an independent contractor. Turns out though that I actually like being in the office and working side by side with my team to build cool shit. But that is a bit because my role isn’t a developer. Developers are easy to do remote if they don’t care much about the actual product they are building. As long as you feed them fairly well speced work they are good to go.

hellisothers 4y ago
The main test has nothing to do with remoteness and everything to do with how much influence your employer has over your day to day work. None of the companies I’m familiar with that are in this struggle have suddenly let the workers have more free determination over their work then before.
- jleyank 4y ago
  They also have not changed employment agreement to reflect remote work. Nothings changed except when the developer’s butts rest.