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Worked at one of those four companies you mentioned on one of the teams analyzing employee productivity during the pandemic through EOY 2022. The one liner (tha

Worked at one of those four companies you mentioned on one of the teams analyzing employee productivity during the pandemic through EOY 2022. The one liner (that ignores all nuance) is that remote work does not negatively affect productivity, at least for the company I was at. Decisions by leadership are not significantly influenced by what the data shows.

MuffinFlavored 4y ago
> Decisions by leadership are not significantly influenced by what the data shows. If it isn't productivity (or morale) driving their decision on "putting their foot down and demanding no work from home", what is it? I don't believe it's some simple reductionist "they're evil and want employee control" narrative.
- Xcelerate 4y ago
  > If it isn't productivity (or morale) driving their decision on "putting their foot down and demanding no work from home", what is it? Unfortunately, my background is in data science. I would say the field of psychology is better suited to answering that question.
- tsgagnon 4y ago
  I don't believe it's some simple reductionist "they're evil and want employee control" narrative. Remove the "they're evil" part and I don't see what's reductionist about it being about "having more control over employees"? That to me sounds like a very likely explanation.
- JohnFen 4y ago
  I don't think many people are ascribing it to maliciousness. What it looks like to me is a combination of two things: 1) Working in an office full of people is what they personally prefer, and 2) They have large investments in physical infrastructure that they need to use.
  - MuffinFlavored 4y ago
    > 1) Working in an office full of people is what they personally prefer Why does it matter what leadership prefers/why do they prefer it if 80% of their employees are saying "I'd rather work from home / going into the office in inconvenient for me / I'm just as productive at home"?
    - JohnFen 4y ago
      It shouldn't matter. But it does matter because ultimately, they're the ones with the decisionmaking power.
- sinity 4y ago
  > I don't believe it's some simple reductionist "they're evil and want employee control" narrative. Why, exactly?
  - nikau 4y ago
    My theory is it makes people less likely to job hop - its much easier to schedule job interviews when working from home and you aren't drained from a daily commute.
- dalyons 4y ago
  because it's genuinely better for the way THEY work. ie, meetings with people 100% of the day, dropping in on people, status checks, etc. Standing up in front of rooms of people presenting and feeding off the energy. Leadership is blind to the fact that thats not how regular employees work. Or just doesnt care, in office is better for them personally and thats all that matters.

MuffinFlavored 4y ago

> Decisions by leadership are not significantly influenced by what the data shows. If it isn't productivity (or morale) driving their decision on "putting their foot down and demanding no work from home", what is it? I don't believe it's some simple reductionist "they're evil and want employee control" narrative.

Xcelerate 4y ago
> If it isn't productivity (or morale) driving their decision on "putting their foot down and demanding no work from home", what is it? Unfortunately, my background is in data science. I would say the field of psychology is better suited to answering that question.
tsgagnon 4y ago
I don't believe it's some simple reductionist "they're evil and want employee control" narrative. Remove the "they're evil" part and I don't see what's reductionist about it being about "having more control over employees"? That to me sounds like a very likely explanation.
JohnFen 4y ago
I don't think many people are ascribing it to maliciousness. What it looks like to me is a combination of two things: 1) Working in an office full of people is what they personally prefer, and 2) They have large investments in physical infrastructure that they need to use.
- MuffinFlavored 4y ago
  > 1) Working in an office full of people is what they personally prefer Why does it matter what leadership prefers/why do they prefer it if 80% of their employees are saying "I'd rather work from home / going into the office in inconvenient for me / I'm just as productive at home"?
  - JohnFen 4y ago
    It shouldn't matter. But it does matter because ultimately, they're the ones with the decisionmaking power.
sinity 4y ago
> I don't believe it's some simple reductionist "they're evil and want employee control" narrative. Why, exactly?
- nikau 4y ago
  My theory is it makes people less likely to job hop - its much easier to schedule job interviews when working from home and you aren't drained from a daily commute.
dalyons 4y ago
because it's genuinely better for the way THEY work. ie, meetings with people 100% of the day, dropping in on people, status checks, etc. Standing up in front of rooms of people presenting and feeding off the energy. Leadership is blind to the fact that thats not how regular employees work. Or just doesnt care, in office is better for them personally and thats all that matters.