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Farhad Manjoo wrote: "Office Workers Don’t Hate the Office. They Hate the Commute." That's true for a decent number of people...but definitely not all. https:

Farhad Manjoo wrote: "Office Workers Don’t Hate the Office. They Hate the Commute." That's true for a decent number of people...but definitely not all. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/opinion/elon-musk-remote-work.html https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/opinion/elon-musk-remote-... And another thing -- the "morally wrong" is remarkably selective. Musk is clearly saying that it's "morally wrong" for white collar workers to be remote while insisting that blue collar workers be fully present. In a CNBC interview this week, speaking about service and manufacturing workers, Musk said “it's messed up to assume that, yes, they have to go to work, but you don't. It's not just a productivity thing, I think it's morally wrong,” suggesting “the laptop class is living in la-la land.” What if the headline was "CEO phones in 20 hours/week from Hawaii while threatening to fire workers who clock < 60 hours/week"?

kitsunesoba 3y ago
The commute and the open office layout. If getting to the office doesn’t take a big bite out of my day and salary and I’m given an environment that makes me more productive than I am at home, I’m happy to go to the office. That’s unusual, though. Usually getting to/from work takes at minimum of an hour (30m both ways), either due to traffic or from being pushed out way from where the office is located in order to be able to afford the rent/mortgage. You’re also usually stuck with an open office where maintaining focus for any period of time is impossible, as opposed to cubicles or private offices.
plagiarist 3y ago
If Elon finds it morally distasteful that blue collar workers' commutes are unpaid, he could simply pay them for their time, or have them work fewer hours for the same pay and benefits.
ghaff 3y ago
I think it's mostly true. Yes, people have gotten used to the flexibility and maybe their very particular setups at home. But, if people could walk 10 minutes to their office and people they knew would be there I'm pretty sure you'd see a lot less pushback--especially for coming in a few days a week.
BLKNSLVR 3y ago
Couple of interesting implications: 1. Fewer people commuting would make commuting faster / more bearable 2. Employee's who's work requires physical presence at a specific place could / should demand higher pay because of the new convenience differential (#2 is fraught with assumptions and state / country based situational sensitivities)
- itronitron 3y ago
  Furthermore, if fewer people are commuting then employees whose work requires physical presence will have shorter commute times, and better parking spots.
ulfw 3y ago
I hate the office. Shitty equipment, loud distracting environment, uncomfortable, need to keep appearances up, notion of ass-in-seat rather than creating output that matters.
deeg 3y ago
> Musk is clearly saying that it's "morally wrong" for white collar workers to be remote while insisting that blue collar workers be fully present. If that is his justification then it's just as silly. Does Musk think it's morally wrong that white collar workers live in bigger homes than blue collar workers? That they send more of their kids to private school? Has Musk gone full communist?

kitsunesoba 3y ago

The commute and the open office layout. If getting to the office doesn’t take a big bite out of my day and salary and I’m given an environment that makes me more productive than I am at home, I’m happy to go to the office. That’s unusual, though. Usually getting to/from work takes at minimum of an hour (30m both ways), either due to traffic or from being pushed out way from where the office is located in order to be able to afford the rent/mortgage. You’re also usually stuck with an open office where maintaining focus for any period of time is impossible, as opposed to cubicles or private offices.

plagiarist 3y ago

If Elon finds it morally distasteful that blue collar workers' commutes are unpaid, he could simply pay them for their time, or have them work fewer hours for the same pay and benefits.

ghaff 3y ago

I think it's mostly true. Yes, people have gotten used to the flexibility and maybe their very particular setups at home. But, if people could walk 10 minutes to their office and people they knew would be there I'm pretty sure you'd see a lot less pushback--especially for coming in a few days a week.

BLKNSLVR 3y ago

Couple of interesting implications: 1. Fewer people commuting would make commuting faster / more bearable 2. Employee's who's work requires physical presence at a specific place could / should demand higher pay because of the new convenience differential (#2 is fraught with assumptions and state / country based situational sensitivities)

itronitron 3y ago
Furthermore, if fewer people are commuting then employees whose work requires physical presence will have shorter commute times, and better parking spots.

ulfw 3y ago

I hate the office. Shitty equipment, loud distracting environment, uncomfortable, need to keep appearances up, notion of ass-in-seat rather than creating output that matters.

deeg 3y ago

> Musk is clearly saying that it's "morally wrong" for white collar workers to be remote while insisting that blue collar workers be fully present. If that is his justification then it's just as silly. Does Musk think it's morally wrong that white collar workers live in bigger homes than blue collar workers? That they send more of their kids to private school? Has Musk gone full communist?