4 ms·

Every message of this sort gives me the distinct impression that I'm being lied to. I can't shake the feeling that they have a reason, but they're not willing t

Every message of this sort gives me the distinct impression that I'm being lied to. I can't shake the feeling that they have a reason, but they're not willing to tell it to us because we would dislike that reason even more than no reason at all.

asylteltine 3y ago
That’s because if you are talking to an executive, you are being lied to
hot_gril 3y ago
If there's an unsavory reason, I think it's one or both of: 1. Employees slack more on average working from home. Employers want people stuck in a work-only place where they're monitored. Same as how open offices replaced cubicles "for cost reasons." I've seen evidence of this at my job. 2. They're heavily invested in physical offices in particular cities already, so much that they alone can sway the same real estate market they're invested in, and it's not a sunken cost yet.
- Cyberdogs7 3y ago
  Talking to many CEO's of mid size companies, it seems to be an extension of point 2. They have received many tax incentives from the cities in which they are located, based on the employees they have there. With WFH, the cities are threatening those tax incentives. Typically the tax incentives are deductible property tax, except sales tax, or some type of city provided R&D subsidy to help with state level taxes. We received these back in 2010 with a 175 person game studio and we had 3 different cities pitching for us to move there. I have received outreach on even just a 5 person company. I can only imagine what cities will do with large employers.
  - hot_gril 3y ago
    That's an interesting anecdote. I had no idea mid-sized companies were working with cities like that.
  - woooooo 3y ago
    Aldo, the CEO reports to the board, and those board members generally are going to own diversified index funds. They have extra-company reasons for RTO.
- autoexec 3y ago
  If 1 were true and remote employees were slacking there would be data to show that. If important work isn't being done there's going to be clear evidence of that happening. I suspect it's the second reason, plus power tripping.
  - hot_gril 3y ago
    There's hardly such thing as data on productivity. Even if they're using some metric like time spent AFK, the execs wouldn't want to give away their methods.
Eric_WVGG 3y ago
IMO the answer is so boring that it defies belief. People who like being in charge pursue jobs where they're in charge. When you're a manager and you can't look around and see your minions hard at work, you don't feel like you're in charge. It's really that simple.
dvfjsdhgfv 3y ago
I feel the same. I mean, if I heard "I want you back so that we can control you better" or "We're afraid you are doing side jobs", I would be probably as mad at them as now, but at least I would feel some respect for them being honest. I mean, really, why should I feel any loyalty if I know (and they know, too!) I'm lied to?

asylteltine 3y ago

That’s because if you are talking to an executive, you are being lied to

hot_gril 3y ago

If there's an unsavory reason, I think it's one or both of: 1. Employees slack more on average working from home. Employers want people stuck in a work-only place where they're monitored. Same as how open offices replaced cubicles "for cost reasons." I've seen evidence of this at my job. 2. They're heavily invested in physical offices in particular cities already, so much that they alone can sway the same real estate market they're invested in, and it's not a sunken cost yet.

Cyberdogs7 3y ago
Talking to many CEO's of mid size companies, it seems to be an extension of point 2. They have received many tax incentives from the cities in which they are located, based on the employees they have there. With WFH, the cities are threatening those tax incentives. Typically the tax incentives are deductible property tax, except sales tax, or some type of city provided R&D subsidy to help with state level taxes. We received these back in 2010 with a 175 person game studio and we had 3 different cities pitching for us to move there. I have received outreach on even just a 5 person company. I can only imagine what cities will do with large employers.
- hot_gril 3y ago
  That's an interesting anecdote. I had no idea mid-sized companies were working with cities like that.
- woooooo 3y ago
  Aldo, the CEO reports to the board, and those board members generally are going to own diversified index funds. They have extra-company reasons for RTO.
autoexec 3y ago
If 1 were true and remote employees were slacking there would be data to show that. If important work isn't being done there's going to be clear evidence of that happening. I suspect it's the second reason, plus power tripping.
- hot_gril 3y ago
  There's hardly such thing as data on productivity. Even if they're using some metric like time spent AFK, the execs wouldn't want to give away their methods.

Eric_WVGG 3y ago

IMO the answer is so boring that it defies belief. People who like being in charge pursue jobs where they're in charge. When you're a manager and you can't look around and see your minions hard at work, you don't feel like you're in charge. It's really that simple.

dvfjsdhgfv 3y ago

I feel the same. I mean, if I heard "I want you back so that we can control you better" or "We're afraid you are doing side jobs", I would be probably as mad at them as now, but at least I would feel some respect for them being honest. I mean, really, why should I feel any loyalty if I know (and they know, too!) I'm lied to?