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It’s not always that easy. Many people over the last few years have reorganised their life under the expectation of continued hybrid working, and can’t triviall

It’s not always that easy. Many people over the last few years have reorganised their life under the expectation of continued hybrid working, and can’t trivially reorganise it back to full time.

lnsru 2y ago
I am one of these naive people who expected happy home office forever. It bit me hard, because I bought an old house outside of big city and spent the time I would need to commute renovating it. The return to the office happened, I quit. The other place was weird. It advertised generous home office ruling. But under very special manager home office was forbidden. It was just too stupid to file a complaint to HR and I left. So my construction site was stuck for 1,5 years and it was very stressful. Found by accident a job near my home. Small company with private office for me and unlimited home office ruling. Use home office only when I am ill. During this period I found out, that I absolutely love my private office and hate daily commuting and open offices.
lopkeny12ko 2y ago
> Many people over the last few years have reorganised their life under the expectation of continued hybrid working Why should an employer bear the burden of an employee's own poor decision making?
- sulandor 2y ago
  because it's true the other way
  - Rinzler89 2y ago
    But you're not forced to work for a company that wants you in the office, you're free to seek employment elsewhere that matches your remote requirements similar how a company isn't forced to hire remote workers only. You are both free to choose the best options that fit your demands if you can find them. Jobs and employers aren't for life. If you uprooted and reorganize your whole life based on the circumstances of a once in a lifetime global pandemic expecting things to stay like that forever, you've done goofed.
    - Tade0 2y ago
      Friendly reminder that remote work in IT was a thing way before the pandemic. I for one started working from home full time in 2015. Also your approach seems to be to just accept whatever employers throw at you. Have you considered that they might be colluding (in a sense) to deprive you of options? I would like to know a rational reason why I should spend so much of my day travelling.
      - Rinzler89 2y ago
        >Also your approach seems to be to just accept whatever employers throw at you. Where do you see me saying such a thing? >I would like to know a rational reason why I should spend so much of my day travelling. Companies say it's for "better collaboration". You would do it if you had no other options if every potential employer would require you to be on site depriving you of remote options, but because the market is in your favor giving you options, it's difficult for you to empathize with the other situation.
        Tade0 2y ago
        > Where do you see me saying such a thing? Your solution appears to be "choose a different employer" without any hint of "demand more from the current employer". > You would do it if you had no other options if every potential employer would require you to be on site depriving you of remote options, but because the market is in your favor giving you options, it's difficult for you to empathize with the other situation. You assume something that's not the case. I am of the opinion that everyone who can, should have this option regardless of the market situation and I think it's terrible people are forced to commute. It's like paid leave or health insurance - an achievement in workers' rights.
        Rinzler89 2y ago
        >Your solution appears to be "choose a different employer" without any hint of "demand more from the current employer". That's only what you implied, not what I said. If simply demanding stuff from your current employer would just work then there wouldn't be so many unhappy workers everywhere. But that's not it works in the real world. The only language employers understand is the "F you, I quit" part. >I am of the opinion that everyone who can, should have this option regardless of the market situation That's nice but how do you propose that to happen? Did you see any workers rioting on the streets to have remote work as a guaranteed labor right? No? Then you can forget about it. All rights and perk that labor currently has, like the 8h workday, free healthcare, paid vacation days, paid sick leave, have been won only through blood and conflict. It's not like your government is ever gonna hold a referendum and ask workers how many paid vacation days do you want to have and everyone gets to choose. If you want change you need to fight for it, physically with violent force, otherwise you'll be at the mercy of the "free market" which may or may not be in your favor depending how the wind blows. Perks aren't just gonna fall out of the sky for the working class, ever. The covid years were a fluke.
- MrScruff 2y ago
  Not sure why you're being downvoted. Unless the employee has hybrid working in their contract then the decision to reorganise their life around it is their own responsibility, not the company's.
tonyedgecombe 2y ago
I remember being surprised during the pandemic just how many people were uprooting their lives and moving to remote locations. Even though there has been a trend towards remote work over the previous decade I always thought there would be a bounce back and some of those people would be stuffed.
paulcole 2y ago
> It’s not always that easy Where did they say it was easy? They said maybe try going back to the office and seeing if you like it. Heresy here on HN, I know.
cruffle_duffle 2y ago
That seems like it was a mistake. WFH was supposed to be temporary during the pandemic. Not sure what people were thinking…
- TrueGeek 2y ago
  "supposed to" depends on the company. The company I was working at announced immediately that we were work from home forever. They canceled leases on over a dozen offices across the world and let us come in and take the old furniture.

It’s not always that easy. Many people over the last few years have reorganised their life under the expectation of continued hybrid working, and can’t trivially reorganise it back to full time.

lnsru 2y ago

I am one of these naive people who expected happy home office forever. It bit me hard, because I bought an old house outside of big city and spent the time I would need to commute renovating it. The return to the office happened, I quit. The other place was weird. It advertised generous home office ruling. But under very special manager home office was forbidden. It was just too stupid to file a complaint to HR and I left. So my construction site was stuck for 1,5 years and it was very stressful. Found by accident a job near my home. Small company with private office for me and unlimited home office ruling. Use home office only when I am ill. During this period I found out, that I absolutely love my private office and hate daily commuting and open offices.

lopkeny12ko 2y ago

> Many people over the last few years have reorganised their life under the expectation of continued hybrid working Why should an employer bear the burden of an employee's own poor decision making?

sulandor 2y ago
because it's true the other way
- Rinzler89 2y ago
  But you're not forced to work for a company that wants you in the office, you're free to seek employment elsewhere that matches your remote requirements similar how a company isn't forced to hire remote workers only. You are both free to choose the best options that fit your demands if you can find them. Jobs and employers aren't for life. If you uprooted and reorganize your whole life based on the circumstances of a once in a lifetime global pandemic expecting things to stay like that forever, you've done goofed.
  - Tade0 2y ago
    Friendly reminder that remote work in IT was a thing way before the pandemic. I for one started working from home full time in 2015. Also your approach seems to be to just accept whatever employers throw at you. Have you considered that they might be colluding (in a sense) to deprive you of options? I would like to know a rational reason why I should spend so much of my day travelling.
    - Rinzler89 2y ago
      >Also your approach seems to be to just accept whatever employers throw at you. Where do you see me saying such a thing? >I would like to know a rational reason why I should spend so much of my day travelling. Companies say it's for "better collaboration". You would do it if you had no other options if every potential employer would require you to be on site depriving you of remote options, but because the market is in your favor giving you options, it's difficult for you to empathize with the other situation.
      - Tade0 2y ago
        > Where do you see me saying such a thing? Your solution appears to be "choose a different employer" without any hint of "demand more from the current employer". > You would do it if you had no other options if every potential employer would require you to be on site depriving you of remote options, but because the market is in your favor giving you options, it's difficult for you to empathize with the other situation. You assume something that's not the case. I am of the opinion that everyone who can, should have this option regardless of the market situation and I think it's terrible people are forced to commute. It's like paid leave or health insurance - an achievement in workers' rights.
        Rinzler89 2y ago
        >Your solution appears to be "choose a different employer" without any hint of "demand more from the current employer". That's only what you implied, not what I said. If simply demanding stuff from your current employer would just work then there wouldn't be so many unhappy workers everywhere. But that's not it works in the real world. The only language employers understand is the "F you, I quit" part. >I am of the opinion that everyone who can, should have this option regardless of the market situation That's nice but how do you propose that to happen? Did you see any workers rioting on the streets to have remote work as a guaranteed labor right? No? Then you can forget about it. All rights and perk that labor currently has, like the 8h workday, free healthcare, paid vacation days, paid sick leave, have been won only through blood and conflict. It's not like your government is ever gonna hold a referendum and ask workers how many paid vacation days do you want to have and everyone gets to choose. If you want change you need to fight for it, physically with violent force, otherwise you'll be at the mercy of the "free market" which may or may not be in your favor depending how the wind blows. Perks aren't just gonna fall out of the sky for the working class, ever. The covid years were a fluke.
MrScruff 2y ago
Not sure why you're being downvoted. Unless the employee has hybrid working in their contract then the decision to reorganise their life around it is their own responsibility, not the company's.

tonyedgecombe 2y ago

I remember being surprised during the pandemic just how many people were uprooting their lives and moving to remote locations. Even though there has been a trend towards remote work over the previous decade I always thought there would be a bounce back and some of those people would be stuffed.

paulcole 2y ago

> It’s not always that easy Where did they say it was easy? They said maybe try going back to the office and seeing if you like it. Heresy here on HN, I know.

cruffle_duffle 2y ago

That seems like it was a mistake. WFH was supposed to be temporary during the pandemic. Not sure what people were thinking…

TrueGeek 2y ago
"supposed to" depends on the company. The company I was working at announced immediately that we were work from home forever. They canceled leases on over a dozen offices across the world and let us come in and take the old furniture.