4 ms·

Being able to work remotely is like being sentenced to prison and then finding a get-out-of-jail-free card. I always strive to do my best at work and make a go

Being able to work remotely is like being sentenced to prison and then finding a get-out-of-jail-free card. I always strive to do my best at work and make a good impression. But I have absolutely 0 interest in the product, the mission, the culture, the personal or collective aspirations of owners, shareholders, leaders or "leadership", or who they are as people. I generally like my coworkers and we get along, but that's not worth a 2 hour round trip in the car, or using a public washroom, or eating in a cafeteria, or sitting uncomfortably at a desk all day, or listening to everyone's boring stories. The best part though, is no team building nonsense, no company BBQs or pizza days, no casual Fridays, no boss dropping in for a one on one, no psychos trying to get the energy level up with a "LETS GOOOO TEAM!!" Just doing a good job for good pay and being treated like an adult. I didn't know working could be like this when I was starting out.

gnarbarian 2mo ago
and this is exactly why you will be seen as disposable and the first to go when layoffs happen. personal relationships are very important, arguably more important that your raw performance.
- sarchertech 2mo ago
  Unless you get caught up in a big layoff where the people you have relationships with have zero input.
  - randerson 2mo ago
    If you get laid off, it is your personal relationships that will help you land another good job while everyone else is fighting over the scraps that get posted online.
- albatross79 2mo ago
  I've never been the first to be let go. It turns out if you do valuable work, people notice that and want to keep you around. On the other hand, when I had jobs based on a personal connection, it was almost the opposite. I was treated almost like an imposter. The conventional wisdom on this is just stupid. No one is going to keep you on just because you're a good buddy. Being useful always comes first.
  - gnarbarian 2mo ago
    people aren't rational actors. given your work passes a basic functional bar, if you are well liked, your work will be valued. if you are not liked, people will pick your work apart. these mechanisms feed back on one another but your narrative leads me to believe you /have/ forged meaningful relationships and are more well liked than you realize.
- anonzzzies 2mo ago
  if i have to sit in an office to have job security (which is a big if as we see all the time) then i rather get thrown out. that never happened in the past almost 4 decades though: i leave because i get better offers. and never have been in an office, ever.
- Laurel1234 2mo ago
  [dead]
- zymhan 2mo ago
  Hardly helpful when your company's headcount exceeds Dunbar's Number by 100x https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number
- bluerooibos 2mo ago
  Lol, no.
MaxHoppersGhost 2mo ago
I'm glad you work remote because to be candid you sound like a miserable person to be stuck in an office with.
- albatross79 2mo ago
  It's like being taken hostage with people who are pretending to like it. Meanwhile some of them have personal lives so bad or they're so afraid of being alone that they genuinely do like it.
  - mootdentures 2mo ago
    Why so cynical? Some of my best friends and favorite people are people who I initially met as random coworkers.
    - albatross79 2mo ago
      I'm sure there are great friendships among slaves and prisoners too, that doesn't mean you should be thankful to be one.
      - windward 2mo ago
        Maybe being freed from the slave mindset is the reason you haven't had the same. Maybe.
        albatross79 2mo ago
        You can schlep to the office every day and contort yourself into a freedom mindset and I'll work remote with my natural mindset. We can both be happy.
        windward 1mo ago
        I have a remote job. I get to have this one because I made contacts at a previous job. Good luck in the job market correction.
small_model 2mo ago
I agree 100%, you get paid to do your job, anything above this is charity to the shareholders/executives/managers. I work as a contractor so get paid for days I work, I've watched permanent staff who were perfect corporate bots get the boot while I stayed as I focused on the work.
- deadbabe 2mo ago
  Everyone always seems to assume everyone else is a corporate bot and they are the only true mercenary just working for the money. I’ve seen so many contractors who think they’re so smart for being contractors and not loyal to any kind of company… turns out they do the same shit an employee does just gets paid 5x less, and when they’re booted no one really gives gives a shit about them. Okay…
  - small_model 2mo ago
    I get paid 3x more, also employees also get booted and no one cares after about 2 hours.
  - switchbak 2mo ago
    I was a contractor for 14 years, and I kept running into people like you that didn't realize I got paid a lot MORE to come in and fix the problems that the full timers couldn't. Reminds me of the folks I tell I work in "IT", and they think I fix printers all day.
    - bcjdjsndon 1mo ago
      > Reminds me of the folks I tell I work in "IT", and they think I fix printers all day. Nah you also come on comment sections to brag about a wage you got decades ago. Times have changed old man
      - switchbak 1mo ago
        The point is that some people didn't realize contracting was a step up, not a step down. But sure, take offence and presume I'm bragging. I imagine you're a lot of fun to be around.
bcjdjsndon 1mo ago
> I generally like my coworkers and we get along, but that's not worth a 2 hour round trip in the car How can you be fine with having 0 interest in a job but commuting is some kind of deal breaker? You managed to man up about the rest of the stuff but not the commute? No wonder America is fucked. My friend visited an office over there once and EVERY SINGLE PERSON in there was morbidly obese, single finger typing. I'm not surprised they complain about having to drive, next they'll be complaining about the actual work and how it doesn't fulfill them the peasants
- OrangeMusic 1mo ago
  I'm honestly confused by your comment, I have no idea what you are trying to say. (Is it sarcasm? Couldn't tell).
- AnimalMuppet 1mo ago
  Let's say I have no interest in the job. I'm a for-profit operation; I'm in it for the money. I work 8 hours a day for $X in pay. And it takes 2 hours in the car to get there, so it's really $X for 10 hours of my time plus some gasoline (unless I drive an electric). Then Covid happens, and work from home becomes a real possibility. Now the deal is $X for 8 hours, not 10, because I don't have to drive to the office and back. I like that deal better, because I get two hours of my life back every day. Now you want me to go back to the office every day, losing that two hours, for no more money? And the reason you give me is that I get to hang out with my coworkers? No, I don't like them that much.
  - bcjdjsndon 1mo ago
    > Now you want me to go back to the office every day, losing that two hours, for no more money? If that's the choice probably not, but fuck me, just move or get a closer job if you hate the commute. Sounds like you live somewhere with no jobs, which is an adjacent issue, not every job is miles away. I'm not saying it's not better than working in an office.... Clearly not having to smile, have clothes on, be polite to anyone are all benefits but a job isn't meant to fulfill you. If you had skills that were in demand youd be calling the shots, but as like me youre just a peon, you take what you can get. Wage slavery is shit full stop, why would anyone want to work for a living when there's this option called being rich and not having to lift a finger? Complaining about the fucking commute just gets to me. Your grandparents probably worked twelve hour shifts six days a week and would get the sack for being legitimately ill, our slog doesn't even compare
mobiledev2014 1mo ago
I want to frame this comment. I could have written this word for word. It's so interesting that there are people disagreeing with you. Is it fair to presume that the HN crowd majorly over-represents the pro-RTO voice or are workers really so divided on this issue?

gnarbarian 2mo ago

and this is exactly why you will be seen as disposable and the first to go when layoffs happen. personal relationships are very important, arguably more important that your raw performance.

sarchertech 2mo ago
Unless you get caught up in a big layoff where the people you have relationships with have zero input.
- randerson 2mo ago
  If you get laid off, it is your personal relationships that will help you land another good job while everyone else is fighting over the scraps that get posted online.
albatross79 2mo ago
I've never been the first to be let go. It turns out if you do valuable work, people notice that and want to keep you around. On the other hand, when I had jobs based on a personal connection, it was almost the opposite. I was treated almost like an imposter. The conventional wisdom on this is just stupid. No one is going to keep you on just because you're a good buddy. Being useful always comes first.
- gnarbarian 2mo ago
  people aren't rational actors. given your work passes a basic functional bar, if you are well liked, your work will be valued. if you are not liked, people will pick your work apart. these mechanisms feed back on one another but your narrative leads me to believe you /have/ forged meaningful relationships and are more well liked than you realize.
anonzzzies 2mo ago
if i have to sit in an office to have job security (which is a big if as we see all the time) then i rather get thrown out. that never happened in the past almost 4 decades though: i leave because i get better offers. and never have been in an office, ever.
Laurel1234 2mo ago
[dead]
zymhan 2mo ago
Hardly helpful when your company's headcount exceeds Dunbar's Number by 100x https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number
bluerooibos 2mo ago
Lol, no.

MaxHoppersGhost 2mo ago

I'm glad you work remote because to be candid you sound like a miserable person to be stuck in an office with.

albatross79 2mo ago
It's like being taken hostage with people who are pretending to like it. Meanwhile some of them have personal lives so bad or they're so afraid of being alone that they genuinely do like it.
- mootdentures 2mo ago
  Why so cynical? Some of my best friends and favorite people are people who I initially met as random coworkers.
  - albatross79 2mo ago
    I'm sure there are great friendships among slaves and prisoners too, that doesn't mean you should be thankful to be one.
    - windward 2mo ago
      Maybe being freed from the slave mindset is the reason you haven't had the same. Maybe.
      - albatross79 2mo ago
        You can schlep to the office every day and contort yourself into a freedom mindset and I'll work remote with my natural mindset. We can both be happy.
        windward 1mo ago
        I have a remote job. I get to have this one because I made contacts at a previous job. Good luck in the job market correction.

small_model 2mo ago

I agree 100%, you get paid to do your job, anything above this is charity to the shareholders/executives/managers. I work as a contractor so get paid for days I work, I've watched permanent staff who were perfect corporate bots get the boot while I stayed as I focused on the work.

deadbabe 2mo ago
Everyone always seems to assume everyone else is a corporate bot and they are the only true mercenary just working for the money. I’ve seen so many contractors who think they’re so smart for being contractors and not loyal to any kind of company… turns out they do the same shit an employee does just gets paid 5x less, and when they’re booted no one really gives gives a shit about them. Okay…
- small_model 2mo ago
  I get paid 3x more, also employees also get booted and no one cares after about 2 hours.
- switchbak 2mo ago
  I was a contractor for 14 years, and I kept running into people like you that didn't realize I got paid a lot MORE to come in and fix the problems that the full timers couldn't. Reminds me of the folks I tell I work in "IT", and they think I fix printers all day.
  - bcjdjsndon 1mo ago
    > Reminds me of the folks I tell I work in "IT", and they think I fix printers all day. Nah you also come on comment sections to brag about a wage you got decades ago. Times have changed old man
    - switchbak 1mo ago
      The point is that some people didn't realize contracting was a step up, not a step down. But sure, take offence and presume I'm bragging. I imagine you're a lot of fun to be around.

bcjdjsndon 1mo ago

> I generally like my coworkers and we get along, but that's not worth a 2 hour round trip in the car How can you be fine with having 0 interest in a job but commuting is some kind of deal breaker? You managed to man up about the rest of the stuff but not the commute? No wonder America is fucked. My friend visited an office over there once and EVERY SINGLE PERSON in there was morbidly obese, single finger typing. I'm not surprised they complain about having to drive, next they'll be complaining about the actual work and how it doesn't fulfill them the peasants

OrangeMusic 1mo ago
I'm honestly confused by your comment, I have no idea what you are trying to say. (Is it sarcasm? Couldn't tell).
AnimalMuppet 1mo ago
Let's say I have no interest in the job. I'm a for-profit operation; I'm in it for the money. I work 8 hours a day for $X in pay. And it takes 2 hours in the car to get there, so it's really $X for 10 hours of my time plus some gasoline (unless I drive an electric). Then Covid happens, and work from home becomes a real possibility. Now the deal is $X for 8 hours, not 10, because I don't have to drive to the office and back. I like that deal better, because I get two hours of my life back every day. Now you want me to go back to the office every day, losing that two hours, for no more money? And the reason you give me is that I get to hang out with my coworkers? No, I don't like them that much.
- bcjdjsndon 1mo ago
  > Now you want me to go back to the office every day, losing that two hours, for no more money? If that's the choice probably not, but fuck me, just move or get a closer job if you hate the commute. Sounds like you live somewhere with no jobs, which is an adjacent issue, not every job is miles away. I'm not saying it's not better than working in an office.... Clearly not having to smile, have clothes on, be polite to anyone are all benefits but a job isn't meant to fulfill you. If you had skills that were in demand youd be calling the shots, but as like me youre just a peon, you take what you can get. Wage slavery is shit full stop, why would anyone want to work for a living when there's this option called being rich and not having to lift a finger? Complaining about the fucking commute just gets to me. Your grandparents probably worked twelve hour shifts six days a week and would get the sack for being legitimately ill, our slog doesn't even compare

mobiledev2014 1mo ago

I want to frame this comment. I could have written this word for word. It's so interesting that there are people disagreeing with you. Is it fair to presume that the HN crowd majorly over-represents the pro-RTO voice or are workers really so divided on this issue?