Working From Home

working at home = dud for me. 6 mos. of freelancing for aol and i was ready to comit hara kiri with a letter opener.

Always got stuff done though - often at 9pm on the Sunday night when server traffic was quiet and my conscience was playing up.

working from home: classic
working from home when your flatmate has been made redundant and is mooching around the flat with his annoying boyfriend all day: DUD DUD DUD oh god just go awayyyyyyyyy

I twisted my knee playing football last night (that's why I'd stopped playing!), and couldn't walk properly today as a result, so I emailed in sick to work, and told them I had various things I'd do online and that I'd be available via email and my work mobile. As result I've actually been marked down as "home working" today rather than on sick leave.

This is the first time I've done this (although I do, if off sick or on leave, generally check work emails reasonably regularly - especially when I was off after my hernia operation for instance), and it's been surprisingly productive; I've organised as many if not more things as I would have done had I been in the office, sent a gazillion emails chasing various things, edited a load of copy, drafted some new web pages, AND had a nap and stroked the cats. And all while wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that are full of holes and not fit to be seen in public.

i'm working from home today and it is fucking amazing.

-shouting abuse at co-workers who can't hear you in response to their emails
-singing along to records
-cooking your own lunch
-not bothering to pretend to work if there's a lull or you're done by 1600
-no commute obviously

I have been working from home for almost four years. I can only see advantages. If you're office based and you have Skype, Webex and so forth I really don't see any reason *not* to. The people who still insist on buying or renting huge energy consuming, Earth destroying office space (space which could be used so much more constructively, be it for housing, parkland or given back to nature) are truly behind the curve.

What I'm interested in -- and I'm interested to know if there has been research in these areas:

(a) Has anyone done serious calculations of how much energy we could save (inter)nationally if everyone who *could* work from home did so and secondly,

(b) from a sociological point of view, the focus has been on the negative ("you can't get to know/work properly with people who don't see and physically interract with, ergo groups of home working people are doomed to failure") but shouldn't we also consider the flipside, that home working allows for people to be judged on their true merits, rather than the ad hominem nasty stuff that comes to the fore when people have to share a space?

Heh, my wife just started doing this full-time and has liked it so far.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, a couple people at my office must have asked about the possibility because the partners sent out this really passive-aggressive email at the start of the year about how it will never be a possibility here because, basically, "it is impossible to believe that anyone could work productively out of their home". It was just laughably obnoxious and reductive about any possible benefits. (Of course, several months later one of the partners' favorites moved to Texas with her husband and was suddenly approved to work "remotely")

I don't ever want to do it

with my immunocompromised status and the virus terror, I may have to

BUT

the plantation I contract for, at a pitiful wage, uses a "VPN" that requires use of your

PHONE

which I do not have and do not want

fuck apps, fuck texts

is that app PingID?

no

Full time wfh since Oct 2012. Best thing ever. Makes work not suck. Def still look forward to the weekends but I no longer dread Monday. Limits my "advancement" options but I don't care; if I could maintain current position now thru retirement I'd be thrilled.

makes personal traveling mid-week possible. it's harder now that I changed roles, but when I was working in implementations, all they cared about is that I worked, not where I worked from, so sometimes I'd head out of town mid week and bring my laptop.

did manage to go to Vegas midweek last year because i had no classes that week

I’m starting to wonder whether spending £4500 a year on train tickets so I can commute to London, sit in an office and have web conferences with my colleagues and customers around the world is the most productive use of my time and money. The big problem with working from home ime is that it is much harder to put a cap on the day. I’m more likely to agree to 7pm meetings or answer emails at 10pm than I am if I have physically left my place of work.

Full time WFH since May 2015. It is definitely harder to put a cap on the day, though I don't really have meetings or emails to answer (I'm a web dev)

Its the job content itself as much as the WFH but I've changed around my perspective to not see work in terms of hours or blocks of time like this, but blocks of stuff that I need to have built by the end of the week or month. This means the delineation between own time and work time is more entwined. Mentally I'm kind of always at work but also never at work, I don't know if its better or not but I don't miss my 90 minute each way commute!

I feel a lot of the risk could have been mitigated if more organisations were better at actually allowing people to work staggered or different hours - fewer people on public transport at peak times, less crowding on train/tube platforms (can’t count the number of times I’ve been in a crush of a few hundred people waiting to get on a tube train) and management doesn’t have to pretend it cares about having a coherent wfh policy. My parents have never worked more than ten minutes from where they live and I envy them.

I feel a lot of the risk could have been mitigated if more organisations were better at actually allowing people to work staggered or different hours - fewer people on public transport at peak times, less crowding on train/tube platforms (can’t count the number of times I’ve been in a crush of a few hundred people waiting to get on a tube train) and management doesn’t have to pretend it cares about having a coherent wfh policy. My parents have never worked more than ten minutes from where they live and I envy them.

WFH today. Probably one of many. Technically I am a 'remote worker' anyway, having been made one about a year ago, but I still come into the office as it's about 10 mins cycle away. Frankly I've nowhere to work at home - I have a small desk in my room that's uncomfortable to sit at, and my sofa and kitchen table are no better.

been asked to supply emergency contact info at work in case of

lol

"adverse weather closing the office"

politics is the art of what cannot be said etc

The big problem with working from home ime is that it is much harder to put a cap on the day. I’m more likely to agree to 7pm meetings or answer emails at 10pm than I am if I have physically left my place of work.

We have a pretty flexible working culture with a lot of working from home and honestly it's great, but it only works if you're prepared to treat people like grown-ups. TBH I'd retain the same boundaries as you do in the office. I don't especially mind working a bit later if I'm not going to be commuting home, but if you do have a 7pm meeting what's to stop you taking a longer lunch break or similar. As long as you get the work done when you're supposed to, who cares?

International meetings make things harder, but one way psychologically to put a cap on the day is just to make a clean break by immediately doing something that absolutely says to yourself I Am Not At Work Any More. Cooking, opening a beer, playing a video game, whatever. If you just start tapering off it becomes very easy to get dragged back into it.

I'm a freelancer, about 80% of my work is on-site at various places, just had my first conversation this morning about an office shutdown, guessing that most everywhere else will follow, shit is going to get tight.

no wonder u ppl are on ilx all fucking day

Been WFH since 2017. Love it. Possibly starting a 9-5 office job on Monday, though, and not sure how I feel about that (besides “thanks for the money”)...

The lifeblood of ILX the entire internet is bored office workers, moreso without the office.

its a turning point in history

in a bad way

let's run all the megapolls we've been fantasising about

i hope office buildings empty out like suburban malls and are repurposed into affordable housing.

Does anyone do this with kids in the house? Seems kind of impossible without turning child into tv zombie

Looks like this will be me from next week, or even maybe tomorrow. My plan is to move to the conservatory and stock up on educational software / film downloads for them.

I cannot work with kids disturbing me, this is going to be hard.

turn child into book and board game zombie imo

my carrom board is finally gonna get some use, v excited to get good

i hope office buildings empty out like suburban malls and are repurposed into affordable housing.

― Yerac, Thursday, 12 March 2020 12:56 (ten minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

otm

I wish I could find that faux-pamphlet from a few years back about an office building gradually turning into an overgrown post-apocalyptic ecosystem

I've worked from home for almost 19 years. I expect it to all come crashing down around my ears any day now.

i don't maintain much of a social circle outside of work (mostly just my wife, my parents, and my cat) so I do think I benefit from the social aspects of coming into an office every day and interacting with people. i'm lucky in my position that I typically don't HAVE to do much interacting in any given day if I don't feel like it, but if I do then there are always people around who want to shoot the shit.

Does anyone do this with kids in the house? Seems kind of impossible without turning child into tv zombie

i do but there's always another carer around. she (child not carer) occasionally comes up to spin around on my chair but generally respects the sanctity of the office space.

that sanctity in full:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKxqy9SJ-0I

Spare a thought for us poor sods who can't work from home, we're dead.

My first day of working at home. Not without its downsides, but I did watch an episode of Kojak during my lunch hour, and so without coronavirus I would possibly never known about this meeting of the titans

https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/190/1346970079_6.jpg

xpost - yeah, absolutely. now, there's limits as to where I could go, I can't go back to an entry level position (I wouldn't want to), and I"ll probably have to stay same pay grade (or higher), but the work itself could be the type that is better suited to my brain and life and current stress levels.

one of my best friends I met at this company in 2005 and he still works here, and I am going to ask if his department is open because I could do what he does, and he has no trouble balancing his life, while raising his kids etc.

I make it clear I want to start talking about how we can accommodate them to return those who are able to return to a situation that is not stressful and helps them pick up and resume their career

I realize this doesn't accurately capture what I said. my comment was basically "they will not be able to return for a while - so that they don't have to stress about what's going to happen with their job when they return, can we proactively plan some contingency plans if many of them are gone another week or two, and think about moving them to our last class of the season, which has a much later hire date, and they could pick up where thye left off comfortably when they're ready and not have to worry that they'll come back to no job".

sorry for all that, i am done venting all. that helped clear my head a bit.

and thank you all!

told boss today I'm ready to move on, and going to be posting for something new internally.

partially because any posting requires manager approval (he's on his way out so he'll approve it). partially so they'll see i'm serious and give them an opportunity to fix the situation i'm in at the moment. i'm still leaving but i would like to do so in comfort for the next few months.

totally strategic and respectable and respectful ... you should feel good about this. Just like, you know, cheerleading.

Trying to keep up "healthy work/life balance" practices ... I either tend to wallow in one or the other. I've been pretty good for the past few weeks of doing a good amount of both. It's hard for me.

I’ve got to figure this out, kind of plateaued and then rocketed to the bottom after enforced office time. it’s more of a none/none balance where neither work nor home are going anywhere

I would hope your home isn't going anywhere ... unless you moved into a RV?

rolling eyes emoji

thank you, I'll be here all week!

work is a real trainwreck lately. i'm really resenting my manager and my overall role. i snark at her in meetings. i just don't care about records management and it's next to impossible for me to fake it anymore. it feels like whether or not i engage and do better is out of my control because i feel so alienated, without support or connection with anyone, in a role with vague and horribly defined responsibilities.

i have an interview on thursday for a position in another area of my department that's basically archival digitization at the bottom of the ladder. it's a class below my current position. though i wouldn't take a pay cut, i would hit the wage ceiling in three years if it doesn't turn into something else (which is being discussed). i would have to come in every day. but i'm convinced that the manager would be so much better, and the work - digitizing archival material - so much more satisfying that i'm kind of desperate to get it. i called in sick today, went for a run and avoided anything work-related. for some reason i can't bear to review the interview questions today. i have to try tomorrow.

I definitely forgot how to office, and how to people, in the last bunch of years.

Lately I have been working in an office a bunch, just M-W-F, and I just do not know how to do it. Did I ever? I don't fucking know.

Like, it's 3:45 and I have done all the worky things I am going to do today. Can I just do crossword puzzles for a while? Go for a walk? Mix myself a gin and tonic? Go out to the car and masturbate?

Just kidding. I know the answer. I cannot do those things. I have to look like a serious working adult. Not sure how long I can keep up this theater.

My partner said to me the other day that he didn’t think I could hack it in an office environment after the past few years, and after protesting for a few moments, I realized he was totally right.

Love using my own toilet and not having to share it with office weirdos I barely know

v v confusing email with some contradictory information, but we may have just been effectively told that no more remote work allowed, ever.

That sucks, man

Our CEO was writing emails like that ("I know how much everyone is looking forward to being back in the office" yeah right), but then she moved to Florida and we haven't heard much more of that kind of talk

There's enough contradictory messaging in things that I haven't yet abandoned all hope, but it's annoying.

pre-pandemic, the higher-ups were deeply against WFH in all but the most extreme circumstances, i think because they sonehow felt they couldn’t “see” productivity etc

once the pandemic hit and ppl adjusted to the new normal they saw that productivity was actually higher, and became such converts that we’re now permanently remote.

it suits my own working style down to the ground - our house is pretty quiet, mr veg is a perfect cohabitant in that regard & being able to do a job that can get wuite stressful in an environment that isn’t stressful has helped me a lot.

i don’t think i would want to go back to a permanent office position

We've been told multiple times that the productivity was higher and how well we all adjusted, but now the highest ups are trotting out all the canards about "culture", "the importance of in-person interactions" blah blah blah

yeah, all that water cooler bullshit.. I have a friend of a friend that works at Apple, and they're forcing EVERYONE to come back in so they can brainstorm the next white plastic gadget by the water cooler

I just remember how bleak it felt coming home on the bus in winter traffic, totally dark out, trudging the last bit home in the rain... no way do I want to go back to that bleak bullshit

It's also the simple little things of like, you know, being able to see my kid for more than just that last hour before bed by the time I get back from the commute.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I've already been stripped back to only 1 day/week remote, but even losing just that is making me exceedingly sad.

I “like” working from home but speaking for myself here I don’t think it’s terribly good for my mental health.

which is totally fair and why i don't think any once size fits all, black or white policy makes sense to blanket over all employees, but i know going back to full time commuting and office time will be a major blow for my mental health

I went into the office about a month ago for a team meeting and lunch; it was very productive and great to see everybody, but I'm fine seeing them on zoom most of the time

brimstead otm, 100% wfh was making me a bit stir crazy

I am very happy with any current split - Mon and Fri wfh so I have a long weekend, Tues/Weds/Thurs at the office, and it's optional - I could go back to 100% wfh but I don't want to

-- with *my* current split --

1 day per week in the office is perfect for me and luckily that’s what my department is doing. the whole corporation was doing to supposedly move to 2-3 days a week but that appears to have been quietly put on hold indefinitely.

doing=going

I love working from home and would love to do it permanently. But I cannot focus on work at home, especially with wife & kids here. Annoying! Ideally I wouldn't work at all, unfortunately that doesn't seem to be an option right now.

CaAL, a silver lining of my working at an office three days a week (and the kids being in school) is that my wife gets the whole quiet house to herself a bunch more. She's better able to work without us underfoot. And when we do get time together, it's higher-quality time than we got during lockdown time when we were all cooped up together.

haha yes my wife is thrilled that I am out of the house 3 days a week now

Old joke: "I married him for better or for worse... but not for lunch!"

office lunches / coffee breaks are the only thing i like about the office, but even then i find it hard to relate to most of my coworkers so it's a mixed bag.

if i get this 100% in-office job the hardest things for me will be commuting and not being able to exercise whenever i want to.

you might have to forgo the office lunches for workouts in that case but i used to love doing that when i was able to. start the second half of the day with a whoosh of energy.

yeah i believe i'll have the support to make something like that happen.

the real reason execs don't like working from home is because it's a lot easier to control and mistreat people when you can see them.

^ ding ding ding

My ADA accommodation request to be able to continue WFH until covid metrics are lower was approved today on a 3 month basis. The approval process took more than a month lol

i am in dire need of a better ergo setup - my chair & desk arent cutting it anymore

Oh god I hate office lunch

Like, I work with you people. I don't want to also eat lunch with you.

Lunch is MY time to be away from YOU. If I eat lunch with my coworkers I'm basically still at work, and fuck that noise.

I am not here to be BFFs. I already have friends and a family.

The only thing worse than going to lunch with my coworkers is having a delivered or catered lunch in the office. Gah, a conference room full of people crunching and shlurping. Please no.

Either I am busy and I work straight through lunch, or I am not busy and need to be away from other humans.

i am in dire need of a better ergo setup - my chair & desk arent cutting it anymore

Mine was so bad, I was pretty seriously considering returning to the office voluntarily. I finally got creative and moved enough stuff around to make room for a small desk. It has been a game changer. My focus has been so much better since doing it. Just knocking down tasks that have been lingering for months. It still isn't perfect, but so much better than before. After a few weeks, it no longer hurts to stand in one place for ten minutes.

I was asked to go in 3x this week due to some kind of executive summit taking place at the office. Day #1 was kind of fun. Pretty novel as a lot of people I hadn't seen in years were in to schmooze. So, I caught up with a few people and a couple of the interactions didn't make me feel depressed afterward. I just finished #2 today, and it was way suckier: Felt headachy a few hours into the day after overdoing it on coffee. Chair won't lock in place, so the back keeps leaning back until I realize this and readjust. The sun started glaring in this window right next to my desk after a few hours making the headache worse. Day 3 is Friday which I imagine will be super dead, then hopefully I won't have to come back for another month or two.

I work with you people. I don't want to also eat lunch with you.

With Microsoft Outlook, I get how some people see a blank lunch zone on multiple calendars and think "AHA! That's when I'll have the meeting.", but agreed, that's MY time, not OUR time. Any lunchtime meetings, it's acceptable to flex that time and leave early. Even when lunch is provided, a working meeting is work, not a lunch break. We get a fair amount of "learn at lunch" opportunities, which are thankfully optional.

rookie mistake not to have a recurring lunchtime weekday "meeting" in your diary that only you are invited to

meeting with the big cheese

getting into some chewy subjects

y'know, the one down side of WFH is when i was office-bound, today would be a day off thanks to hurricane. instead, I'm working.

I've been told I can take breaks and very aware that I can lie and fake a power outage. opting not to right now as I wouldn't look forward to the make-up work I'd have to do upon return, but may peace out early.

the real reason execs don't like working from home is because it's a lot easier to control and mistreat people when you can see them.

I mean, just one story, but was talking to a parent at one of my son's baseball games who said she was absolutely horrified to hear how nasty and abusive her husband was to his employees when he started working from home.

Xpost
The first blizzard during the pandemic, the president of the company told everyone to take a snow day even though we were all working from home. I don’t agree with all that’s been done since then but that was a cool gesture.

well i didn't get that in-office job. just as well since it's hard to give up 3 wfh days, especially through the winter.