Working From Home Megathread

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118966455#Comment_118966455

We..the employees saved on travel costs etc, our employer for sites they rented they were able to close and save even more money by not having rental, heating.power and insurance costs.

How did that work with contracts for office leases?

Even now most of the workforce works from home and we are all grown up, we get our jobs done and we have flexi time. It makes for a great atmosphere.

Yep, same in my current and previous organisations.

I am going to start going into the office at least once a week but in reality I can do far more work at home than I ever could in the office.

Yep. I'd say that's the same for the vast majority of people. Certainly any KPIs I've seen are bearing that out - productivity either maintained or enhanced, in the vast majority of cases, even where organisations had to pivot to WFH and/or introduce new schemes to cater for COVID.

WFH only gets a bad rep because of the public sector who will do sodall at the slightest chance since there are no repercussions to face, and secondly from businesses in towns who were previously reliant on those office workers to keep their business going.

Wait, what? Why the sudden unwarranted attack on the public sector?! That's bollocks. Revenue, for example, are still WFH pretty much 100% (borders and public offices aside), still bringing in the money, and have introduced new COVID-related schemes. Social Welfare, likewise, having to introduce PUP payments. All of what you wrote above absolutely applies to the public sector, too!

Going forward definitely a hybrid solution I feel would be best. If you don't offer at least this don't expect to get the best staff.

Agreed on that.

Blazer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118969077#Comment_118969077

Revenue are one of the few public sector dept which are on the ball in all my dealings with them. They have a fantastic and always updated website meaning they invest in their IT side as well. Their staff are knowledgeable and polite in their dealings with people unless a lot of other government departments. In fact the two depts you mentioned are head and shoulders above any other public sector dept.

Anyway enough of that.

Regarding office leases they have to pay them out etc but it still meant savings for them.

TaurenDruid

So no examples at all of poor service from the civil service. Okies.

Young_gunner

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/the-future-of-work-will-we-ever-return-to-the-office-as-we-knew-it-1.4853741

The couple who work fully remotely from Donegal! living the dream

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118966246#Comment_118966246

I think all tech firms would acknowledge that productivity has increased as a result of WFH.

Young_gunner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118972522#Comment_118972522

and financial services too - get significantly more work done at home.

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118972522#Comment_118972522

why then are the largest and best tech firms eager to get staff back to the office?

ILikeBoats

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118972687#Comment_118972687

Can confirm this

JimmyVik

Some development on WFH in my company. Large Multi national.

First they said everyone had to come back to the office. They were very adamant about it.

Now that people have been back in the office for a few months a good few left the company.

But the most telling thing is that they cant get new hires once they ask what is the policy on work from home and the company says no or not enough days for them.

So then the company said 1 day a week from home, then 2 days a week from home. Now its 4 days a week from home.

So now we have to go into the office one day a week. If they cant get new hires with that then they will probably go to twice a month.

They didnt seem too bothered when people started leaving because people never tell you the real reasons at an exit interview ... ever. Anyone who thinks they do is dreaming. They just tell you something polite so as not to burn any bridges.

Anyone going looking for a new job frame the work from home question like this. "What is the company WFH policy?". Because when people said "Can I work from home?" the interviewers in my company were told to say "yes, some people like to work from home and when we settle in we can talk about it and give you WFH". That is just to hide the fact that it was only 1 days or 2 days at the times of those interviews. Very sneaky. So always ask "What is the company policy on WFH?" at interview. I dont think anyone should be moving to a job where they cant WFH at least 4 days a week now if the job you do is able to be done from home.

Huge about turn from my company on it.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118972687#Comment_118972687

Maybe they have long leases or new shiny expensive offices or poor management or want that 'water cooler innovation' but ultimately the employees will decide for them. Productivity could reduce if forced back and attrition will most certainly increase.

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118972775#Comment_118972775

well google are actively putting new investment into their work spaces, billions.

Maybe you know better?

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118972687#Comment_118972687

Most see attendance as productivity. Because they don't actually measure productivity. But they do measure attendance.

Flinty997

RTO - Return to office.

On Memegen, an internal company site where Google employees share memes, one of the most popular posts was a picture of a company cafeteria with a caption: “RTO is just bumping into each other and saying ‘we must grab lunch soon’ until one of you quits Google.”

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118972939#Comment_118972939

"...Google put $1 billion into America Online ...in 2009, Google sold its stake in the company for $283 million..."

Maybe you know better?

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118972939#Comment_118972939

You seem tense. Are you back in the office? 🙂.

It's not about knowing better. It's whether Google lose talent as a result of mandating office work worldwide. Is that what they are demanding? If so, good luck to them but I view it as close minded.

There are plenty of jobs outside the FAANGs.

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118973043#Comment_118973043

way to conflate two completely different things,

as i said before the self aggrandising of some of the posters on this thread is very funny, basically as far as you are concerned the management of apple and google havent a clue 😁

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118973168#Comment_118973168

im not actually, but it speaks volumes that you go with that passive agressive you seem tense nonsense, will chill out be your next refrain?

you said "I think all tech firms would acknowledge that productivity has increased as a result of WFH."

that seems a bit off in the context of the two largest co's in that cohort looking to get people back in.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118973194#Comment_118973194

Ok I will leave you to it.

My point on productivity still stands irrespective.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118973176#Comment_118973176

I just mirrored your post. So if I'm self aggrandising so are you :)

You implied Google knows best. Well it's obvious Google doesn't always know best. Googles so large it could make mistakes for a decade and still be largely unaffected.

The effect of not offering wfh won't be dramatic. As it will only effect a subset of people anyway. If it will be key people remains to be seen.

It's not like Tech companies generally have a good work/life balance anyway. Their perks and recruitment policies and bias reflect that.

Flinty997

Most research reflects increased productivity with remote working/wft.

But the decision to allow wfh or not is largely not based on productivity.

NUI Galway are conducting a survey on remote working, it may be worth doing

https://nuigalwaybusiness.fra1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_795EYuhtwZSADXw

The 2022 remote work survey by the Whitaker Institute in NUIG is now open.

These folks have been doing these surveys since the beginning of covid and the data from the surveys has been very informative. Regardless of your position on WFH, I'd recommend folks fill it out, takes 4-5 mins

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2022/0425/1294079-remote-work-survey/

Survey at the link below

https://nuigalwaybusiness.fra1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_795EYuhtwZSADXw

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118964073#Comment_118964073

Of course changing people has a cost: part of it is measurable (advertising, hiring bonus, time spent doing recruitment), reducted productivity for a period for the new hire. Part is intangible (loss of domain knowledge, instability in the team).

But it also has benefits. A measurable one is reduced redundancy liability (and that's something which companies have an eye on when they're expecting a recession). An intangible one is introducing fresh perspectives and wider industry exposure.

Changing people is a normal business activity. The reasons for job change vary. Right now, WFH policies are a reason for change. But if disliking the company WFH policy is the only reason for a job-change, then I'd think the job wasn't a great fit to begin with.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118977093#Comment_118977093

WFH policies have a real tangible impact on the lives of staff.

Truth be told, I've seen folks leave jobs down the years for far, FAR less.

Some examples

• Unsuitable Start/finish times, irregular hours, difficulties getting time off etc
• Didn't like particular manager/colleagues/customers
• Change / modernisation of work practices and fear of it
• And so on

On the last one, honest to god, I know of someone who left their job because they would have to use a 2 button piece of equipment, literally on/off. This was a 35 Yr old lad well used to a smartphone, not some auld one afraid of tech

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118977093#Comment_118977093

Being disposable works both ways.

AlmightyCushion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118977093#Comment_118977093

"But if disliking the company WFH policy is the only reason for a job-change, then I'd think the job wasn't a great fit to begin with."

You're not making any sense. Surely, if the WFH policy is the only reason a person is leaving then it was a great fit.

limnam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118973194#Comment_118973194

Google at least seems to rely on a "cult" mentality to essentially get more out of it's workers.

Cults and WFH don't seem to gel together.

Cluedo Monopoly

I am seeing many examples of 'long termers' leaving jobs for WFH reasons. We all know those people that stay in jobs far too long - they get institutionalised to a degree. I am talking 10+ years. You never really expect they will leave. I don't agree with it personally but perhaps I move around too much. Anyway, over the past 12 months I have seen several of these long termers leaving jobs for various reasons but WFH was a key one. Their employers were truly shocked. Maybe they got a bit of perspective during Covid etc.

cuttingtimber22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118985512#Comment_118985512

Perspective is important. Life is more than work. And this is from someone who has prioritised work over life for too long. I am glad those employers were shocked - as they should be.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118985598#Comment_118985598

Yeah the US multinationals can fairly do a mind bend on some people and convince them that work and career and job title and salary are the most important things in their lives by a country mile. People get obsessed by their relative standing in a company and promoting their company and spend the best years of their lives chasing that corporate dream with 60 hour weeks and a Masters in parallel. You see it all over Linkedin these days. They only realise when they leave that they are instantly forgotten and completely replaceable. Sadly, they also see how much they neglected family, friends and their own health.