Working From Home Megathread

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119018364#Comment_119018364

Depends if they become just regular annoying teens or if you get a really disruptive one.

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119015578#Comment_119015578

You're really scraping the bottom of the barrel now.

Drop your laptop and break the screen? Most places will have a replacement out to you the same day. In the meantime, use another laptop to remote in. Don't have another laptop and really need to do something urgently? Then - gasp - go into the office for the day!

There's your once-in-several-years emergency, sorted.

And yes, I can and have recently sourced equipment for remote workers. Yes, there are absolutely supply chain issues (though they're getting better). Which is why I.T. keep a small stock on hand.

AlmightyCushion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119018545#Comment_119018545

Most of the people in our place end up getting a replacement laptop before their existing one breaks. I'm one of the few on our team that had to get a new one due to it breaking. It really is a non-issue in the vast majority of cases. Funnily enough, the day mine broke was a day I was meant to be working from home because I was waiting on a delivery. I just ended up going into the office that day to get my laptop sorted.

FlubberJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119018372#Comment_119018372

Not a great article really but readable, but I still don't agree that a subjective measurement like happiness is equal to productivity, and I'll stick with it.

It works for some and it does not for others but I don't see grinning and smiling as a KPI any day soon, and no study is going to change that.

There is a better tale in the anecdotal comments, it's nowhere near the idealistic impression that people have of WFH.

Ironically, my entire team have the FH option 100% and if they want to do this I have no issue, and in two years we've not missed a step, we've not set the company on fire with massive turn over either...

Flinty997

The stats disagree with your subjective opinion.

FlubberJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119018703#Comment_119018703

Hardly... but it seems you are well and truly entrenched in the WFH defenders club and that's fine...

It'll come to an end eventually... then we can check all those grinning KPI you seem to believe in and see hw they are.

storker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119018364#Comment_119018364

I'm sure you will. Where they're teens they hardly come out of their rooms. ;-)

storker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119018226#Comment_119018226

I'm going on what I've experienced myself and what I've been told by other people working from home, from all kinds of sources including organisation wide video conferences on the subject with colleagues. Your refutation of this is based on "I feel.." and you call my observation "subjective".

FlubberJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019091#Comment_119019091

correct... I'll also add in you're using anecdotal comments,

storker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019147#Comment_119019147

Anecdotal comments from a vastly larger sample size and backed up my senior management's measurements of work done, tasks achieved etc, during a sustained period of increased demand. Not that I expect any of that to change your view either. And you call others "entrenched". Hilarious. We're done here too.

FlubberJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019170#Comment_119019170

the whole statement is anecdotal... and I'm far from entrenched, as I have already mentioned, my entire team work from home. Personally I would be happy(er) to see them here, but for many reasons, I'm good for them to do what suits them.. so your uninformed comment is also as hilarious.

Hopefully you and your senior management will have to be back in the office sooner rather than later to discuss your increased demand response... lol

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119018761#Comment_119018761

The irony is you've just done exactly that. Reverted to just entrenched lazy stereotypes.

I've argued the merits of both. Which why I refer back to independent research and studies. Since the data and studies are what's interesting. Since its often counter intuitive. Which why you need metrics in the first place.

storker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019230#Comment_119019230

Last comment: the increased demand response was addressed and dealt with while working from home. The consensus, agreed with by management, was that it could not have been achieved otherwise.

FlubberJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019260#Comment_119019260

Looking forward to reading how you get along back in the office and commuting etc... WFH isn't going to last forever

FlubberJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019402#Comment_119019402

So you only succeeded because your business shifted to a WFH profile... wow.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019069#Comment_119019069

and well into their twenties...☺️

SAMTALK

We never had an option of WFH and worked all throught the last 2 years. Very old school company

Had a look at WFH jobs and there are some amount of Customer Service Roles which gave me a good laugh considering how hard it is to get anyone to solve any issues over the phone (if you're lucky to get through )

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019754#Comment_119019754

We already had some people full-time wfh and remote offices/Hubs before lockdown. Have done for years. I already had limited wfh before lockdown and associated equipment and access. Since I'm in IT and have to do out of hours work at times. Had this in previous companies before. I don't find it that unusual only the new long intervals between office/site visits.

The only difference now is if they allow more people (everyone) to do it going forward. Used to be only be local/line manager agreement. At the moment the plan is 2 days in the office a week. Might change who knows. I got in the habit when a contractor of logging what I do on an going basis daily/weekly/monthly. Because I used to have to bill for it. But its a good habit even as an employee, especially when wfh. Metrics and optics etc. Someone asks for a list of your projects and you have all the details instantly.

Suits some not others etc.

limnam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119031694#Comment_119031694

I'm not sure Mrs OBumble has had the pleasure of working in a competent company. She's been very unlucky in her career.

She seems to have worked in every crackpot backward company going.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019754#Comment_119019754

it is going to last forever in many places tbh….or at least the option for home / office / split. Followed in due course by a 4 day week (we are about to embark on our 3rd year of summer Fridays…..I’m in an MNC with a real focus on productivity, and our metrics say that productivity, cohesion, teamwork etc are all in good shape)

average_runner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019754#Comment_119019754

Considering alot of IT companies aren't renewing their lease agreements, I think work from home will be around for a long time.

My partner company are actually looking at hubs around Ireland instead of Dublin, so their staff have alternative working env and dont need to travel to Dublin. The hubs are not to be used everyday, just incase you need to leave the house.

Our company sold its main office and now have a floor just for clients and 10-15 desks incase teams need to come in an odd time.

Lately I got interview requests from companies outside Dublin, all for full time remote work.

JoChervil

https://twitter.com/ZoeSchiffer/status/1523017143939309568?

..

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019754#Comment_119019754

Odd, the company I just joined have full transferred to remote for the foreseeable. There is an office with hot-desking that you book, no expectation at all to ever go but you can if you want.

Remote work is here to stay.

Frank Bullitt

Again, remote has changed the game.

Patsy167

I wouldn't mind working from the Ice Cream aisle during the Summer -

Remote working and your weekly shop in one? Both could be possible after Tesco announced a flexible working trial with office service provider IWG.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61423168

Patsy167

Interesting that one of the recommendations in the International Environmental Agency's 10-Point Plan to Cut Oil Use includes "Work from home up to three days a week where possible"

https://www.iea.org/reports/a-10-point-plan-to-cut-oil-use

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119057202#Comment_119057202

I wonder what the reasoning/logic is there? Is the majority of saving in transport (getting to and from an office)? Because if there are 20 people in the office building that normally houses 500, the heating still needs to be on for the whole building. And if I'm WFH along with the other 480, most of us will be sticking on the heating for some portion of the day. And in warmer climates, either the office or WFH person will have AC or fans on.

Patsy167

For those who have been required to return to the office over the past few months, how have you found the atmosphere?

I've been back in since March and there is noticeably less camaraderie. Not sure if it is resentment at being forced back to the office or if people have seen the bigger picture over the past two years and no longer value the in person interaction in work that they used to.

The canteen used to be buzzing at lunch time but is a ghost town most days. The general vibe seems to be people focused on getting their stuff done as quick as possible and get out.

Is this anecdotal or have others seen similar?

Where I work, covid restrictions have not been completely lifted, so return to the office has not really happened.

But, many were never really in the WFH environment do to the work requiring a physical presence, for them it's like the partial lockdown is still ongoing. Those who can do wfh only go to the office for the shortest time possible, do what's needed and get out (away from the restrictions).

Flinty997

Office like a ghost town.

Ironically (in my office anyway) most (not all) of those who want to be in the office are those that never socialized in the canteen anyway. They always went for walks and coffee on their own. They still do that. They (at least in my office) are often the least communicative people. But if you plan the day in the office your day right you can avoid them entirely.

Occasionally the people who do like to socialize are in and a few of us will arrange to meet for lunch or coffee. We also did virtual coffee meetups from home, so its the same thing just in person.

A quiet day in the office now and then it's quite nice tbh.