Work from home for Ukraine #wfh4ukraine

MegamanBoo · 07-03-2022 7:55pm #1

So that we can help break our dependance on Russian oil and gas let's bring in a national work from home immediately.

This needs to happen anyway to combat climate change, but that never seems to be seen as an immediate concern.

Calling on the government to expand remote working hubs so they are available to all workers who can use them, tax employers to fund. We've shown it can be done for covid, let's do it for Ukraine.

Calling on any business who can allow employees to work from home to do so. #wfh4ukraine on linkedin

I'm not much for social media so feel free to share this post and #wfh4ukraine

*Ideally wfh would mean working from a well, insulated nearby remote hub. The kind of infrastructure we need to tackle climate change anyway. If you have a longer commute you'll still likely use far less russian fossil fuels by working from a single heated room at home.

MegamanBoo · 07-03-2022 10:10pm

I thought this would be viral by now. C'mon. Has to happen.

I'm surprised no-one struggling with crazy commuting costs is jumping on this.

Might happen anyway if we have to ration. Let's get ahead of the curve and get the infrastructure in place.

Yurt2 · 07-03-2022 11:45pm

If employers had an ounce of sense they'd halt the back to office push. Workers commuting are going to go through a world of financial hurt in the next year if this conflict runs and runs. The Great Resignation Mk.2 is on the cards.

SCOOP 64 · 07-03-2022 11:50pm

Its going to be a world of financial hurt for employees who don't have the option to work from home too.

Yurt2 · 07-03-2022 11:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118748623#Comment_118748623

Absolutely correct.

hamburgham · 08-03-2022 12:01am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118748623#Comment_118748623

And for all the businesses dependent on office buildings and workers. The government doesn’t want these record levels of savings, they want people spending. Far less money spent when wfh.

HBC08 · 08-03-2022 12:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118748015#Comment_118748015

Weren't you on here a few weeks ago cribbing about having to pay a tenner for these hubs.

Now it's let somebody else pay for these hubs because........Ukraine.

That's a fairly sh1tty way of thinking.

Atlantic Dawn · 08-03-2022 12:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118748683#Comment_118748683

Exactly, too much skin in the commercial property game.

Cookie_Monster · 08-03-2022 12:24am

Just get everyone cycling or ebiking to work, best of both worlds. Office support business eco system survives, no expensive fuel for commutes. :D

Gusser09 · 08-03-2022 12:30am

Whats the corelation between wfh and russian gas/oil.

El_Duderino 09 · 08-03-2022 8:38am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118748783#Comment_118748783

Prices going up and reduced supply of oil will likely weaken resolve against Russia. Sanctions against russia will cost us, and I wonder if rationing if any kind was needed (limited fuel for cars or heating, rolling blackouts, that kind of thing but wheat shortages is another one to watch), would people call on their governments to deal with Russia again and let russia have Ukraine.

Communing costs fuel, whether in cars or busses. Fewer people commuting means using less fuel and that lessens the impact of the sanctions on US. I presume that's the idea the OP is driving at.

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 10:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118749188#Comment_118749188

Thanks, that's very much the idea I'm driving at. Prior to the introduction of more widespread wfh during covid, transport made up 40% of our c02 usage. It's hard to get exact figures on how much of that relates to commuting, but I think general observation makes it clear a lot of cars are on the road for getting to and from work, eg rush hour around office times.

If we kept those cars off the road it would reduce our impact on oil in general, but in this case help make it possible to boycott Russian oil. We could also ensure that remote hubs are well insulated and efficiently heated, in a way which a lot of offices aren't, thereby helping save gas.

This is something I believe we should be doing anyway to combat climate change, but which would have an immediate impact in supporting Ukraine too.

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 10:12am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118748700#Comment_118748700

I did have a thread here lamenting our governments failure to support wfh. Even a tenner a day is a lot for someone with less disposable income. Charges like this hinder a transformative move away from our commuting culture, which would help combat crisis change AND reduce our dependency on Russian fossil fuels.

Also, will you listen to this song for me please, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM Haters gonna hate

eusap · 08-03-2022 10:19am

This seems like a "i dont want to go back to the office and want the government to take my bosses choice away" campaign.

I read a report recently that said if we banned Soft Drinks and Beer we could reduce more CO2 than giving up our SUVs

Fandymo · 08-03-2022 10:25am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058236271/work-from-home-for-ukraine-wfh4ukraine

So instead of heating and electrics for one building for a company of say, 100 people, you want to have to heat and electrics for 100 seperate buildings?? That is up with fcuking for virginity in the stupid ideas stakes.

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 11:35am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118749469#Comment_118749469

No heating the same number or less of remote hubs than offices. Maybe read the post/thread before commenting?

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 11:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118749446#Comment_118749446

Can you share that report please? Would be great if true!

Otherwise I'll assume you just got it from www.pulledfrommyarse.com

Boggles · 08-03-2022 11:42am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118749446#Comment_118749446

Ban beer? Do you want another conflict breaking out here?

Fandymo · 08-03-2022 11:58am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118749801#Comment_118749801

What does the acronym "wfh" in the thread title mean? Or the first sentence in the OP - "So that we can help break our dependance on Russian oil and gas let's bring in a national work from home immediately."??

My reading is absolutely fine, your idea on the other hand, as I said like fighting for peace, or fcuking for virginity.

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 1:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118749916#Comment_118749916

I thought wfh was an acronym that people would be familiar with and would work well in a hashtag. I figured most people by now would be familiar with the discussion around wfh and remote hubs (it's supposedly a central part of national planning), or would read beyond the first line.

I've now also edited the op to make everything clearer.

Without a remote hub, you can still save hugely on (russian) fossil fuels by working from a single heated room in your home if you have a long commute. In my last office job I had a not untypical 45 min commute each way. I can't remember the exact figure but I calculated approx 2-3 tons of c02 usage with this daily drive. Heating that one room in my home for 6 of the colder months during covid was a fraction of this. For the small team I was working with, we were using about 15 tonnes of c02 per year to commute to the office, this supposedly in a 'green friendly' software industry.

@Fandymo please be nicer online and listen to this song while you're at it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM Haters gonna hate.

Fandymo · 08-03-2022 1:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118750358#Comment_118750358

People are familiar with it, it means "working from HOME". And heating one room might save on CO2, but heating 100 rooms wouldn't, or 1000, or 1,000,000. And there is absolutely zero evidence that home working actually reduces energy consumption, as this link shows https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab8a84#erlab8a84s6, I don't think your back of a fag packet calculation is as in-depth as it.

brokenangel · 08-03-2022 2:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118750358#Comment_118750358

Sorry I think you are going the wrong way about this. This thread scream of using the war so you can work from home and nothing else. Now it might not be the case but it certainly reads like that and to be honest it would get anyones back up.

As I said on another thread the WFH should be reviewed to reduce oil but in a combination of a number of things, not just because a few people dont want to return to the office.

Hopefully I am wrong about the thread.

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 2:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118750625#Comment_118750625

I suppose we can all be quite cynical these days. I already work from home permanently. I won't be going back to the office either way.

Fandymo · 08-03-2022 2:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118748683#Comment_118748683

Why would the government want to drive inflation? The market is already extremely overheated and prices are flying up.

brokenangel · 08-03-2022 2:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118750671#Comment_118750671

Of course you do :-) then why did you complain about the costs form the hub as pointed out.

The # comment, if that did go viral and people in Ukraine seen it how do you think they would feel?

Fandymo · 08-03-2022 2:21pm

Hashtag seems to have really taken off. I heard Musk and Bezos have taken great heed to it.

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 2:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118750580#Comment_118750580

Funny, you're speaking for all people now, yet you seem to be the only one having a problem with this wfh acronym?

Also heating 100, 1000 or 1,000,000 rooms will save on CO2, if those people have a long commute. If they're a five minute walk from the office obviously it won't.

I'd suggest you go and engage with that article for a while. You've so clearly misrepresented it. It says things like this:

"Overall, 26 out of 39 studies found that teleworking reduced energy use via a substitution effect, with only eight studies finding that teleworking led to higher—or else had a negligible impact on—energy use. This suggests that teleworking has some potential to reduce energy consumption and associated emissions—both through reducing commuter travel and displacing office-related energy consumption."

Most importantly the article doesn't seem to allow for remote hubs, which I've made clear several time would be preferential and are required in this country.

brokenangel · 08-03-2022 2:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118750722#Comment_118750722

It's the most crass thing I have seen in a long time.

Mrs OBumble · 08-03-2022 2:28pm

Just get a job within walking or cycling distance of your home. Problem solved.

bucketybuck · 08-03-2022 2:30pm

Its pretty low to pretend that a war is the reason for a pet project when in reality you just want to sit in your pyjamas at "work". I wonder how those dying in the Ukraine feel about their struggle getting hijacked in this fashion?

You could see the same thing during covid, certain people crying about WFH to save lives when the cold reality was that it just suited them better.

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 2:40pm

I'm going to have to go listen to my Taylor Swift song again with all these haters and cynics. 🙄

If we could possibly leave personally attacking the OP aside for a few mins, I wonder would those last few commentors prefer that we,

a) Continue to support Putin by buying Russian oil and gas.

b) Stop buying Russian oil and gas but watch as demand drives prices crazy.

c) Stop buying Russian oil and gas but do what we can to reduce demand and thereby prices.

I do feel strongly about bringing in WFH nationally to combat climate change. I also believe it's the right thing to do to push back at Putin.

A thing can be right for more than one reason.

Fandymo · 08-03-2022 2:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118750738#Comment_118750738

It's a stupid idea, as seen by the 0 shares, 0 #'s anywhere except here. How many hubs will be needed for Irelands 1.4m office workers? What about those who need secure servers rather than public internet access, which for businesses would be the vast, vast majority. Do you print confidential documents on a public printer, or bring your own? What if I work for company a, and you work for company b and we are competing for a huge contract, do you want to risk me seeing your pitch, or do I vice versa? A child could point out the flaws in the ridiculous idea.

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 2:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118750843#Comment_118750843

I guess these big businesses, who in my experience love nothing more than to talk about how dynamic, scalable and wonderful at problem solving they are, will just have to adapt a little! I eventually got used to not using plastic bags after all.

I think most of the technical challenges you've put forward have already been met. I log into a secure corporate network from public internet all the time. Remote hubs can, and do already have, private spaces/pods for confidential calls. As for printing, haven't you heard of the paperless office! Is that really the best you can offer?

patnor1011 · 08-03-2022 2:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118749801#Comment_118749801

Or maybe get a house close to your work or get a job close to your house.

Majority of the jobs cant be done from the house so any savings on "ze russian oil" commute of the few people who can "WFH" is negligible anyway.

Fandymo · 08-03-2022 3:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118750921#Comment_118750921

So how many hubs for the 1.4m office workers? Why not go back to pen and paper, rather than using russian oil and gas to power computers? We could use hemp paper to save the forests. Why do we use flushable toilets when we should be using compostable loos to save water. The fact that you are about as transparent as a pane of glass in your idea and the majority of the thread can see through you, and have said it, yet you still keep coming back with this nonsense shows how busy you are "working" from home.

brokenangel · 08-03-2022 3:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118751037#Comment_118751037

The whole concept is crass and wouldn't make a huge difference.

if Ireland wants to reduce oil consumption then WFH should be part of an overall strategy, not a half assed approach of someone looking to stop going into the office.

I would hate people in Ukraine to see the hashtag listed here, we would look terrible.

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 3:15pm

🤣@Fandymo you've just thanked @patnor1011 for saying enough people couldn't wfh to make it worthwhile... Then followed it up immediately with 'where are we going to get the 1.4 million office spaces required!'

For what it's worth the country is full of derelict/unused buildings in country towns. That's why our government have been saying how effective this could be as a national strategy. They just haven't delivered as required (surprise, surprise).

Fandymo · 08-03-2022 3:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118751209#Comment_118751209

Do the government own these buildings? You know this isn't communist Russia, ironically, don't you??

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 3:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118751140#Comment_118751140

Personally I would think that if I were in Ukraine right now I would be more concerned with a practical suggestion of help than second guessing somebody's motivations thousands of miles away.

If you're broadly supportive of wfh, would you not see the logic in speeding up the transformation, given it could quickly reduce our dependency on Russian oil/gas?

Aside from questioning my intentions, is it that you think it couldn't be done quickly enough? I'm genuinely interested to know.

Shuffl_in · 08-03-2022 3:40pm

Why not #wfh4mentalhealth

Fandymo · 08-03-2022 4:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118751462#Comment_118751462

Now it would quickly reduce our dependence? These derelict buildings we are gonna use are going to transform into "well insulated hub units" with phone, internet and pods for privacy are going to magically transform in a Disney style swirl of fairy dust?? I look forward to seeing that.

HBC08 · 08-03-2022 4:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118751462#Comment_118751462

You're "practical suggestion of help" for the people of Ukraine is......wait for it.... big companies to pay for work from home hubs in Ireland......Coincidentally you're the very poster who was on here complaining a few weeks ago that you would have to pay a tenner to use these hubs (if you chose to do so)

What's happening in Ukraine is genuinely shocking,I'm not an emotional person but have found myself welling up watching reports of what's going on over there.

Meanwhile you're on here trying to connect this tradegy to the tradegy of you having to pay a tenner (if you CHOOSE) to avail of a working hub and trying to get a fcuking hastag about it trending

I really, really,really hope you're trolling and nobody in real life could actually think like this,be this selfish or stupid or indeed have such a lack of awareness.

Riesen_Meal · 08-03-2022 4:41pm

Imagine this lads HR department?

I'd say he has them driven demented...

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 4:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118751914#Comment_118751914

I'm reposting this just for you.

I'm going to have to go listen to my Taylor Swift song again with all these haters and cynics. 🙄

If we could possibly leave personally attacking the OP aside for a few mins, I wonder would those last few commentors prefer that we,

a) Continue to support Putin by buying Russian oil and gas.

b) Stop buying Russian oil and gas but watch as demand drives prices crazy.

c) Stop buying Russian oil and gas but do what we can to reduce demand and thereby prices.

I do feel strongly about bringing in WFH nationally to combat climate change. I also believe it's the right thing to do to push back at Putin.

A thing can be right for more than one reason.

Answer the question please. A, B or C?

brokenangel · 08-03-2022 6:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118751462#Comment_118751462

I already explained

Also as said it is the most crass thing I have seen in a long time, not everyone from the Ukraine is in the Ukraine. Imagine you are worried about family and next think you see someone using the war as an excuse for them working from home.

Bit of cop on. If you want WFH don't using the dying of people as a reason to get it. Like the comment above read to me like "Oh well then forget about the people dying, what about WFH"

brokenangel · 08-03-2022 6:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118751936#Comment_118751936

Question 1-3 is not the thread you started. You started a thread which was just about you trying to get a hashtag going so you could, I guess, show work that people are supporting Ukraine by working from home.

All of the above have very little to do with WFH, in reality that would have a small change. As per the other threads on here with people looking at the overall problem you need a full change of Ireland towards sustainable. WFH is part of it but it is not the answer and continue doing everything else.

It seems like you are just firing mud now in the hope something will stick. I would suggest you edit the heading as well and remove that hashtag.

One eyed Jack · 08-03-2022 6:41pm

I don’t think the OP has any real concept of how much the residential market in Ireland is dependent upon oil -

Dominance of oil

Oil has remained the largest fuel source since 1995. It accounted for 42% of all final energy used in the residential sector in 2020. The next largest source was electricity at 24%.

Between 1990 and 2000 there was a clear switch away from solid fuels used in open fires towards oil- or gas-fired central heating. After 2000, fuel shares became more stable. We can see a gradual increase in electricity and gas shares, and gradual decrease in coal and peat shares. Only oil increased its share in 2020, from 40% to 42%.

https://www.seai.ie/data-and-insights/seai-statistics/key-statistics/residential/

I wonder what could explain that 2% rise in demand for oil in the residential market for the last two years when people were working from home… 🤔

MrMusician18 · 08-03-2022 6:49pm

I personally want to continue working from home but I'm a little more than uncomfortable with hitching my desires to an unfathomable tragedy.

WFH has its own merits, it doesn't need to be related to Ukraine this in kind of opportunistic way.

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 6:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118752616#Comment_118752616

But it clearly is linked to this tragedy! The US has stopped fossil fuel imports from Russia, UK are phasing them out, EU is dithering (surprise, surprise) but has called for greater efficiencies in how we use fossil fuels.

Working from remote hubs is a relatively easy way to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels in the long term, and can be prioritized to reduce our dependency on Russian fuel in the short term.

I don't see what I've called for as crass or opportunistic. Maybe I've hit a nerve by highlighting how much we've been enabling this despot.

MrMusician18 · 08-03-2022 7:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118752669#Comment_118752669

It's crass and opportunistic. It's linking a tragedy with a desire of your own.

Just be transparent about it. You want to continue with WfH. Don't try and exploit the horrors of war for your own gain.

You would have had more success with this thread if you framed it "WfH to combat the cost of an increasingly expensive and unsustainable commute" but that doesn't tug the heartstrings does it?

MegamanBoo · 08-03-2022 7:40pm

@MrMusician18 @brokenangel I already work from home permanently! I made the move six months ago. For whatever reason you and several others here are just clutching an agenda that's not there. If you don't believe me, go and look at my thread from a few weeks back when I talk about the cost of remote hubs. I got a lot of sh**te thrown at me there, nobody questioned that I wasn't working from home.

We live in very cynical times. I get that. But I'm just somebody that sees remote working as part of the fight against fossil fuels. Russia's atrocities, as a major supplier of fossil fuels, just brings that need for action sharply home.

Work from home for Ukraine #wfh4ukraine

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Dominance of oil