Working From Home Megathread

15-05-2022 05:56PM

Well lads and ladies, BoJo the Bozzo has spoken. Solid reasoning and logix, as is to be expected from someone of his caliber

“My experience of working from home is you spend an awful lot of time making another cup of coffee and then, you know, getting up, walking very slowly to the fridge, hacking off a small piece of cheese, then walking very slowly back to your laptop and then forgetting what it was you’re doing,” he told the Daily Mail.

https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/working-from-home-does-not-work-says-johnson-1304808.html

TaurenDruid · 15-05-2022 09:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119067369#Comment_119067369

Well, that's told us, now, hasn't it? Still, remember, the wine-and-cheese parties were also "working lunches", IIRC. Must organise a couple of those, they clearly get results!

Sammy96 · 15-05-2022 09:24PM

Started looking around for a full remote role recently as my office was demanding me to be in at least 3 days a week, maybe 4 after working full remote for over 2 years.

I would consider my skills and experience as in demand and niche enough, so I after a successful interview I accepted a full remote role in another company. Only required in the office a few times a year. Absolutely delighted.

Informed my current employer and gave the reasons why I left. It really was down to flexibility. I gave them the chance to reconsider and maybe make a counter offer.

They said no and their policy had been decided and that was rhat. that was fine with me. I will be leaving on good terms. However on Friday they informed me that another team member is leaving for the same reasons and they are finding it very difficult to find replacements due to our technical expertise and asked me to reconsider leaving.

I asked could I work full remote and on the same terms as my new role and they said sure but we cannot give you anything in writing. I declined. As much as I wouldn't mind staying, the offer I accepted had all the flexibility in the contract and a pay raise at that.

It was interesting to see them scramble. The future is flexibility and best of luck to those seeking remote and especially those on the move out of Dublin. I can really see how the housing costs are making people leave.

limnam · 16-05-2022 10:09AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119068182#Comment_119068182

Unfortunately. Some companies due to backward leadership are going to have to learn the hard way that for a large % of the workforce this is here to stay and if they don't fall in line people will walk.

Fair play to you for sticking to your guns.

Flinty997 · 16-05-2022 10:24AM

They won't learn. No one is checking the cost or impact of staff churn. In the same way they don't measure productivity.

People need to do what suits them, and don't lose any sleep over it.

16-05-2022 10:31AM

I heard about a pretty senior guy in Google being a bit peeved about having to return to office, as he said his work could be fine fully remote, but that the company had been a bit freaked by a couple of security issues with workers’ laptops being left open and unattended in shared housing.

Flinty997 · 16-05-2022 10:33AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119069509#Comment_119069509

I walk away from my laptop and it locks. Same in the office, an open plan office, with visitors etc. People travelling to meetings.

That not a problem with WFH. Thats a problem with IT policy.

16-05-2022 10:40AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119069522#Comment_119069522

Probably. It all depends on how quickly the computer locks, and motivations of people nearby. I’d say it is very rare for a mischievous or malicious intervention, but that it has happened. I used to work in public service, and our lock screens were set with quite a delay, but I reckon it is now a brief period with most situations. Still there has to be that gap, otherwise it would become u workable if you were pausing and re-reading your screen whilst not actively interacting with it etc.

Flinty997 · 16-05-2022 11:11AM

I'd love to see the metrics where costs of security breaches due to WFH exceeded the value of WFH.

I suspect its true in specific industries, but it wouldn't be true generally. I'm guessing.

Mrs OBumble · 16-05-2022 05:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119069522#Comment_119069522

Every company I've worked in lately, the rule is that YOU lock your laptop before you walk away.

Flinty997 · 16-05-2022 05:57PM

Still shouldn't stay unlocked if you don't though ...

road_high · 16-05-2022 07:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119065412#Comment_119065412

Probably a decade since I was in a bigger office canteen but Christ they were such mindless gossip dens on the whole. Absolutely would not miss them if I was office based.

road_high · 16-05-2022 08:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119068182#Comment_119068182

That’s brilliant. Must have been very satisfying on the whole but so petty and small minded of management- you are right to accept the new offer. “Couldn’t put it in writing” me arse- in other words we’ll decide. Some people just don’t get it really and that’s why organizations fail all the time.

16-05-2022 08:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119065412#Comment_119065412

Same with me, and also same in my partners office. If people have to go in it seems to be a case of get it done and get out. Covid has enriched people’s home lives out of the office I think. Pre Covid there’d be people whose sole social outlet was the office and I don’t think that is the case for many any more. And unlikely to ever become so again with everyone on different hybrid routines. And with some people undoubtedly resenting being there

Even with many people going back in, the office as we knew it is over

Young_gunner · 16-05-2022 08:31PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119072118#Comment_119072118

100% agree. The office as we know is dead as it simply is not efficient nor does it make sense anymore. Hurrah!

Mrs OBumble · 16-05-2022 10:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119071673#Comment_119071673

Spend a microsecond thinking about the kind of technology needed to distinguish between you walking away from your desk vs sitting there reading but not typing.

Do you really want that?

Dante · 16-05-2022 10:58PM

Started a fully remote contract with a London client, can't beat those London rates.

Flinty997 · 16-05-2022 11:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119072842#Comment_119072842

No one sits there not scrolling not clicking on the same screen for extended periods. Not working.

Even if you were there watching a movies a nudge of the mouse or trackpad keeps it alive.

16-05-2022 11:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119071500#Comment_119071500

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119071673#Comment_119071673

Both are correct, you should always lock when you're leaving the desk (one company, I worked for would send security around during a fire drill to check who scarpered when the alarm sounded without locking their screens!) and it should lock after a period of inactivity.

Often overruled by running a small streaming video in the background, ;)

Flinty997 · 16-05-2022 11:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119073023#Comment_119073023

Wouldn't work in our place it prompts you for the password after a certain amount of time regardless, and periodically requires 2fa. Regardless of device being used. Also periodically gives you a test on security and if you don't do it, or fail it locks you out. Another place I worked used to test new passwords and if it cracked yours within 24hrs you had to reset it.

18-05-2022 12:21PM

In a surprise to no-one.....

https://www.thejournal.ie/remote-working-bill-scrutiny-5766516-May2022/

Flinty997 · 18-05-2022 01:35PM

At this point its a parody of itself.

Young_gunner · 18-05-2022 02:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119080042#Comment_119080042

and of course vast amounts of time

18-05-2022 09:28PM

An important read for anyone interested in remote work

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/13c38-an-evaluation-of-the-impacts-of-remote-working/

PokeHerKing · 18-05-2022 10:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119080042#Comment_119080042

I'd be looking at saving nearly 2k a year on diesel alone. That's myself and wife commuting 2 maybe 3 days a week each.

Anecdotal perhaps but their stated savings to employees seems very low.

18-05-2022 10:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119082929#Comment_119082929

Yes, they seem to be ignoring the long distance commuters completely, and these make up a significant preportion of the workforce.

Many commuters would make their claimed savings on tolls alone

18-05-2022 10:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119082929#Comment_119082929

I thought the same.

Just on the car alone, I'm better off to the tune of 630 eur a month (fuel, loan, maintenance, tax, insurance etc) .

Actually it's probably a lot more than that as that's based on fuel prices in mid 2020 when I sold the car.

That's before I add in what I save by eating at home for all meals and not having crap from the canteen or local centra/spar.

Flinty997 · 19-05-2022 08:56AM

It proved I eat more at home anyway.

I see sheep · 19-05-2022 09:07AM

Maybe it's been mentioned but there's been a massive push back against WFH in the media the last couple of weeks.

The Telegraph in the UK in particular banging on every day about how it'll ruin the country.

The leading story in the Irish Indo online today is a negative WFH one too.

There's a bunch of rich people who are trying their best to stop it, and they can F off 😎

Sunny Disposition · 19-05-2022 09:27AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119083886#Comment_119083886

TBH I think it's just the media trying to find something to write about. The savings are big for workers, but they're also huge for company owners.

In the media it is overlooked surprisingly often, but it suits business owners not to have to buy or rent property, or at least to be able to buy or rent smaller properties. Finishing up paying for an office is the biggest saving I've ever made with the company in question, it is simply massive, and it's the same for most other people who have people employed for work that can be done more or less anywhere.

That's the real reason remote working is never going away. Sometimes the media presents a workers/employers divide, but no one wants to pay money for property. I presume you'd rather not pay rent or a mortgage? It's the same for businesses.

Working From Home Megathread

Comments