Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

marmar

(76,982 posts)
Fri Jun 12, 2020, 10:29 AM Jun 2020

Guardian UK: We're not all going to be working from home, nor should we. Here's why


We're not all going to be working from home, nor should we. Here's why
Gene Marks

The pandemic has forced us to change the way we work but beware short-term benefits in productivity and home comforts


(Guardian UK) Don’t believe everything you hear about working from home. The pandemic has closed offices around the world. The video-conferencing service Zoom has seen its corporate subscriber numbers grow more than 350%. Cloud companies are falling over themselves to tell people “see, we told you so! The cloud works!” Well, up to a point.

OK, the cloud does work. The technology is fast and (mostly) secure. For too many years small business owners – a great number of them my own clients – ignored these powerful technologies that would have allowed their employees more flexibility. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve learned that, assuming a relatively new computer and a relatively decent broadband connection, most office workers can get much of their jobs done from their home offices. And, depending on the person, potentially be more productive.

So does this mean the end of the office? A “new normal”? Everyone just goes home and phones it in? Of course not.

Sure, big companies like Square and Twitter are now giving their employees the ability to work from home “permanently”. And, no surprise here, surveys like this one are now saying that people prefer to work from home where they can hang out with their dogs and wear their fuzzy slippers instead of getting dressed to sit in a corporate center cubicle for eight hours. Some analyses insist that working from home increases productivity. Other reports are saying that – because of this phenomenon – offices will become empty, rents will plummet, company cultures will forever change and the face-to-face workplace will fade into history.

Don’t believe it. The demand for real estate may dip, but it’ll return. Don’t burn your cubicles or destroy your beautiful new open office plan. This trend, like a pendulum, will ultimately swing back in another direction. Why do I say this? ...........(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jun/11/were-not-all-going-to-be-working-from-home-nor-should-we-heres-why




10 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Guardian UK: We're not all going to be working from home, nor should we. Here's why (Original Post) marmar Jun 2020 OP
I see the pros and cons of working at home jimfields33 Jun 2020 #1
Not convinced. This guy has a complete lack of vision drray23 Jun 2020 #2
This is very true Johnny2X2X Jun 2020 #8
Why do I say this? ...........(more) lapfog_1 Jun 2020 #3
I second that. We have derived the exact same benefits. drray23 Jun 2020 #6
I had a Zoom meeting last night with 53 people jimfields33 Jun 2020 #7
Some jobs can be effectively run from home genxlib Jun 2020 #4
I'm an engineer too Johnny2X2X Jun 2020 #9
I feel the future is flex working. mwooldri Jun 2020 #5
Ohhh this isn't going to sit too well with our resident doomsayers. BannonsLiver Jun 2020 #10

jimfields33

(15,462 posts)
1. I see the pros and cons of working at home
Fri Jun 12, 2020, 10:51 AM
Jun 2020

I just don’t think the article gave enough cons. Basically we’re social beings is not enough to justify the costs of business, individual, environment and other pros in working at home. It will be interesting to see how it all ends up. I think a hybrid may be the negotiating point. Work at the office two or three days a week and at home the rest. Time will definitely tell how this turns out.

drray23

(7,587 posts)
2. Not convinced. This guy has a complete lack of vision
Fri Jun 12, 2020, 10:54 AM
Jun 2020

he is rehashing all the usual talking points against working remotely. Fact is. The world and technology is evolving and we have to do so as well.

If there was a global push to invest in broadband infrastructure so that everybody in this country has it and its affordable, much of what he is objecting could be remedied. I currently work from home. On top of regular meetings we often have informal chats remotely. Tools are there for that, slack, zoom , Skype, etc... enabling you to recreate a virtual watercooler environment.

As far as supervisory control. Its the old argument that you have to keep an eye on your employees or they will goof off. We have not found that to be true. Instead, strenghten your hiring process to find and get people who already fit in your company culture.
Give people goals and let them figure out how to achieve them
I dont care if my employee produced his technote at 2am because he chose to go run an errand earlier. What I care about is the end result.

For most companies, this model works well. It is also possibly one of the only ways we will be able to tackle climate change.



Johnny2X2X

(18,744 posts)
8. This is very true
Fri Jun 12, 2020, 11:37 AM
Jun 2020

Even when I'm in the office there is no rel supervision, we're not treated like children. We have goals and my job performance is tracked via how I achieve my goals and how those I work with view me.

There's an illusion of control in the office, but for all supervisors know their workers could be playing on their phones all day. We get measured with performance metrics wherever we work from.

And another aspect that I am sure many accountants, execs, and facilities managers are evaluating right now is cost. We have 1200 people in our building in normal times, for the last 3 months that's been reduced to about 200, there's a significant reduction in costs to having 1000 less people on site. From building maintenance, to utilities, to insurance, to janitors there's a very real cost savings. Long term if we went from a work from home model permanently we could move into a much smaller building.

I'm getting more done WFH now too. And working extra hours is easier too when the commute is 0 minutes.

lapfog_1

(29,166 posts)
3. Why do I say this? ...........(more)
Fri Jun 12, 2020, 10:54 AM
Jun 2020

For a great many of us... the author is an idiot.

For most white collar office workers, there really is no need to be in the same office with each other.

My productivity has increased at least 20%. I no longer spend up to 2 hours a day driving to/from the office. My costs have reduced significantly (eating at home more, reduced driving costs). My home office is not only more comfortable than the cube I had, I also have more flexibility in my hours.

As I type this response, I am in a Webex with my team and a vendor... my input isn't required so I can concentrate on multiple things. In the office, this meeting might be in person in an uncomfortable conference room. I might still be multi-tasking (listening for important subjects AND working on other projects) but when I do that in the office based meetings (and it is obvious in a conference room), I always feel like I am being impolite.

I've already told my management that they can give away my cube when the pandemic is over (I estimate sometime in 2021 if we are lucky).

Yes I know that I am lucky... but I think the last few months have shown that many workers can do what I am doing. It is less stressful, more productive, less costly.

drray23

(7,587 posts)
6. I second that. We have derived the exact same benefits.
Fri Jun 12, 2020, 11:01 AM
Jun 2020

personally, I save 3 hours a day in commute. Meetings are also better attended when remote.

Its also easier to run them as it naturally allow for people to not talk over each other ( moderator can mute and unmute). You can use visuals directly from your computer, even live demo.



jimfields33

(15,462 posts)
7. I had a Zoom meeting last night with 53 people
Fri Jun 12, 2020, 11:07 AM
Jun 2020

That mute function is a savior for sure. Our in person meetings are insanely a mess most times. The on line meetings are faster, better quality and overall better.

genxlib

(5,506 posts)
4. Some jobs can be effectively run from home
Fri Jun 12, 2020, 10:55 AM
Jun 2020

However, I think there are real downsides for many kinds of jobs.

I work in Engineering and I think that much is lost in not being with your collaborators. There is something about in-person meetings and discussions that are lost when talking about design approaches and concepts. I think my team has been less effective apart than we are together.

Perhaps more importantly, we learn more from each other when we are together. Especially young workers learning from the older ones. In our industry, we specifically have a multi-year internship requirement before you can become a registered professional because it is crucial to develop some real world wisdom beyond the four year degree. I fear this is lost to a great degree when we are separated.

As a mentor of those internships, it is a goal of mine to give 5-minute answers to 10-second questions. I try not to simply say..."that element goes there" without elaborating on why is goes there and what the implications are for putting it somewhere else. This isn't only good for them. It is good for me because it reduces the chances of getting the same question over and over again. In theory, we can still have those kinds of interactions over the internet but it is much, much harder. I fear that a significant move to remote work would abandon an entire generation of workers to a lack of institutional learning and experience.

And there is this more practical concern. Right now we are in a honeymoon period where Management and Staff are figuring this out together. However, we are assuming that we will be able to settle into a new status quo where we do our same jobs from home. But once management figures out that they don't need your physical presence, how long will it be before they figure out that your position could be done from India?

Johnny2X2X

(18,744 posts)
9. I'm an engineer too
Fri Jun 12, 2020, 11:40 AM
Jun 2020

That collaborative aspect will be hard to replace, but chat can be a reasonable substitute. Of course we have lab equipment that we need to be with occasionally.

And interns, yeah, interns working remotely is just not going to cut it.

I don't think most companies will go to full time WFH, but there is going to be a huge move towards WFH 80% of the time or more.

mwooldri

(10,291 posts)
5. I feel the future is flex working.
Fri Jun 12, 2020, 10:59 AM
Jun 2020

Sometimes at home, sometimes in an office. I literally went mad working from home 100%. I need to be around other people occasionally for my own sanity, even though I'm a bit of a loner anyway. I fared better mentally when I worked in an office.

Nowadays I drive a Freightliner for a living. Go figure...

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Guardian UK: We're not al...