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March 28, 2024, 05:44:20 PM

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I Would Rather Not Go, Back to the Office

Started by turnstyle, February 24, 2021, 02:18:31 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Shoulders?-Stomach!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56418014

This article on weekly expenditure seems to bring into focus the enormous costs of commuting and how working from home has helped her be able to do more work and put savings away.

From the cost breakdown, other than a few frivolous things it seems pretty realistic to me and someone that is actually trying hard to keep costs down.

Times this by tens of millions and hopefully we can club together to tell the next JP Morgan ghoul to fuck off when they crack the whip to enforce office working.

Fambo Number Mive

QuoteWhen
@JPMorgan
announced that employees would be required to return to the office, they took to the internal company message board to express concerns.

JPMorgan responded by straight up shutting down the comments section, per screenshots provided to me:

https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein/status/1389989363015196673


Fambo Number Mive

This annoyed me, from a BBC story about the rise in coronavirus in Moray

QuoteChris Littlejohn, deputy director of public health at NHS Grampian, said the situation was "rapidly deteriorating"...

"Analytics have shown us many people in the region have returned to their workplaces, rather than working from home. It remains the advice people should work from home where possible and we really need people to do that, where they can."

He makes it sound like people are choosing to go back into the workplace rather than being asked to by their bosses. Perhaps he should appeal to those at the top instead.

wooders1978

Quote from: Fambo Number Mive on May 06, 2021, 03:34:18 PM
This annoyed me, from a BBC story about the rise in coronavirus in Moray

He makes it sound like people are choosing to go back into the workplace rather than being asked to by their bosses. Perhaps he should appeal to those at the top instead.

A lot of people I work with are choosing to go back to the office to be fair, we had a takeover and all the corporate fucknuts got fired in exchange for beanbaggers who want "fluid workspaces" - i probably would go back if I lived a bit closer to be honest but getting 2-3 hours of my day back is too much of a habit to kick

Ferris

Quote from: wooders1978 on May 06, 2021, 05:44:39 PM
i probably would go back if I lived a bit closer to be honest

Can I ask why? Not after an argument, is it just the fact it's nice to see people and that (which I understand)?

Bernice

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on May 06, 2021, 05:58:36 PM
Can I ask why? Not after an argument, is it just the fact it's nice to see people and that (which I understand)?

A lot of people I know in London have taken the opportunity to get back to the office where possible - like me they live in houseshares without adequate space for four people to work from home, as well as the tension among housemates riding a bit high after months of staring at each other's pallid faces and breakfasting on each other's coffee breath for the past year.

I've mostly been working sat on the edge of my bed at a tiny desk in a shoebox room, but have no desire to go into the office more than once a week ever again. My posture's fucked but I save money, easily fit a run and a shower into my lunch hour and get to have a wank and read a book when there's fuck all for me to do, rather than desperately trying to feign being busy in an open plan office.


wooders1978

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on May 06, 2021, 05:58:36 PM
Can I ask why? Not after an argument, is it just the fact it's nice to see people and that (which I understand)?

Pretty much that's basically the reason to be honest - I'm fortunate to work with some very nice people and believe it or not I'm an occasional social butterfly myself

flotemysost

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on May 06, 2021, 05:58:36 PM
Can I ask why? Not after an argument, is it just the fact it's nice to see people and that (which I understand)?

Pretty much what Bernice and wooders1978 have said. I think for those who had chosen to live close-ish to their work (especially if that's in an urban/city environment), particularly those who are young-ish and/or single, and especially if you actually get on with and enjoy socialising with at least some of your colleagues, then having to make the switch to working from home felt like a big chunk of your identity had essentially been cut off overnight.

That feels like a dramatic and taboo thing to say, and I don't want to promote a culture of presenteeism or the idea that anyone's identity should be based around their job (and I've posted here several times about how I strongly support people's right to work from home if they want to) - but for many people it certainly does influence some aspects of their personal lives.

In my case, I'm very fortunate to work in an industry I enjoy and have an interest in, so I guess I do see it as a part of my identity, rightly or wrongly. As I've worked there for years, the office did sort of feel like a second home (not in a deso way, it's a nice office), and I also have some really close friends at work, so not having that daily in-person interaction with them has been a big adjustment, too. I appreciate that might not be the norm, but all the speculative talk of doing away with office culture forever definitely did make me panic (selfishly) that maybe my adult years have been a waste and I'd quickly be forgotten, surplus to requirements, sad loser still hankering after office parties, while it seemed like everyone else was thriving on remote working (I now know this wasn't the case, of course).

Also as Bernice says, loads of people's living situations just aren't cut out for working from home. Likewise, I was living in a flatshare with a tiny bedroom and very limited space and privacy (with a furloughed flatmate who I wasn't especially close with) in March 2020, and I was incredibly unhappy trying to work full time from such an intense, claustrophobic environment. It was pretty galling hearing the senior managers with their spacious spare rooms and gardens bleating on about how much they loved working from home.

I can absolutely see the benefits and don't get me wrong, I definitely do appreciate the pluses (and not just "not having to risk getting COVID in order to earn a living", obvs) and it's given me the freedom and flexibility to do stuff I wouldn't have been able to do before, but I just don't think I could work from home full time for the rest of my life, I'd go mad.

MrMrs

been working from home 8 months before lockdown, I'll never go back

Ferris

Yeah completely understand those reasons, I suppose it comes down to personal preference. I hate commutes, like wearing pyjamas all day, and enjoy being able to make my own lunch and have a shower during breaks.

I'd be delighted if I never went to an office ever again at this point, but my old apartment was a fucking nightmare for working in (had to balance a laptop on the edge of the bath and sit on the floor for 60hrs a week for 6 months, among much else that made life difficult).

flotemysost

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on May 07, 2021, 12:30:28 AM
my old apartment was a fucking nightmare for working in (had to balance a laptop on the edge of the bath and sit on the floor for 60hrs a week for 6 months, among much else that made life difficult).

Christ. OK, that trumps my old poky bedroom, which at least had just about enough space to wedge in Wayfair's smallest desk, even if I had to climb over it to get to the door.

Yep, having the option to change your surroundings makes a world of difference. I'm still in a (different) flatshare but I've got far more space now and my current flatmates don't work from home so I've got a free flat during the day most of the time, which makes things a hell of a lot easier.

Malcy

Just taken a job with Teleperformance and received my equipment during the week. Should I be checking for hidden webcams? It seems going back to an office environment with them isn't likely though which really suits my moving to a cottage in the arse end of nowhere plans.

The Culture Bunker

Just found out today that the slow crawl back to the old routine is starting - one day in the office next week, moving up to two from the week after that. End of June will see it move up to three. Ho-hum.

SpiderChrist

Quote from: SpiderChrist on February 25, 2021, 10:58:08 AM
I'm with Bently. There's not a lot I miss. I might consider going in one day a week or something (probably a Friday as it's a shorter working day), but the thought of getting up at 6 so I can sit on a crammed train into Cambridge and sit among people I have no real affinity with  and then get on a similarly packed train that gets me home at 7 in the evening for 5 days a week? Fuck that.

So, in an attempt to change things up a bit and stop the downward trajectory of my mental health, I'll be going back into the office for one day a week. Boss says to travel off-peak too, as the idea of a crowded early morning train triggers my anxiety, so it'll be a nice short day. Starting tomorrow. Might even try and go for a beer after work.

flotemysost

^ That sounds like a decent compromise, I hope it helps you feel better.

I think I'm going back in (voluntarily) a couple of days a week at some point next month. I live within walking distance of the office (by choice) so I won't have to fuck about with public transport, and likewise, when they reopened for a bit last summer they stressed that we could arrange our start and finish times flexibly around our individual travel needs.

It's going to be weird but I'm looking forward to it, even if it turns out no other fucker is in on the days I'm there. The sweet lick of a mediocre coffee I'll spend the next hour earning back my expenditure for, the giddy thrill of shitting in public toilets again.

Ham Bap

Ive been working from home 3-4 days a week for 10 years. I detest the office environment, being in a room with 100+ other people.
I detest being stuck in an uncomfortable chair for 8 hours a day being forced to share space with inconsiderate fucking twats who have a desire to shout around the floor about their entire lives. Also the people who are unaware that the volume of their voice does not have to be in 'talk extremely loud' or shout mode.

Having nowhere to go at lunchtime. Sharing 3 cubicle toilets per floor with 200 other men (I work in IT).

There is not one thing about the office that I like. Actually there is and thats leaving the office on a crisp Autumn/Winter evening with Christmas approaching.

Ive been working full time at home since March last year and its heaven. The team I work with are all based in other offices, in the US and other offices we have, not local. So it doesnt matter if im in the office or not. Even my managers are all in other offices. When I go in i'm sat on my own all day talking to no-one.

They're tentatively opening the office again in July though have said its fine if people arent back until September. And then we might have the choice to work from home more if we wish.

I dont want to ever go back though. Even when I had to be in 3-4 days a week I usually tried to stay at home for 5 days, got into trouble twice for doing this. Was touted on.

As well as comfort, peace and quiet, no office stress, loud noises, being able to mow the grass at lunchtime, prepare dinner for evening, no commute, I havent caught a cold in years and years as im not sat with 100+ people a day. And ive been able to crap in peace in a clean toilet.


Sebastian Cobb

There was some knobhead in a last job who was some senior type who used to inexplicably turn up every now and again, I'm not sure why because they didn't seem to meet with anyone who worked in the office regularly, they just used to have loud phone calls all day in their stupid whiny voice to let everyone know how important they were.

It got even worse after they implemented soft/voip phones on people's laptops as the cunt got a pair of massive noise cancelling headphones and talked even louder.

flotemysost

Quote from: Ham Bap on May 29, 2021, 11:12:34 AM
plenty of very understandable reason to hate going into the office

I think a lot of it depends on the actual physical office space itself, doesn't it? I'm very fortunate as my office is a genuinely nice building, very homely with plants and sofas and books everywhere. I've worked there for so long that it sort of does feel a bit like a second home - not in a deso, corporate drone, AmaZen Suicide Booth type way - it's just been a big feature of my twenties, and I have loads of fond memories of social events, friendships, funny stories etc. that were born there, I'm quite matey with the cleaners and the canteen staff and the like. It's definitely more than just a workplace for me.

I realise this is probably quite an unusual and certainly a very privileged position to be in, and I'd almost certainly feel differently if I was being pressured to drag myself back to a soulless cubicle and spend all day with people I had no relationship with (not that I'm under pressure to return to the office - it's very much voluntary, they're being pretty good with that, so far anyway). But then if I hadn't been living in a cramped flatshare in the first lockdown, I'm sure I'd have felt differently too.

I did have an in-person meeting with some colleagues a few weeks ago (outdoors at a cafe) and when we had a break for lunch, I was reminded of the seething, molten white-hot vitriol stirred by having to hear someone else loudly sucking their fingers, one by one, after eating with their hands. I haven't missed that. At all.

Ham Bap

Type of office space definitely comes into it.
We've been in the same building for 14 years now, chairs are battered and falling apart. Sore on the back.

Open plan office with 100+ per room. No cubicles so you can stand up and see everyone. Just people everywhere.
Horrible. I can never settle. Just never feel comfortable. I'm just always aware that there are people and noise everywhere.

My wife works elsewhere and shares a room with one other person.
That would be heaven. Your own space to sit and relax.

Ham Bap

My return to office delayed till after the summer now.
Wife also works in the NHS and they're preparing for another wave in October time again, maybe just contingency.
But I'm starting to doubt whether I'll be back in the office this year at all.

Good stuff, hopefully sat here till after Christmas at least.

Cuellar

We're doing a one day a week thing from the end of June, on a non-compulsory basis. Don't think anyone has actually volunteered. The more senior folks don't think we'll ever go back really. Good.

The Culture Bunker

My return got kicked back a couple of weeks (a colleague kicked up a fuss about us ignoring the official government guidance) but we're in tomorrow for the first time, which is bringing on a wee bit of anxiety for me. It's just one day, then another in two weeks - after that, I have a week off, but I'm not sure I'm looking forward to July. We've been getting a fair bit of general communication about "welcoming staff back" - if we can keep it down to twice a week, it'll be manageable but there's been zero consultation.

Dex Sawash


Been in work all day every day throughout, essential worker unable to remote work (auto mechanic). Had fuck all to do, income off 40% for 2020. Shit is coming back now but am now well accustomed to spending most of the day on a stool poking at my phone.

Captain Z

Quote from: Dex Sawash on June 02, 2021, 11:57:14 AM
spending most of the day on a stool poking at my phone.

The exact opposite of what BlodwynPig does.


Fambo Number Mive

QuoteGillian Tett is chair of the US editorial board at the Financial Times and the author of books including Fool's Gold (2009) and Anthro-Vision: A New Way to See in Business and Life (2021)

Her only article so far for the Guardian. The article was adapted from her Anthro-Vision book which will be published soon.

turnstyle

Quote from: Ham Bap on May 29, 2021, 10:28:51 PM
My wife works elsewhere and shares a room with one other person.
That would be heaven. Your own space to sit and relax.

I've mostly worked in open plan offices over my career, but a few years ago the place I was working had a big renovation and we all had to vacate it for 18 months. Whole company ended up in one of those poncy modern shared offices like WeWork. I wound up sharing an nice little room with just two other people, and I genuinely think it was the happiest time I've ever spent in an office. My focus was great, but the three of us also built up great camaraderie and had mad bantz on occasion. Salad days.

Then we went back to the refurbished office, which they had essentially 'modernised' by stripping back to the bare concrete and steel beams and making it look like a Tesco warehouse. They also implemented hot desking, meaning I spent every morning roaming for somewhere to sit, and never felt like I had my own little space in the office. 

Rubbish.

Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: Fambo Number Mive on June 03, 2021, 03:30:51 PM
Her only article so far for the Guardian. The article was adapted from her Anthro-Vision book which will be published soon.

Good digging!

ZoyzaSorris

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on June 03, 2021, 02:47:43 PM
guardian shilling for the landlords now https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/03/the-empty-office-what-we-lose-when-we-work-from-home?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1622697565

Proper one for 'Pseud's Corner', that.

There's going to be a real battle between the productive side of the capitalist class who see potential of big benefits from savings on office expenses and a fairly cost-free way of improving staff wellbeing (not that this is often a priority but if they can do it at no cost to themselves I'm sure a lot of business owners would rather their staff weren't physically and mentally ill if only for selfish reasons) and reducing staff's own costs so resulting in less pressure for pay rises - and the extractive rentier economy seeing a slow decline of their cash cows. Obviously in many case these two categories overlap these days after decades of mass financialisation of the economy, but nonetheless the tension exists.

I imagine in media, tech and more white collar parts of public sector the employees still have enough sway to make returning to the old way of doing things impossible even if the bosses wanted to.