Community Chat

[liliblu]

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@Spurt wrote:

@RinaRina 

It depends on the type of business/company/agency is operating and how well technology accomodates it, and how up-to-date that business/company/agencie's technology is.... A friend says her systems are so old and out of date its very limited on what they can actually do through working at home (mostly just online training)....Oh BTW she works for a government agency....how ironic is that 

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I'm a Fed but my agency was well prepared to have most of the workforce telework natonwide.  I'm not surprised some agencies are having a harder time.  Years of CRs and budget cuts take a toll.   I could perform my job even if Inever return to the office.  I would only need to leave the house for meetings.  The building I work in is crammed and wide open.  It will difficult to practice social distancing.

[RinaRina]

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@liliblu wrote:

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@Spurt wrote:

@RinaRina 

I

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   I could perform my job even if Inever return to the office.  I would only need to leave the house for meetings. 

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And that's a waste of time too .. "going" to the office for a meeting ...

Meetings can be done online as well.

Edit:

In fact, 2 years ago, I got a PT job .. working 12-16 hrs. a week.

The absolute dumbest thing this company did was have 1-2 hours meetings at satellite offices where none of the employees worked. 

Since everyone worked different shifts, the meetings were NEVER scheduled during your shift.  Mgmt considered scheduling you for a meeting during your "off-time" as a "gift" to make some extra money.

It was so stupid ... I'd have to take the train on my day off to go to a 1-2 hour meeting.  During the winter, meetings were usually when mgmt was  available (after 5PM), so I'd have to take the train during evening rush hour in the winter hours when it was dark and cold.

Totally dumb!

[RollTide2008]

I hate working from home. Everything takes twice as long. I have a rookie on my staff right now. She’s not getting the develop she should. We’ve been told there’s no rush to bring us back and we’ll likely work from home through June.

[Porcelain]

If most of your work is on the computer, phone, and in meetings, you can work from home. You just have to make sure to make yourself available during the complete working day, even if you happened to get a report done at 4 AM.

Both DH and I and people we know have worked from Starbucks before, taking phone calls and using vpns and our phone data for security. It's really nice. You can work from anywhere a lot of the time. It doesn't always have to be from home. (How well it works partly depends on how good your internet connection is, how electronic you are, and how organized you are about it.)

Trends were already headed this direction. Now that will just accelerate. Businesses are not going to want to continue paying rent on office space and equipment if they don't have to.

[stevieb]

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@RinaRina wrote:

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@stevieb wrote:

Some jobs and some aspects of other jobs are amenable to telework but there are some things that need to be accomplished at the place of business with one's business associates. I do hope one positive outcome from this whole mess is that the stick in the mud bosses who have resisted telework are now forced to see that it can make a great deal of sense and have a number of positive side effects related to not having to endure commuting.

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Like New York!  Nothing worse than having to stand on a crowded train AM & PM in an enclosed space with millions of germs .. and sick people who go to work because think "DAY-QUIL" is "medicine".

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Well, there's that and then there are other locations where traffic is so bad that hours a day are spent commuting on top of the duty hours one puts in at the workplace. Then there are the managers who are so old school they don't even want to allow employees to flex time to make the commute a bit less stressful. I don't personally support full-time work at home in most cases, but I do think that when jobs are amenable to it, several days a week should be an option. I do think there's some value to having employees in the office at least a day or two each week and, of course, there are some jobs that require employees to be on-site all the time. What needs to happen is for the big cheeses to be told to work it out when it can be worked out rather than permit them to deny it simply because they like the control of having all the minions under their thumb, as if the workplace was their personal fiefdom, or as if they're like a teacher sitting at the head of the classroom, taking attendance and keeping score.

[Oznell]

Hubby was one of the few people at his office to still be going in to work until about 10 days ago;  they figured out a way for him to work mostly from home, but occasionally must go in to look at essential files, etc.

He likes some things, dislikes others.  What I find amusing is occasionally overhearing him on the phone in our computer room with the other engineers and clients--  he has a different, very focussed, and "decisive" persona at work!  At home he's more low-key, funny, playful and goofy. 

[RinaRina]

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@RinaRina wrote:

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@liliblu wrote:

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@Spurt wrote:

@RinaRina 

I

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   I could perform my job even if Inever return to the office.  I would only need to leave the house for meetings. 

=============================================================

And that's a waste of time too .. "going" to the office for a meeting ...

Meetings can be done online as well.

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https://images.app.goo.gl/nr2UX99XeT6ywsCW7

 ^^^^^^^^^^^ OPEN ^^^^^^^^

THIS is exactly the problem!

[mimomof4]

I think that when offices do start to open up it won't be everyone coming back to the office all at once.  There will be many employees who will still be leary. There are functions which need to be done in the office or are much easier in the office so they will go first.  I've been working from home full time since last summer so I'm fine.  Prior to that, I was in an "Open Collaborative" workspace.  Basically we all sat around large tables all day and were exposed to everything from those around us.  I'm hoping some of those companies are rethinking that strategy.  It always seemed like a germ fest to me to begin with not to mention all of the distractions and lack of privacy.

[RinaRina]

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@mimomof4 wrote:

 Basically we all sat around large tables all day and were exposed to everything from those around us.  I'm hoping some of those companies are rethinking that strategy.  It always seemed like a germ fest to me to begin with not to mention all of the distractions and lack of privacy.

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Speaking of "germ fest" ... , "

You know those comercials advertising OTC stuff, "it's cold and flu season again" ...?

I hope the gov't starts an advertising campaign and call it:

***   "SICK?  Stay home!!"   ***

On March 9th, I'd sent an email to our senior director asking her to take me off my morning shift because I was exposed to so many sick clients.  (but I would continue to work my afternnoon shift.)

When I didn't get a response, I forwarded the email to my direct supervisor, hoping he could help me.

His ONLY response was: "You sent her this?"

Apparently, he thought my concern was frivolous.

Three days later, we were shut down.

I've never thought it was "normal" to go to work sick.

I've even had people get "offended" at work when I've asked them if they are sick.

You want to "hug" me and you're sick?

You want to shake my hand ... and your sick?

NO thanks!

Honestly, I hope this covid catastrophe puts an end to all that.

[Grouchomarx]

I work in a place where most people are "working from home". (I am not, but have a modified schedule and don't do 5 days per week for the time being).  Trouble is a lot of these people aren't actually doing anything yet are still getting paid. Or some are not working as much as they should.  (These are known facts, not speculation).  So for my workplace, people really do need to get back eventually to start doing their work which cannot be done from home.  Personally my work cannot be done from home so I need to come in for the important stuff.  Good thing is nobody is really here so social distancing is effortless!