Virtual Offices

Virtual Offices

  • Yes

    Votes: 36 90.0%

  • No

    Votes: 2 5.0%

  • Not Possible

    Votes: 2 5.0%
  • Total voters
    40
I work from home. 10-12hour days are the norm.
It is however a must to make time to get away from your desk.
 
gamer16 said:
Problem with that software is what they will see, for Example Sannie was at her PC on the work software for 3.5 hours today and Jannie for 8. Now they will scold Sannie for not working enough but what they don't consider is Sannie is done with her work, projects up to date and Jannie hasn't finished they day's stuff or worked on any of his projects.
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That's why you measure outcomes, not what effort was used to get to a outcome.
 
Pitbull said:
If I'm 100% honest, I'm way more productive at home than at work. No distractions at home, and I can smoke at my Laptop...
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I don't smoke any more but I can see why just that makes it already a better option for people who smoke.
Here you have to go outside. Take the lift to the ground floor, take smoke break take lift back up etc. This takes time and takes the employee away from the desk. Like Pitbull just sit at your desk, work and smoke away.
 
Pitbull said:
If I'm 100% honest, I'm way more productive at home than at work. No distractions at home, and I can smoke at my Laptop...
Click to expand...

We have old photos of the company that used this building from the 70's. People had what look like lounge chairs compared to ours and each oke had his own ashtray and a little tea and coffee making space. Mostly everyone looks happy and professional. Can't tell from the photo though but I'm sure my office must have had the same air quality as a pub with all the smoking, I wouldn't mind though, I like pubs and smoking.
 
Nod said:
That's why you measure outcomes, not what effort was used to get to a outcome.
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But that's not what they do, its too complex and time consuming. They just want a single figure, remember a lot of management has no damn clue what their employees do so they couldn't understand their work even if they tried.

The way our internet usage is monitored is a good example, the higher it is the more they complain even though the data usage has no bearing on how much time you spend on the net.
 
Nod said:
That's why you measure outcomes, not what effort was used to get to a outcome.
Click to expand...

Also agree with that you should measure outcome. Example you may have Speedy Gonzales and Slow Poke McPoke.
One just does it faster and gets more work done in a shorter time.
If expected work is done should be able to do then whatever you want.
 
gamer16 said:
But that's not what they do, its too complex and time consuming. They just want a single figure, remember a lot of management has no damn clue what their employees do so they couldn't understand their work even if they tried.
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Yeah, had management like that as well, but this is more a management issue than an employee issue.
If they don't know what the outcome should be, then they also don't know what you are supposed to be doing.
It is not difficult to look like hard worker if they only measure time spent at the office.
 
Nod said:
Yeah, had management like that as well, but this is more a management issue than an employee issue.
If they don't know what the outcome should be, then they also don't know what you are supposed to be doing.
It is not difficult to look like hard worker if they only measure time spent at the office.
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True, we had a production floor manager that was always walking around very quick and serious with his notepad and talking to operators, looked very busy that guy until we found out he did absolutely nothing.
 
Started working from home 2-3 times a week (alternate), it works but there is loss in the sense that skills transfer is more limited and while i am self motivated and determined to get things done.. others are not.

So the okes in the office who are slower than a slowpoke become even slower as i'm not chasing after them. Then there is also the fact that this limits the hiring of newbies/graduates as skills transfer happens best in office. I've yet to meet a newbie who is effective at home from the get go.

At our office we want to change to a outcome/project delivery to make up salary but this is hindered by the way tax system works so they trying to determine if they can factor in bonuses.. i.e. u need to x projects worth of work before additional causes bonus payout. Working virtually in development works.. but you need proper processes in place and when there is no BSA and/or PM being done it fails fast.
 
When I worked at an ISP we were allowed 2 days of telecommuting as it was called for about 5 years of me working in the senior team, I got more work done in less time strangely enough at home. I also could be there to let people in like contractors, sort things out, shoot to the shops quickly. Look after the little one when he was really tiny still and yet still get my work sorted out through the course of the day.
Then they started a restructure and took it away, didn't last long for the people to start leaving volunteeringly actually, lost a good portion of the devs and admins.
 
I work from home full time.

The office is a few km from home. However with Sandton/Randburg traffic I save 2 hours a day of travelling. The benefits are amazing. I only go to the office for big meetings, or when I have to go to a client site.

Their is a big downside. It does isolate you, and cabin fever can set in. However I have been more productive from home than sitting in the office with sales people making a racket...
 
Some people just don't have the ability to self motivate to work from home.
The downfall is mainly drawing the line between when you stop working.

Also those mentions of sick kid + working from home... Lol, yeah that doesn't work out so well. Even with my wife being a stay at home Mom, I still don't get left alone.

That being said, most jobs can be done from home these days but I wouldn't trust most people to work from home.
 
I prefer working from home as I get more done and the nature of my work is that I can work without seeing one person the rest of the day.

Unfortunately we have one colleague that will stop it before it even happens as they dont even work at the office, can just imagine what will happen at home ....

I vote for 4 day work and from home .... :)
 
Certain jobs will always require a physical presence. Selling physically to clients, repairs, etc. Otherwise, where possible, this is a great idea. Just watch out for personalities.

Where I was in charge of people, some would rather sit in misery, spinning, unable to figure out a problem. Knowing your staff you knew the signs and you eventually approached the person, asking what's wrong. These weren't necessarily all bad workers, just the way they dealt with problems.

Then of course you'd get the bullshitters.

Yet in the correct environment with the correct tools and people, yes.
 
  1. I am more productive in my office than when working at home because there are many distractions at home.
  2. When working from home, people think that you're free to help out, and do other stuff, during the day, when you're actually supposed to be working.
  3. It's good to have a clear "work space" versus "relaxation space".
  4. To my knowledge, there's actual research that's been done on this, and open plan offices are associated with greatest productivity.
 
How completely fitting. Section of our office burned over the weekend. I'm working from home till further notice
 
lumeer said:
  1. I am more productive in my office than when working at home because there are many distractions at home.
  2. When working from home, people think that you're free to help out, and do other stuff, during the day, when you're actually supposed to be working.
  3. It's good to have a clear "work space" versus "relaxation space".
  4. To my knowledge, there's actual research that's been done on this, and open plan offices are associated with greatest productivity.
Click to expand...
Actually that would be the opposite.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.entrepreneur.com/amphtml/325959
Open plan offices doesn't give the best productivity.
 
Also disagree with the open plan productivity thing..

It forces people who would otherwise be browsing the internet to work yes but you lose productivity due to cross talk.

Only time open plan works is where team members & location are more fluid. Eg you have a team of 15-20 and Pm group and you shuffle them around according to client commitment such that groups work on a client sit together using the advantage of cross talk.

That and training newbs..but in the above it’s more about removing silos. I dunno.. I’ve almost always been in open plan offices with/out permanent desk assignments.
 
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