Work from home - becoming permanent

[Lukcydog]

So I work for a big 4 bank (would rather not say which one at this point). Our executives just announced they are selling a large number of campus buildings (some may be leased back) and that post covid they envision only 40% of staff working from a campus site on any given day. So 60% of staff on any given day working from home. Keeping in mind that many staff (especially in the branch network) have to work on site so for the rest of us they seem to think we will work from home 4 out of 5 days by my math.

Honestly surprised, but happy to hear. There was always noise during this time of us shifting in that direction post covid but they are now selling buildings and making a big commitment to that. They will also create spaces you essentially book as a team for collaboration etc. Its greener, saves hours in traffic, and has been working well for us. We are about to deliver one of the biggest and most difficult projects I have ever worked on and it actually worked with all of us being remote. If we could deliver this we can deliver anything. I still do want office days to socialize with colleagues and do lunches etc. I also think brainstorming and knowledge sharing happens better in person, but I can definitely live with this.

So anyone else who has a company that has made permanent commitments to flexi work even post covid?

Yip, work for large european corporation. We will only work 2/3 days in the office and that's not even mandatory. We are doing it for team-cohesion.

 

[JohnStarr]

Same at another big ICT company. Only 20% of staff will be at the office. They are planning to sell/cancel leases at few office spaces. They intend to have a common space/hot desks at certain sites if WFH not possible.

Landlords are going to suffer, but this is how things are going. I still like an office scenario as I enjoy being around my work colleagues, but hell...I've worked later at home than I have when working from the Office!

 

[PsyWulf]

Landlords are going to suffer, but this is how things are going. I still like an office scenario as I enjoy being around my work colleagues, but hell...I've worked later at home than I have when working from the Office!

Convert all that excess office buildings into living spaces like flats,might find people to work from home from their former offices
Or maybe something like Capsule hotels:

 

[JohnStarr]

Convert all that excess office buildings into living spaces like flats,might find people to work from home from their former offices
Or maybe something like Capsule hotels:

Yep...Improvise, Adapt, Overcome. Housing is a good idea.

 

[PsyWulf]

One weakness though is load-shedding,it's easier for Offices to be prepared with spare-generation,home users not so much

That said some of my clients opted to budget for DC UPS' and other options like subsidized generator/inverters for their staff to keep them online
Tax-deductible too

 

[RandomGeek]

WFH is great. But I'm not a fan of hot desking...its always nice to have a space that is YOURS. And to get the max economic benefit from reduced office space you end up having to hotdesk

 

[Gozado]

I wonder if this isn't going to cause a glut of office space which will screw up commercial property investment. And these corporate offices aren't suited for development to residential due to location. Suppose they could be rethought.

Yes. Friend of a friend works for a large company in Milan. Just before covid, remember, when WFH was considered a security risk, etc., the company having grown, they bought a new, larger building and the move was planned. Covid stopped all that, and they all had to WFH, compulsorily. Now that they've found it's all working just fine, they have two huge empty buildings, and no buyer or tenant in sight, for either of them.

 

[Cius]

One weakness though is load-shedding,it's easier for Offices to be prepared with spare-generation,home users not so much

That said some of my clients opted to budget for DC UPS' and other options like subsidized generator/inverters for their staff to keep them online
Tax-deductible too

I was surprised how cheap it was to get around. I spent R1700 on a Ratel for the wifi, and the company provided a R3000 UPS that powers my screen and laptop for the duration of load shedding. So for 5K you can easily get by provided you do not have an extended cut. At that point you have to go in to the office.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

anybody remember paperless office, back in the day?
remember less paper means less work? everything supposed to be easier, all going to be simpler?

how much of that is reality today?

same thing with this fad called WFH,

not to rain on peoples parade, but you do know what this now means?
available all hours of the day and night, no private time, no quick calls,
your expected to be available 24/7/365 even when you are in the can.

this is EXACTLY where we are headed, more monitoring, more spying, but yes, you can work while in your PJ's
so its give and take I suppose, some will enjoy, but many will say better to be in the office. at least 4 PM Knockoff and forget about work.

now the work is your home, and vice versa, not sure everybody will be that happy with it.

 

[Hemps]

Company wants everyone back at work, no exceptions as it will set a "precedent" ,their words.
So far this week 2 staff have been sent home to isolate as they suspected as having C19.
Scary when the person sitting a couple meters away has a nasty cough and you can see they sick BUT have used up all their sick leave.

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

not to rain on peoples parade, but you do know what this now means?
available all hours of the day and night, no private time, no quick calls,
your expected to be available 24/7/365 even when you are in the can.

BS. If allow people to walk over you at the office, they will walk over you at home. Same thing applies. You set boundaries and stick to it, as long as you're conforming to your terms of employment...

 

[Snyper564]

Been into the office once to resolve an IT issue, otherwise WFH till... who knows... (not complaining)

 

[furpile]

I remember there was a company that had these shared office space buildings that companies could rent as required. They were in Cape Town and Joburg I think. I cannot find the name or article but I think they closed down a year or 2 before lockdown. Bad timing for them, looks like this will start becoming more popular now?

In my case, I enjoy working from home but I don't think it will become permanent. Possibly some days a week though. But I work for a manufacturing company so sometimes you need to be at the factory.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

BS. If allow people to walk over you at the office, they will walk over you at home. Same thing applies. You set boundaries and stick to it, as long as you're conforming to your terms of employment...

maybe, but again, who told you employment contracts wont adjust to reflect this new reality?
if anything companies aren't stupid, will say, why do we pay X that covers cleaning and coffee and rent ect.

why don't we pay people less and they can WFH and do all that themselves?
not all its cracked out to be IMO, people will soon realize that.

 

[marbro]

anybody remember paperless office, back in the day?
remember less paper means less work? everything supposed to be easier, all going to be simpler?

how much of that is reality today?

same thing with this fad called WFH,

not to rain on peoples parade, but you do know what this now means?
available all hours of the day and night, no private time, no quick calls,
your expected to be available 24/7/365 even when you are in the can.

this is EXACTLY where we are headed, more monitoring, more spying, but yes, you can work while in your PJ's
so its give and take I suppose, some will enjoy, but many will say better to be in the office. at least 4 PM Knockoff and forget about work.

now the work is your home, and vice versa, not sure everybody will be that happy with it.

if you are a pushover, you will always be one, working from home or the office.

I shut down my laptop at 4, start it up again at 8. im in IT. if its really that important they can phone me, but never do.

I dont accept many meetings past 4, I ensure i get my lunch time and honestly.... I put in more work at home than when i am at the office.

 

[PsyWulf]

maybe, but again, who told you employment contracts wont adjust to reflect this new reality?
if anything companies aren't stupid, will say, why do we pay X that covers cleaning and coffee and rent ect.

why don't we pay people less and they can WFH and do all that themselves?
not all its cracked out to be IMO, people will soon realize that.

Facebook's already threatened to pay people based on where they stay if they refuse to go back to the office,but that's more a "living in a cheaper city" and working remotely thing

 

[Craig_]

anybody remember paperless office, back in the day?
remember less paper means less work? everything supposed to be easier, all going to be simpler?

how much of that is reality today?

same thing with this fad called WFH,

not to rain on peoples parade, but you do know what this now means?
available all hours of the day and night, no private time, no quick calls,
your expected to be available 24/7/365 even when you are in the can.

this is EXACTLY where we are headed, more monitoring, more spying, but yes, you can work while in your PJ's
so its give and take I suppose, some will enjoy, but many will say better to be in the office. at least 4 PM Knockoff and forget about work.

now the work is your home, and vice versa, not sure everybody will be that happy with it.

Not sure that you've ever worked from home

 

[KantSnyer]

why do we pay X that covers cleaning and coffee and rent ect.

Yeah no that doesn't form part of my salary, they save on cleaning and rent by possibly downsizing and this would stay the same regardless of WFH or not. I pay for internet/electricity/coffee and am happy to do so as I'm saving on fuel getting to the office.

 

[SAguy]

anybody remember paperless office, back in the day?
remember less paper means less work? everything supposed to be easier, all going to be simpler?

how much of that is reality today?

same thing with this fad called WFH,

not to rain on peoples parade, but you do know what this now means?
available all hours of the day and night, no private time, no quick calls,
your expected to be available 24/7/365 even when you are in the can.

this is EXACTLY where we are headed, more monitoring, more spying, but yes, you can work while in your PJ's
so its give and take I suppose, some will enjoy, but many will say better to be in the office. at least 4 PM Knockoff and forget about work.

now the work is your home, and vice versa, not sure everybody will be that happy with it.

It's important to work for the right employer if you want to WFH. If a company feels forced to let people WFH and still have their heads stuck up their rear ends like it's the 90's then yeah - I can imagine more monitoring and unrealistic expectations.

My company however has been incredible about WFH, often sending care packages of coffee, cookies, snacks, hoodies, tshirts, etc to the staff since they are saving money on other things. Overworking isn't praised where we are either, it's questioned since either you aren't working smart or you are under resourced.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

if you are a pushover, you will always be one, working from home or the office.

I shut down my laptop at 4, start it up again at 8. im in IT. if its really that important they can phone me, but never do.

I dont accept many meetings past 4, I ensure i get my lunch time and honestly.... I put in more work at home than when i am at the office.

if you stick to boundaries and do what you do normally like you do at the office,
then no problem, besides the fact, again contracts will be re looked at, as companies are no fools,

paying rent for this huge building that is empty, ok, cool ,sell it and more bottom line for us.
again we adapt, if its WFH now, why do we need to pay for X person that is an office manager?

we dont have an office, so awesome, less pay and more pay for the execs.