Work from home - becoming permanent

[SAguy]

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.

Our office managements staff still take care of the office to a lesser extent, but focus on staff wellness and other means to keep staff happy.

You have a really negative view of companies and management - there are companies out there that really look after their staff.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

Our office managements staff still take care of the office to a lesser extent, but focus on staff wellness and other means to keep staff happy.

You have a really negative view of companies and management - there are companies out there that really look after their staff.

totally possible, Ive not seen that much kindness with how some companies treat staff.
I've seen them not pay people during/after lockdown, force them to get infected with COVID, put mental patients/convicts as their managers,
treat people very badly, for things they cant control, treat others badly for being kind, the whole gamut.

I've yet to see what some are talking about that treat their staff as assets, and not like cattle, with the managers like Cowboys.

 

[SAguy]

totally possible, Ive not seen that much kindness with how some companies treat staff.
I've seen them not pay people during/after lockdown, force them to get infected with COVID, put mental patients/convicts as their managers,
treat people very badly, for things they cant control, treat others badly for being kind, the whole gamut.

I've yet to see what some are talking about that treat their staff as assets, and not like cattle, with the managers like Cowboys.

Yip, most of my family and friends have been treated like cattle over the last year.

Fortunately though I can't complain about my company at all - they have been nothing but supportive and caring throughout Covid... giving everyone UPSs, budget for home office improvements, ability to fetch any desks/screens/etc we need from office, wellfare budget

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

Yip, most of my family and friends have been treated like cattle over the last year.

Fortunately though I can't complain about my company at all - they have been nothing but supportive and caring throughout Covid... giving everyone UPSs, budget for home office improvements, ability to fetch any desks/screens/etc we need from office, wellfare budget

so I suppose some are better than others,
like everything these days.

maybe I should get a Job at the ANC permanent WFH, no experience of training necessary,
JZ will not spend a single second in Prison! Viva ANC viva

 

[SAguy]

so I suppose some are better than others,
like everything these days.

maybe I should get a Job at the ANC permanent WFH, no experience of training necessary,
JZ will not spend a single second in Prison! Viva ANC viva

ANC doesn't WFH... there's no W in WFH for them. It's just FH.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

ANC doesn't WFH... there's no W in WFH for them. It's just FH.

true, although they do put in time during elections to beg for votes, that m0r0ns give them.

 

[Cius]

Never had trouble defining boundaries for work life balance despite working in an investment bank where overtime is mostly the norm. Unless there is a true emergency I leave the office after my 9 hours and the same applies with shutting down my laptop. I have had plenty of my colleagues complain about massive overtime over the covid period but they tend to the same ones who worked overtime when in the office, and the same ones who struggle to take the compulsory 10 day leave once a year and end up being forced to take it at some point that is inconvenient to them.

If you don't set your own boundaries most companies are happy to take as much as you are willing to give. I try limit overtime to under 5% of the year and I have mostly managed that. At the same time I have never not gotten a bonus so my bosses have always been happy with my deliverables, and they know they can rely on me should the real crises occur. The better bosses also knew I was the kind of guy that actively prevents crises before they happen.

 

[TofuMofu]

Our CEO said last year he doesn't see why we cannot do WFH permanently so I hope this will be the case.

I'm thinking of moving end of next year to a different town if they allow me to WFH. Me being able to WFH would mean husband can look for a job in new town while I keep us afloat for a bit. He should get a job easily or if it takes awhile, I can support us both for a few months/a year.

Need to get out of GP...

 

[Lupus]

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.

Yeah sick leave is silly, if you're sick stay home, the company must make a plan.

 

[Jhercules]

While I would love WFH to be permanent situation it's just not going to happen. Mark my word, as soon as most people are vaccinated they will find reasons for us to be back in the office.

The 2 days a week will rapidly turn into a full 5 again in no time. They don't care wether you are more productive at home. It's about money and power and they need you in your cubicles to exercise that power.

 

[marbro]

easy peasy solution.

next contract negotiations... ask for less increase and more wfh... they win, because they dont pay you extra (cant really say no because it costs them nothing) and you get to save on fuel

 

[TofuMofu]

easy peasy solution.

next contract negotiations... ask for less increase and more wfh... they win, because they dont pay you extra (cant really say no because it costs them nothing) and you get to save on fuel

Good idea. Also not working from the office saves them money on rent, coffee, water, electricity etc.

 

[s0lar]

Good idea. Also not working from the office saves them money on rent, coffee, water, electricity etc.

Our company took out a lease from two floors to the entire building literally weeks before the 1st lockdown. Oops.

 

[RedViking]

I keep on reading,

Work from Home - Becoming Pregnant

/need a holiday

 

[Cius]

While I would love WFH to be permanent situation it's just not going to happen. Mark my word, as soon as most people are vaccinated they will find reasons for us to be back in the office.

The 2 days a week will rapidly turn into a full 5 again in no time. They don't care wether you are more productive at home. It's about money and power and they need you in your cubicles to exercise that power.

The cynic in me thought this too, which was why I was so surprised at the announcements made. They are physically disposing of campus buildings, and putting office equipment in people's homes. If there is limited seating available in the office buildings no matter how anal you manager is he will have to abide the rules of how many days people WFH regardless. If we all still had our seats at the office I could see it being different but now? Anyways, early days. Lets see how it pans out.

 

[TofuMofu]

I keep on reading,

Work from Home - Becoming Pregnant

/need a holiday

For a lot of people, that is a reality as well

 

[RandomGeek]

The cynic in me thought this too, which was why I was so surprised at the announcements made. They are physically disposing of campus buildings, and putting office equipment in people's homes. If there is limited seating available in the office buildings no matter how anal you manager is he will have to abide the rules of how many days people WFH regardless. If we all still had our seats at the office I could see it being different but now? Anyways, early days. Lets see how it pans out.

It reminds me of the time when the company started doing a staggered come-back-to-the-office plan. Initially every second person could be at the office at the same time. So I could not be with my immediate colleagues (and therefore no collaboration with them!) but I could come back the same day as Frikkie from Finance and Hannah from HR. But do I need to collaborate with Finance or HR? No I didn't...so that plan died a quiet death.

When they dropped the strict rules and let the managers sort out the nitty-gritty it started working much better. The best managers said "WFH works for me and my staff, here's the results to prove it" and just kept doing it

 

[Claymore]

Yep. As part of the announcement we had today they said they are looking at support for WFH in terms of tech and stuff. They specifically mentioned allowing us an ergonomic chair (which is awesome), and that they will subsidize our internet connection somewhat and allow a second screen where needed from the office. So a pragmatic approach. That is all gonna be a lot cheaper than the cost of maintaining all those addiotional buildings etc. Cleaning costs savings alone will probably subsidize all they spend on the above.

@Pineapple Smurf : Totally with you on the traffic. I worked in Sandton and traffic was a royal mess. With this many more people remoting in I am guessing traffic will be significantly reduced which will be great for the days I do work at the office.

I may have worked in the same offices as you (or very close...). Same for me. Subsidised fibre, got my computer equipment at home, and from the sounds of it, our team will never go back to the office. We have colleagues in India, so we work better remotely anyway. I have been back to Sandton once (to get my screens), and the office had been stripped and re-done, and I've worked from another office for 3 days due to load shedding/power outages.

Working from home saves me 2.5 hours a day and R3000 per month in fuel, and I think I deliver more than when I'm in the office. You do need some form of delivery-oriented management though, not time-oriented. My GF's company is insisting al people work from the office, because they think people will skive off (as if they don't in the office). Very short-sighted.

 

[Neuk_]

I hope that we move to more of a hybrid setup, there are benefits to WFH and WFO, I have found it difficult to WFH at times with two dogs, a baby, a nanny, our gardener and my fiancé all wanting attention at times.

 

[charlieharper]

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.

Next step will be Async.

A day consists of 24 hours... we don't need to do everything between 9am and 5pm.

Pretty cool post https://levels.io/async/