We've been banned from the office for over 7 months now. Some days I like working from home. some days I hate it. I have a "garden level" basement with 2 big windows so I can get plenty of natural light, I can't imagine what is must be for someone with just 4 walls, artificial light, and just the clicking of their 'puter keys. I told my new boss at the time, who was still remote half way across the country, that I hadn't signed up to be a "submariner" but that didn't carry any weight. We use a MS product called "Teams" to instant message, do telecoms, and even use as a phone system. I can't imagine how lonely it would be just to communicate with my colleagues via regular e-mail. My lunch breaks are shorter because there is no one to sit around a table and talk while eating, but I can get more easily distracted working from home. Maybe this is real future for a lot of non-hands on service and knowledge based employment and going upstream against the current is almost futile, but I think it sucks overall...

[quote=bblwi]I think we all need to come to grips real America.with the fact that probably a majority of our younger and entering workforce actually like working from their homes more than dealing with auto expenses, parking fees, rush hour and all the extra costs dealing with travelling to work. That and businesses readily seeing the cost savings as well. Many are state that the rush to relocate in more rural environments for safety is the main reason, but also consider if I can buy a much lower cost residence, not travel and maintain my high income job or jobs why live where the cost of living is much higher? When most school districts that have hug financial shortfalls and start doing more distance learning then the are now it will increase the pace of working differently

Great. Easier for the city dwellers to take over rural America. And everybody will be thankful for the new jobs it creates. Give me six month's of limited sunlight and subzero high temps that will keep the invaders at bay.

I can't wait till us concrete guys can work from home! I might never retire.

Hey man it really does feel like part time retirement.

The transportation issues are limiting.

We won't be getting teams till 2021 but have used it in the past and it's really nice.

I don't take a real lunch like I did when I was in the office. I walk into the kitchen and grab some food and walk back to the office.

I work with a good team and we'll drop in on one another. Some will even work will video skyping but I prefer to work quietly.

Training attendance is way up. Figure it's because folks want socialization.

What I dont understand is if it is easy for most jobs to be worked from home why werent they doing it before covid? Surely it has to cut costs for both employer and employee?

Sometimes it takes a real major event to change the paradigm. also administration and management in many places like the idea of the control and oversight they have or had when the workforce came to them and operated in their space. With fewer persons to manage, less managers as well. Updating tech equipment even frequently is far less costly then renting or owning square footage, paying for utilities and hiring the extra labor with benefits etc.
There are obviously persons who work much better from work stations away from home and in small groups or teams and they will need to find other employment options or have to adjust to the changing environment.

Bryce

Working remote is a skill that has to be learned. I was awful at it but have gotten much better.

A few lessons:

1. Treat it like work. Your brain has a hard time shifting into work mode if you are sitting in your underwear.
2. Have a stop time. Once I got more efficient, I would work all day and late into the night. You have to unplug.
3. Conversely, resist the urge to go into your shop, check something on your reloading bench and stay off Midway, F&T, etc websites. And TMan.
4. Get the right tools and technology.
5. Be accessible and responsive.

Once you get better at it, you will actually have more free time because of no commute, coffee chat distractions, etc.

I hope we keep it up.

This is one day a week for me. Two tops. However, I am likely working remote most of November because of deer season.

I think because it wasn’t realized until now. I’d look for lots of companies to abandon their high dollar fancy office leases now that they know they were pointless..........forever.

first of all who said they were getting anything like proper training when in the building.

second

documentation , online training apps and programs , the company I work for had recently invested in an online I.T. training called KnowB4 it trains employees on internet security issues and things to watch out for in email.

our CPR/CCR/AED training coming up is part online with an in person test.

where my wife recently started working nearly all the training was on the computer short safety videos followed by a multiple choice test.

webinars , recorded zoom meetings , and power points are taking much of the training over.

using applications like GoToMeeting to screen share a mentor can walk someone through an order taking or other on computer task

there are a number of services already that handle compliance with meeting employee training and documentation.

each year everyone including the janitor is required to take a short HIPPA compliance training and sign the document. for the past several years we are assigned this task through the payroll service the company uses if you don't complete the task you supervisor gets a list of who has yet to complete each day leading up to the deadline.

IAO improvise adapt overcome

things where a physicals product is being made will still have people in the building but the cube farm of administrative workers will be a few conference rooms for when a team needs to meet in person. everything else will be a rack or two int he server room

not sure if the greenies are noticing but without the massive number of people bumper to bumper for an hour morning and evening there is a huge reduction in fuel consumption.

more online less in person will get them much closer to their goals than any stupid eclectic car ever would.