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I am still working full-time remote. There are definitely some social aspects of going to the office I miss, but I really don't miss the commute or the shitty office politics. Overall I feel I am still more productive from home and happier overall.

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[–] Bojimbo@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

I'm technically hybrid, but I haven't been to the office in over a month. I only go in if there're important meetings.

[–] Yoyo@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Full time remote but management want us to be in 2 days a week. I work with a team from another country and will never meet them in person but the middle management wants to see me once a week. I check managers calender and choose one day unless I'm having lunch with some other college.
Totally worthless decision. 40min commute.

Software dev

[–] LostCause@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I got forced to go back three days a week. I grew resentful and started working less efficiently out of spite, then I asked for more money and got denied, so I quit.

Found a new job a month later, 30h a week for only ~10% less pay than I had with 40h, so 4 day work week and 90% WFH. Somehow I enjoy going into the office now though, maybe it‘s the AC, maybe cause I work less, maybe cause I‘m not forced to do it. So I‘ve been going in most days.

[–] cowvin@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'm still remote. The company forced everyone to go back 3 days a week, but it was too big of a pain for me with child care being an issue (3 year old and 5 year old). So I applied for permanent WFH and they are sitting on my application. The CTO told me that the heads of the company are not giving permanent WFH for anyone without a medical reason. He did say that he would extend my return to office date until next year, though, so at least by then my 3 year-old will be in preschool.

All in all I'm considering leaving for a permanent WFH position. The work-life balance is just way better when you have small kids.

[–] iLikeGoats@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

I wish I had had that option when my kids were little. Hope you find something you enjoy.

[–] Bluu@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

I'm fully remote now. During covid I was working somewhere else. They forced everyone to go back to a hybrid model, where we were expected to share small workspaces with three or four other coworkers with a rotating schedule. There was no reason for someone in my position to be in the office. It was not ideal. After a few weeks I ended up putting in my notice and found another fully remote position. It's wonderful. I love working from home.

[–] AwaNoodle@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

I'm still working remote, although the company has been going down the 2,3, now 4 days back in the office route. Luckily, my office was closed so they can't push us in yet, but it'll be a matter of time as the CEO is a believer in the collaboration etc etc that doesn't reflect how people are actually working.

It's a bit comical when some of the exec discuss it. There isn't enough office space for all the people, so the ones forced back are hot-desking and having a terrible time of it. The plan is to reduce the amount of offices, so the issue will get worse. A lot of people are on calls for a lot of the day so this just makes the whole thing a mess where you unpack all your stuff, jump onto calls, pack all your stuff again, then leave. Rinse / repeat. The execs acknowledge it but still pull all the synergy / collab / culture stuff.

I'm moving to a new fully remote position before the RTO is enforced. It's hard to beat not wasting hours a day and thousands a year on commuting by train. I get to actually attend my kid's school events, take them training, spend time with them.

[–] iLikeGoats@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

synergy >

This, and silos, are my two most hated office words. Hope you find something you like!

[–] skellener@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Our studio is still allowing remote work. I’m one of the freaks that likes to come in and see everyone (I’ve been working with some of these people for almost 20 years).I miss seeing everybody. I don’t like working remote myself. I wish more people were coming in. But I understand the appeal of avoiding the commute.

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[–] tiredofsametab@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'm still nearly 100% remote. We have like two events a year we need to show up at in person.

I would change jobs again if this changes; my goal is to move out to the countryside in another 2.5 to 3 years and do some small-scale farming and such, and there are really no IT jobs in the Japanese Countryside that are anywhere near what I do now in terms of interesting content, competent management, and pay.

[–] iLikeGoats@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Wow! Where in Japan would you go to farm? What type of farm are you thinking about?

[–] tiredofsametab@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

That's the debate; I need to find a place that my wife (who hates snow) won't be miserable. She also doesn't drive, so it would be better if she did not have to get a license. I'm currently looking from Ibaraki prefecture up through the southeast of Iwate near the coast (far enough away from tsunami, close enough that we don't get snow).

My plan is to grow nearly 100% of the fruits and veggies we eat. This obviously won't work for things that just don't grow in the climate we end up in.

I'd also like to have chickens (at first for eggs and later meat birds).

Maybe pigs in the far future, but I legally have to have them butchered at a proper abattoir by Japanese law, so I need to work all that out.

For rice, the hope would be to trade with neighbors for other things.

Flour and stuff I would still have to buy because I'm not going to be able to grow wheat in any meaningful way.

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[–] HeartyBeast@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I go in twice a week, because I find being able to talk to people face to face both quite productive and I'm an extravert who likes company. Plus, I'm in London and I actually enjoy the 45 minute cycle.

[–] iLikeGoats@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

That's cool. If I tried to ride my bike to work I would probably get run over in the first couple of miles. I'm jealous of cities that have nice bike paths.

[–] HeartyBeast@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Can I ask what country/city you are in?

[–] iLikeGoats@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

In a large metropolitan area in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA. The city itself has a decent bike program but not the wider area

[–] HeartyBeast@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

Got it. I only asked because if you were in the UK I was going to recommend the excellent free ‘Cycle Confident’ programmes some councils run.

I can imagine that inter-city cycling in the US would be zero fun.

[–] platysalty@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

Weird situation right now. Everyone is working fully remote, but can go to the office whenever they want.

I actually go to the office most days cause no one else is there and I get a really comfortable place to chill out and work in.

[–] zamaroo@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

I’m mostly in person but I’m at a college and they are big on making sure people are there for the campus environment, even though many of us don’t actually interact with students. But I also have my own office and feel like I can focus better in my workspace setup there, and communicate with people best when I can stop by their office to ask a question, so as it is now I do prefer it.

That said, with my kids’ ages and how many remote jobs are available now, it still may make sense in the next year or so to look for something that offers more remote time so I can keep childcare costs to a minimum. They are old enough that they aren’t distracting, can get their own lunches and snacks and entertain themselves while I work, but not old enough that I could leave them alone while I head to the office all day.

[–] funkyb@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

been fully remote since 2008. It was fun to watch everyone else learn how to do that :)

[–] grady77@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

My team is hybrid, but I try and be in office most days! I’m lucky that my manager doesn’t mind if we do work from home when things come up.

As long as the work gets done, that’s what matters! Which is how I honestly think it should be.

[–] Unaware7013@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

Mid-pandemic I changed gigs to a 100% remote gig out of state, so they really can't force me to come back to the office when it's a 20 hour commute to a place I've never been!

On a more serious note, my gig may expect >40 hours/week (which I rarely give more than 2-3 at most), but they're at least 100% on the idea of remote collaboration. They downsized the office for this reason and give people the option of coming in, but only people that actually have to physically be in the office to do work are required to go in.

[–] FrugalExcess@forum.fail 1 points 2 years ago

Required to go in 3 days a week. The 2 days at home are unsurprisingly my only productive days.

[–] hallettj@beehaw.org 1 points 2 years ago

I'm fully remote, in software development. It's very helpful for me to be able to pick up my kids from school, and get back to work while they do homework. I used to have an elaborate system orchestrating pick-up and transportation to a daycare service.

Lots of small software companies have taken a remote-by-default approach the last few years. That means job openings are often not limited by geography. I'm working for a company that doesn't have an office on my side of the continent. For companies that means they can throw a wide net to pick up people with very specific skills.

I think the downside is that mentorship becomes difficult. An all-remote company I worked for before the shutdown said they found it only works well for senior-level engineers or above. I learned a lot of what I know from the guy who used to sit next to me at my first job. I'm not sure if there's a good replacement for that for new devs. There is still collaboration in my current job, but it's limited by the friction of video calls, and timezone mismatches.

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