Re:Productivity has fallen, and experts are puzzled. I’m not...
by yrgulation on Friday November 04, 2022 @03:22PM
(#33472324)
My bad, i assumed you were familiar with the pros and cons of each side as this debate has been going on for a while on HN. The fault is mine as i confuse HN with a hive mind where all ideas are assimilated and disseminated by a collective consciousness rather than individuals. One for another time.
My arguments in favour of remote work, for industries and domains where this is possible (not saying all tech domains can do it) range from social, environmental, housing, mental health, financial, productivity and freedom issues to personal preference and employer needs.
Environment: not having millions of people into cars, or public transport, saves enormous amounts of co2. Certainly heating homes scattered around the place can negate some of the benefits, but no one lets their home freeze while at work, so some energy will be used anyway. For instance my home benefits from digital thermostats on each radiator, so that during work hours the temperature is lower in most rooms, while kept comfortable in my office room, all according to a preconfigured schedule. My rig generates heat as well so the boiler doesnt always need to run. My window is facing the sun so when its sunny i still save some energy in cold winters. Others can explore similar setups.
Housing: people tend to congregate where there are jobs, resources, shops or social events. As a result prices go up or sometimes housing is simply not available. Where housing is available then space will be small, uncomfortable, or unhealthy (think of concrete jungles). Working remote means you can go anywhere where housing is affordable. Doesn't have to mean houses it can also mean spacious flats surrounded by plenty of parks and clean air. It also means we are able to build responsibly because either more land is available or we are able to integrate better with nature since there is no pressure to maximise the use of every available inch. Also we dont need to build ever wider roads since we dont need to use them as often. Shops can be nearby as do other amenities.
Social: By being able to choose where you live means you are also able to choose the kind of people you want to live with and the kind of social life you want to have. Some wish to socialise at work, and build feeble relationships with people that once they left the company can no longer meet. This damages the whole fabric of our society because such relationships are superficial in most cases. You no longer know your neighbour and you can no longer build long lasting relationships. No wonder its so easy to polarise society since the only contact with it is via social networking platforms. The republican or democrat, tory or labour nextdoor might sound like a dick on facebook but might be a nice person that does nice bbqs in real life. Seeing eye to eye means you can find common ground or show empathy.
Mental health: for some, not being able to sleep well due to the constant need to commute (related to housing) is very stressful. So is the constant noise of open space offices or the petty office political games that some like to play. Office politics wont necessarily go away due to remote work but it will become more difficult to play such games as there is less excuse to engage in trivial chat. Some find it difficult to live in crowded cities, while others need proper time for themselves to unwind.
Freedom: Being able to express your individuality more than just a few sticky notes and fake plants is a matter of freedom. I want to be free to build my work environment whichever way i want to. I want star wars wallpapers, custom lighting, background quiet music, a chair of my choice, and so on. That helps increase my productivity as well. But most important is being able to freely chose where i want to live so that i can address my housing and social needs or simply because i want to be free to live among trees in a forest. Code by day chop wood by night. My choice.
Also, employers shouldnt decide where you live. They own your time and skill for the amount they pay and contract you signed but not you. Mandatory onsite means they control a lot of you for which they havent paid. And considering the tech to facilitate such freedoms is available i dont see why its up to them to decide wether we want to use it or not.
Also people farming is in my view is a major issue in tech and manufacturing. Tech workers being farmed and milked of their intelligence is counter intuitive considering we mostly work on products that connect remote people while we ourselves cant benefit form it. A paradox. We need to be onsite while our users must be remote. Its like instead of using hn we should fly over to somewhere and talk in person.
Financial: why do i need to spend money out of my own pocket commuting? That is company time. Also why wouldnt i spend that money on better housing, better home made food, better anything really as it means extra money that i can spend on myself instead of train journeys or a car.
Productivity. Cattle is known to yield more milk if treated with music and green pastures. I dont see why a person that is able to afford better housing, socialise more, have more disposable income and working in a personalised environment wouldn't be more productive. Productivity is not just about supervision and processes. Processes can be followed remotely. Certainly there is nuance here, as some are genuinely more productive on site. Those who have explored all options, made a conscious decision that on site is better, then well good for them, they know what's best. But not even giving proper remote work a chance is in my view a mistake. If your reason is that you need to socialise then by all means move to an area with likeminded people and socialise all day after work. You are not getting paid to sit and chat and i am not there for it either.
Anyway writing this in a rush as i need to meet my social circle as i live in their proximity because remote work allowed for that. I’ll grab a beer and enjoy the privilege of actual friends, decent housing and a fulfilling professional life.
My arguments in favour of remote work, for industries and domains where this is possible (not saying all tech domains can do it) range from social, environmental, housing, mental health, financial, productivity and freedom issues to personal preference and employer needs.
Environment: not having millions of people into cars, or public transport, saves enormous amounts of co2. Certainly heating homes scattered around the place can negate some of the benefits, but no one lets their home freeze while at work, so some energy will be used anyway. For instance my home benefits from digital thermostats on each radiator, so that during work hours the temperature is lower in most rooms, while kept comfortable in my office room, all according to a preconfigured schedule. My rig generates heat as well so the boiler doesnt always need to run. My window is facing the sun so when its sunny i still save some energy in cold winters. Others can explore similar setups.
Housing: people tend to congregate where there are jobs, resources, shops or social events. As a result prices go up or sometimes housing is simply not available. Where housing is available then space will be small, uncomfortable, or unhealthy (think of concrete jungles). Working remote means you can go anywhere where housing is affordable. Doesn't have to mean houses it can also mean spacious flats surrounded by plenty of parks and clean air. It also means we are able to build responsibly because either more land is available or we are able to integrate better with nature since there is no pressure to maximise the use of every available inch. Also we dont need to build ever wider roads since we dont need to use them as often. Shops can be nearby as do other amenities.
Social: By being able to choose where you live means you are also able to choose the kind of people you want to live with and the kind of social life you want to have. Some wish to socialise at work, and build feeble relationships with people that once they left the company can no longer meet. This damages the whole fabric of our society because such relationships are superficial in most cases. You no longer know your neighbour and you can no longer build long lasting relationships. No wonder its so easy to polarise society since the only contact with it is via social networking platforms. The republican or democrat, tory or labour nextdoor might sound like a dick on facebook but might be a nice person that does nice bbqs in real life. Seeing eye to eye means you can find common ground or show empathy.
Mental health: for some, not being able to sleep well due to the constant need to commute (related to housing) is very stressful. So is the constant noise of open space offices or the petty office political games that some like to play. Office politics wont necessarily go away due to remote work but it will become more difficult to play such games as there is less excuse to engage in trivial chat. Some find it difficult to live in crowded cities, while others need proper time for themselves to unwind.
Freedom: Being able to express your individuality more than just a few sticky notes and fake plants is a matter of freedom. I want to be free to build my work environment whichever way i want to. I want star wars wallpapers, custom lighting, background quiet music, a chair of my choice, and so on. That helps increase my productivity as well. But most important is being able to freely chose where i want to live so that i can address my housing and social needs or simply because i want to be free to live among trees in a forest. Code by day chop wood by night. My choice.
Also, employers shouldnt decide where you live. They own your time and skill for the amount they pay and contract you signed but not you. Mandatory onsite means they control a lot of you for which they havent paid. And considering the tech to facilitate such freedoms is available i dont see why its up to them to decide wether we want to use it or not.
Also people farming is in my view is a major issue in tech and manufacturing. Tech workers being farmed and milked of their intelligence is counter intuitive considering we mostly work on products that connect remote people while we ourselves cant benefit form it. A paradox. We need to be onsite while our users must be remote. Its like instead of using hn we should fly over to somewhere and talk in person.
Financial: why do i need to spend money out of my own pocket commuting? That is company time. Also why wouldnt i spend that money on better housing, better home made food, better anything really as it means extra money that i can spend on myself instead of train journeys or a car.
Productivity. Cattle is known to yield more milk if treated with music and green pastures. I dont see why a person that is able to afford better housing, socialise more, have more disposable income and working in a personalised environment wouldn't be more productive. Productivity is not just about supervision and processes. Processes can be followed remotely. Certainly there is nuance here, as some are genuinely more productive on site. Those who have explored all options, made a conscious decision that on site is better, then well good for them, they know what's best. But not even giving proper remote work a chance is in my view a mistake. If your reason is that you need to socialise then by all means move to an area with likeminded people and socialise all day after work. You are not getting paid to sit and chat and i am not there for it either.
Anyway writing this in a rush as i need to meet my social circle as i live in their proximity because remote work allowed for that. I’ll grab a beer and enjoy the privilege of actual friends, decent housing and a fulfilling professional life.