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Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by Kiro on Friday December 01, 2023 @10:16AM (#38487678)
Let's be real. The reason we all love WFH is because we can slack off. It's so easy to game the system and make it look like we're working when we're not.
Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by dogleash on Friday December 01, 2023 @11:41AM (#38488766)
>The reason we all love WFH is because we can slack off.

Don't insult me like that.

I won't pretend I don't know people who only work 4 hours a week, but stop acting like you know me.

I love work from home because I can get actual quiet. Not music downing out distractions. Quiet.

If you want to insinuate that I don't work, or perpetuate a culture that assumes I will not work as hard because there's no hall monitor, then get bent.

Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by ubercow13 on Friday December 01, 2023 @10:28AM (#38487842)
I don't think it's any easier, it's just less unpleasant because you don't have to pretend to be working as actively while slacking off.

And if this is true it just proof of the merits of WFH. If everyone is 'slacking off' and productivity is basically unchanged, it just shows what a waste of everyone's lives working in the office was.

Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by taylodl on Friday December 01, 2023 @10:28AM (#38487836)
Stop projecting your personal failings onto the rest of us. My productivity has never been greater - and I started this career journey in the 80's.

Add in the new AI tools and productivity is getting another bump.

I guess you're just getting left behind.

We won't miss you.

Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by pcthrowaway on Friday December 01, 2023 @10:32AM (#38487897)
Funny, I have bittersweet feelings about WFH because it was so much easier for me to slack off in office. All I needed was a butt in chair for 8 hours a day.

WFH I'm expected to track my productive time and ensure it adds up to 8 hours. Maybe some people can get away with fudging their records but I think there's a pretty widespread understanding that coworkers who regularly have lengthy periods where they're neither responding to DMs nor producing output aren't actually working for the full workday.

In office, if I spent an hour to go for a walk and to a coffee-shop during my 8 hour workday, it was understood that I was probably doing some backround processing while stretching my legs.

WFH if I disappear for an hour, it's assumed I'm not working (and I'm certainly not tracking that as productive work time)

Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by SketchySeaBeast on Friday December 01, 2023 @10:34AM (#38487925)
Not any more than when I was in the office. Let's be real here - it's a rare individual who can do deep and productive knowledge work for 8 hours straight. All work from home means is that now when I take a break it's to do something productive, like a load of laundry, or really relaxing, like taking a walk, instead of trying to surreptitiously browse the internet for a bit.
Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by doubled112 on Friday December 01, 2023 @10:49AM (#38488127)
Sometimes I have an epiphany loading the dishwasher. That should count as billable time, no?
Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by ksenzee on Friday December 01, 2023 @10:28AM (#38487838)
If you’re justifying this to yourself because you think everyone else is slacking off at home, you might want to rethink. I am not slacking off—my productivity is at least as good at home as it was in the office, even on days when I’m not at the computer a full eight hours. Judging from what we get done, other people on my team are also not slacking off. But if someone were regularly slacking off, I’d be able to tell—and I’m not even a manager, just a principal who listens at standup. At least wait for a better job market if you insist on playing roulette with your career.
Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by red-iron-pine on Friday December 01, 2023 @11:59AM (#38489024)
studies have repeatedly shown that office workers -- and most workers in general -- are productive for about 6 hours a day. and that's on the high end.

there are a lot of do-nothing, go-nowhere meetings that fill the gap and make it appear like things are happening.

WFH just shows that the emperor has no clothes and that a lot of time is spent doing BS tasks. there is still a ton of BS, but I can be chopping veggies and prepping a crockpot meal while on pointless 30+ people calls.

Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by Clubber on Friday December 01, 2023 @10:29AM (#38487851)
It's pretty easy to spot people who aren't working. We hired a guy and it was pretty obvious he was doing multiple jobs. We fired him in a week. Unfortunately my boss got cold feet and his replacement had to be in-office.
Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by SantalBlush on Friday December 01, 2023 @10:26AM (#38487802)
The three big reasons for me are: 1. No more commute. 2. No need to move for a new job. 3. Way more real estate options. No longer needing to live inside a major metropolitan area near my job means I can save hundreds of thousands on a house, or pay much cheaper rent. It's a no-brainer.
Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by zarathustreal on Friday December 01, 2023 @10:29AM (#38487846)
Sorry to have to be the one to throw ice water on you here: most of your colleagues are in fact working hard and enjoy WFH because they enjoy spending time with their family and working from a comfortable work environment.

If we want to talk about conspiracies, let’s talk about management’s belief that everyone producing value is secretly trying to game the system

Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by j4yav on Friday December 01, 2023 @01:09PM (#38490058)
I've personally never worked harder or had better results since working for all-remote companies.
Re:Return to office is 'dead,' Stanford economist says by op00to on Friday December 01, 2023 @01:23PM (#38490280)
I took two hour lunches, with alcohol. I would wander into random university lectures instead of meetings. Do not underestimate my ability to fuck off from work no matter the location.