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A comment on Amazon tells employees to return to office five days a week. Parent comment

Re:Amazon tells employees to return to office five days a week by wannacboatmovie on Monday September 16, 2024 @09:38PM (#41563115)
> Is it possible that these RTO policies are actually meant to select for younger people and force others to resign? After all older people have more responsibilities outside of work like children

How did the last 40 years of tech do it? Were the boomers that invented all this stuff resigning left and right or not have children? Did I misread history about Bill Gates sleeping in his office or did he run MS from his kitchen table?

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Re:Amazon tells employees to return to office five days a week by asciimov on Monday September 16, 2024 @09:51PM (#41563208)
They got offices with doors that shut and had access to secretaries for office tasks. Also, homes were much more affordable in desirable locations.
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Re:Amazon tells employees to return to office five days a week by usr1106 on Tuesday September 17, 2024 @12:12AM (#41564028)
I am in the lucky situation having worked more years in offices than open floor, last time 2018. The doors were only shut before 1995, never after that. I was typically the only one who turned his desk towards the door, so I could chat with people coming in and also show that people can come in. It was so much more productive to work as a developer compared to open space.

Nowadays I go to the office (open space) only during evening hours when at most 2 hackers are there. Working from home probably not productive when you have smaller kids. Maybe good for the kids though.

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Re:Amazon tells employees to return to office five days a week by wannacboatmovie on Monday September 16, 2024 @09:55PM (#41563230)
I would fully support going back to offices with doors. Unfortunately the tech companies and newer generations brought us open plan offices (because they're more social!) and made secretary an offensive word. Now I live in a world where you don't know how to properly address the lady that books your travel.
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Re:Amazon tells employees to return to office five days a week by ciceryadam on Tuesday September 17, 2024 @04:01AM (#41565444)
In all but my first job there was no such lady. It was my responsibility to book my own travel, mostly through some clone of Concur.
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Re:Amazon tells employees to return to office five days a week by davidcbc on Tuesday September 17, 2024 @07:44AM (#41566650)
Pay me Bill Gates money and I'll work from the office 5 days a week and not complain
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Re:Amazon tells employees to return to office five days a week by cormorant on Tuesday September 17, 2024 @10:13AM (#41567780)
Their wives took care of the children.
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Re:Amazon tells employees to return to office five days a week by blackeyeblitzar on Tuesday September 17, 2024 @03:42PM (#41571819)
Bill Gates lived 15 minutes from his office. That’s at rush hour. Today that drive would take a lot longer.
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Re:Amazon tells employees to return to office five days a week by sqren on Thursday September 19, 2024 @12:53AM (#41588622)
> Did I misread history about Bill Gates sleeping in his office or did he run MS from his kitchen table?

Yes, Bill Gates worked like a maniac and didn't see his family. His wife took care of the kids. I think that's a terrible example to set (I wouldn't want to do it) but each to their own.

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