A New Threat To My Cellar

[Chasing Embers]

I didn't say something different today

Like one regular member that said they started smoking six years ago only to retcon their statement saying that they had taken a twenty-five year break from smoking.

 

[crawdad]

Yep. Might have to go spend some time here. Goddamn what a bummer!

View attachment 22396

You got that, I got this...

 

[Sloopjohnbee]

Interesting! I've been posting on this forum for over a year And what a year it's been, good and less good, at least it's good to see I didn't say something different today!

time flies

 

[krizzose]

I am also always remote for my company's clients, they are in the US and I am in Greece so that's not an issue.

What is an issue is the bolded bits: I find I start work later too, am less productive per hour, and as a consequence work longer hours, meaning I'm more away from my wife and kids, even though they are one or two doors away. I find WFH lacks the discipline of working from the office, both in the going to work as well as going back home, and a massive time sink as well. Overall my, and my coworkers' efficiency is in the toilet. We deliver the work but we do it in 2-3 more hours per day, at no extra pay, and with the cost of nerves, tiredness and lost family time.

The "little bits of time saved throughout the week really add up", are you sure? I am not having a go at you, but because I am in exactly the same situation I consider these extra time sinks and breaks of focus. Or if for example my wife or kids come to tell me something - if I haven't locked my door, which I now often do even if not on a business call - that can be up to 10-20 minutes or lost time. I am at fault, for sure, for not being disciplined enough. The work DOES get done in the end, but at a higher cost to me I find.

Frankly I think working from home will become the norm for a load of office jobs, I already hear from friend whose jobs (office job) are not renewing their leases and rents and moving everything to be remote working (no extra money dolled to employees though from rent savings etc!) but I'm firmly not a fan.

Well obviously this is different for each person given the job being done and that person's home situation. As I mentioned, I don't have children and my wife works out of the house. I'm alone all day, so I'm not interrupted and I can have conference calls without any issue. The "mechanics" of my work are no different between office and home. I did make the conscious choice to start working every day at about the same time I would normally leave my house - about 7:30, and that has made a big difference. And of course I know you're not having a go at me, but I am quite sure I'm saving time. My weekends are far more relaxed than they used to be. For me it works just fine, but I am glad that I will have the option to go into the office a few times a month just to see people.

And I agree that lots of employers have learned that a lot of work can get done remotely, and they see a way to save a lot of money. My own company has a lot of short term projects that, pre Covid, they also did in-person (for reasons I won't get into, that was client driven for the most part). The clients now know that remote work can be done and done well, and they are used to the idea. Thus, my company can fill the office AND have remote projects going at the same time. My position is permanent (to the extent it can be in this market), but I took up space they can roll short-timers through.

I consider myself extremely lucky that my job is one that can be done remotely, and therefore a furlough or lay-off due to Covid was never really a possibility for me. I know a lot of people who weren't so lucky.