Work From Home? Get Ready for Pay Cuts.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: dandandat2
If your making a big city salary while working in your PJs with a beer in your hand why would you ever want covid lockdowns to end?

Because it's mind numbing to work from home every day month after month, that's why.

Maybe you could take your laptop outside and talk to the birds or random people walking by?

If you need coworkers to talk to all day, ya might not be working all that hard in the first place...

a reply to: dandandat2

Its been my experience that many don't work out.

It's the employees who do come to work that get the short end of the stick. They need to make up for all the slack homeshored employees don't get done in a day.

That doesn't surprise me -- unfortunately. And I can't even blame it on lack of discipline or organization skills needed to get the job done. My husband and son (both "bosses") constantly complain that too many people just don't want to work, and will waste more time and energy dawdling and avoiding actual work than if they just did the damn job!

Its now getting to the point where important projects are not getting done on time and customers no longer want to hear covid excuses.

Sure can't blame them for wanting the work done that they're paying for -- on time and done right.

a reply to: dandandat2

The biggest problem I've seen with this, from my own personal experience, is that employees are almost desolate unless you get a referral from another employee at your business. I've reached out to hundreds of people on websites such as Indeed, and I mean I reached out within an hour of their resume popping through showing that they were interested. I'm even getting that issue through hiring agencies. All these people have to do, in order to get their corona-checks, is "actively" seek a job. Clicking "Interested" or going as far as driving in for an interview somehow proves they're actively seeking employment.

It's funny... Under Obama, jobs were hard to find. Under Biden, employees are hard to find. Under Trump, unemployment reached record lows.

a reply to: KawRider9

Maybe you could take your laptop outside and talk to the birds or random people walking by?

If you need coworkers to talk to all day, ya might not be working all that hard in the first place...

LOL! My favorite part of working at home was that I didn't have coworkers chatting or gossiping when I had work to do, or bosses looking over my shoulder. I reveled in my solitude. I put my headphones on and the whole world disappeared. I just immersed myself in my work. THAT was the mind numbing part.

But I did actually enjoy a walk in the garden during my breaks. Getting some fresh air and stretching the limbs was a godsend. And I may have talked to some birds... and butterflies... and dragonflies... and flowers...

a reply to: LSU2018

It's funny... Under Obama, jobs were hard to find. Under Biden, employees are hard to find. Under Trump, unemployment reached record lows.

Someone suggested that Biden declare a shortage of jobs so people rush out to get them and hoard them... so sad but so true I couldn't help but laugh!

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: dandandat2

I'm hoping to be back in the road next month or in July. My boss is already talking about a trip to London, Leiden and Milan so that would be a vast improvement over sitting here for 12 hours a day.
God, I mis Milano. I'd love to have a proper coffee out front of the Duomo again, while an opera pours out of La Scala.

Meanwhile my arse has been traveling throughout the PNW, since July of last year...hotels and planes are starting to fill up again.

More to the OP, a number of positions in your "white collar" world were already payed by location. Then there a a number of them that are paid based on your relationships.

There are many more criteria involved the higher up one moves within the " white collar" world.

originally posted by: Boadicea
a reply to: dandandat2

Its been my experience that many don't work out.

It's the employees who do come to work that get the short end of the stick. They need to make up for all the slack homeshored employees don't get done in a day.

That doesn't surprise me -- unfortunately. And I can't even blame it on lack of discipline or organization skills needed to get the job done. My husband and son (both "bosses") constantly complain that too many people just don't want to work, and will waste more time and energy dawdling and avoiding actual work than if they just did the damn job!

I work for a tech company where collaboration is important. I really don't mind when my team goofs around together because they are still doing it together. We go to dinner or lunch or drinks and as we joke around we spend at least 1/2 the time talking or bitchin about a work subject.

And I have siverly under estimated the importance of hall way conversation until Covid-19 locked every one up. So much can be accomplished in a quick face to face conversation that takes so much time to accomplish in e-mail, text and rigged meetings.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: dandandat2
If your making a big city salary while working in your PJs with a beer in your hand why would you ever want covid lockdowns to end?

Because it's mind numbing to work from home every day month after month, that's why.

Depends on what you do. I'll take my home over any office any day. To your point, though, the lack of social interaction could be what is numbing your mind?

I was already working in an industry that is mostly work from home when this whole mess started.

The thing that changed was the support personnel were allowed to work from home more after the lockdowns started.

My position has moved to an almost entirely remote position. My office was only 4 miles from my home to start with, so it didn't cut down my commute much, but I'm much more comfortable and I'm less bored than I was sitting in my office 8 hours a day. I still go in when I need to physically touch something at the office (build servers, retire servers, reroute networks, etc.) but 99% of my job was done remotely from my work office before any of this started in the first place.

Now I remote to the datacenter from my house instead of from my office...it's all the same to me.

a reply to: dandandat2

Sounds like those companies come out ahead. Not only do they not have as much overhead, but they get to pay some of their employees less!

If an employee moves to a more expensive area to live, do they get a pay raise?? Doubt it.

As a computer nerd, all I need is a good internet connection. Most bars and hangouts have decent enough wifi. Fortunately Texas wasn't on as serious a lockdown as much of the country so I was never really "stuck" at home

a reply to: CthruU

No. Not just the gossip. Being the center of attention. Constant reassurances of how pretty or desirable you are (for some), the attaboys for others. And even just the office politics for others.

Work is very much a social construct. The pecking order must be maintained else you risk dangerous independent thoughts like “maybe I should apply around now to see what I can get...”

originally posted by: KawRider9
Maybe you could take your laptop outside and talk to the birds or random people walking by?

Oh, yeah, that worked so well for me last time since I now need to be 1,001' away from all schools the rest of my life.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: dandandat2
If your making a big city salary while working in your PJs with a beer in your hand why would you ever want covid lockdowns to end?

Because it's mind numbing to work from home every day month after month, that's why.

Mind Numbing ? Hell no ! I've been dong it past year and LOVE IT with a passion !! The beauty of not interacting with fools on a daily basis is AMAZING !

My sanity , My stress , My health have all improved . I feel much more happier , I have pep in my step and love waking up everyday working from work in peace !!

NO useless chit chat in the coffee room ! No Stress of traffic ! No need for new outfits !

For once in all my professional working career i'm happy to be at home and working from home... Its honestly a gift from god !


Side note . I dislike your avatar and kindly request something new.

originally posted by: NightVision
To your point, though, the lack of social interaction could be what is numbing your mind?

That's definitely it. Our team is in sales and it's hard to run a sales team and manage client relations all via Teams. You need to be face to face, thank God and Cthulhu my boss agrees.

a reply to: seedofchucky

I enjoy travelling and seeing the world, it ain't happening from my home office.

originally posted by: seedofchucky

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: dandandat2
If your making a big city salary while working in your PJs with a beer in your hand why would you ever want covid lockdowns to end?

Because it's mind numbing to work from home every day month after month, that's why.

Mind Numbing ? Hell no ! I've been dong it past year and LOVE IT with a passion !! The beauty of not interacting with fools on a daily basis is AMAZING !

My sanity , My stress , My health have all improved . I feel much more happier , I have pep in my step and love waking up everyday working from work in peace !!

NO useless chit chat in the coffee room ! No Stress of traffic ! No need for new outfits !

For once in all my professional working career i'm happy to be at home and working from home... Its honestly a gift from god !


Side note . I dislike your avatar and kindly request something new.

Someone else actually "gets it"

My company is permanently keeping this change if it works for the individual teams. They are selling numerous buildings and only keeping 3 for any times meetings are necessary on site. It's one of the big 3 auto manufacturers.

Personally I'm healthier and happier. No 45 min commute each way or much longer with snow. No further expense on business attire, no office gossip. My only issue is working too much as it's convenient to grab some lunch and keep working or just work past what would be my normal stopping time.

With summer coming up I'll make sure to take a lunch hour to swim in the pool. I also have the freedom to relocate anywhere and keep my job with just coming back for an occasional meeting.

My stress level is 0 even on super busy days.

I'm on month 14 working at home on CAD. Tried a few locations, and settled down in a lower level room with a nice view of the gardens. I do not miss the 25 min car commute in mad-max traffic, and actually helped my stress level to decline. Now I can get up once an hour or so, head to the kitchen for coffee and whatever, step out on the back deck for a breath of fresh air, listen to the birds and look over the little lake we enjoy. I'm 63 and hopefully will slide into retirement without going back to the noisy, smelly, mask-infested downtown brick office building. The boss told me they hired a newby and he was put in my cube...so that's a good sign.

My perfect scenario would be a 75/25 split. Working from home 3 days a week and coming into the office 2 days per week. Or even 3 weeks at home, then fly into the office for a week each month if I'm working really remote. It's the yin/yang of it - too much of anything is bad, gotta stay balanced.