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The New Coffee Room

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  2. General Discussion
  3. Working Remote

Working Remote

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General Discussion
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  • JollyJ Jolly

    @Doctor-Phibes said in Working Remote:

    Remember when he fucked off to Cancun in the middle of a State emergency? I wonder if he was as self-righteous back then?

    1. It wasn't a Federal emergency. Texas is unique in having its own power grid and there isn't a fucking thing he could have done. Optics were admittedly bad, but mostly because Cruz has an "R" behind his name.

    2. Now, that you've engaged in politician bashing, does the man have a point, or not? How much time should most FCC workers spend in the office? I'm willing to compromise...If they wish to work from home full-time, cut their pay 15%.

    Doctor PhibesD Offline
    Doctor PhibesD Offline
    Doctor Phibes
    wrote on last edited by Doctor Phibes
    #17

    If they wish to work from home full-time, cut their pay 15%.

    That's a stupid idea.

    People should be paid for how well they do the job.

    For middle managers, especially for those herding civil servants, productivity depends a lot on being to work the system to keep your employees working. I >can see where you need those people in the office at least a few days a week.

    I'm a middle manager, and I have to work 5 days a week in the office, as it 'fosters engagement' with my staff. On Mondays and Fridays the lights go out in the corridor outside my office due to the lack of people moving around.

    I don't know about it fostering engagement, but I do know that I check my pension estimator a lot more than I used to.

    I was only joking

    JollyJ 1 Reply Last reply
    • Doctor PhibesD Doctor Phibes

      If they wish to work from home full-time, cut their pay 15%.

      That's a stupid idea.

      People should be paid for how well they do the job.

      For middle managers, especially for those herding civil servants, productivity depends a lot on being to work the system to keep your employees working. I >can see where you need those people in the office at least a few days a week.

      I'm a middle manager, and I have to work 5 days a week in the office, as it 'fosters engagement' with my staff. On Mondays and Fridays the lights go out in the corridor outside my office due to the lack of people moving around.

      I don't know about it fostering engagement, but I do know that I check my pension estimator a lot more than I used to.

      JollyJ Offline
      JollyJ Offline
      Jolly
      wrote on last edited by
      #18

      @Doctor-Phibes said in Working Remote:

      If they wish to work from home full-time, cut their pay 15%.

      That's a stupid idea.

      People should be paid for how well they do the job.

      For middle managers, especially for those herding civil servants, productivity depends a lot on being to work the system to keep your employees working. I >can see where you need those people in the office at least a few days a week.

      I'm a middle manager, and I have to work 5 days a week in the office, as it 'fosters engagement' with my staff. On Mondays and Fridays the lights go out in the corridor outside my office due to the lack of people moving around.

      I don't know about it fostering engagement, but I do know that I check my pension estimator a lot more than I used to.

      Ever work with civil service?

      “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

      Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

      Doctor PhibesD 1 Reply Last reply
      • taiwan_girlT Offline
        taiwan_girlT Offline
        taiwan_girl
        wrote on last edited by taiwan_girl
        #19

        I am with @Jolly on this. I think hybrid is here to stay, but I dont think that fully remote is overall effective.

        (Of course, if varies by job type and person, but as a general, I think being in the office 3(?) days week at least is a good thing.)

        But sometimes, opportunity cost is tough to prove.

        Aqua LetiferA 1 Reply Last reply
        • taiwan_girlT taiwan_girl

          I am with @Jolly on this. I think hybrid is here to stay, but I dont think that fully remote is overall effective.

          (Of course, if varies by job type and person, but as a general, I think being in the office 3(?) days week at least is a good thing.)

          But sometimes, opportunity cost is tough to prove.

          Aqua LetiferA Offline
          Aqua LetiferA Offline
          Aqua Letifer
          wrote on last edited by
          #20

          @taiwan_girl said in Working Remote:

          (Of course, if varies by job type and person, but as a general, I think being in the office 3(?) days week at least is a good thing.)

          A third of my co-workers live sufficiently close to the main office that they have to work on-site three days a week. They literally—and I shit you not—tried to "incentivize" people going in with office pizza parties. They enacted THE meme illustrating band-aid solutions to cultural deficit gunshot wounds.

          Anyway, did you catch that this is only a third of my co-workers? So they go into the office, and meet and catch up with precisely nobody. The rest of us are all remote, all the time. They've effectively wasted 6 hours of their week commuting into a place staffed by hallways as dimly lit as Phibes'.

          I'm all for in-office work. Makes a heck of a lot of sense for a number of jobs. I'm against some ignorant asshole telling me what's best for me because of their feels, not any experience with the kind of work I do.

          Please love yourself.

          1 Reply Last reply
          • JollyJ Jolly

            @Doctor-Phibes said in Working Remote:

            If they wish to work from home full-time, cut their pay 15%.

            That's a stupid idea.

            People should be paid for how well they do the job.

            For middle managers, especially for those herding civil servants, productivity depends a lot on being to work the system to keep your employees working. I >can see where you need those people in the office at least a few days a week.

            I'm a middle manager, and I have to work 5 days a week in the office, as it 'fosters engagement' with my staff. On Mondays and Fridays the lights go out in the corridor outside my office due to the lack of people moving around.

            I don't know about it fostering engagement, but I do know that I check my pension estimator a lot more than I used to.

            Ever work with civil service?

            Doctor PhibesD Offline
            Doctor PhibesD Offline
            Doctor Phibes
            wrote on last edited by Doctor Phibes
            #21

            @Jolly said in Working Remote:

            Ever work with civil service?

            Are they lazier than the rest of us?

            Because I kind of feel like that's the implication. Ted Cruz is basically moralizing about other people being on the take.

            And he's a politician. An occupation not normally considered as the acme of ethical behaviour.

            I was only joking

            CopperC 1 Reply Last reply
            • Doctor PhibesD Doctor Phibes

              @Jolly said in Working Remote:

              Ever work with civil service?

              Are they lazier than the rest of us?

              Because I kind of feel like that's the implication. Ted Cruz is basically moralizing about other people being on the take.

              And he's a politician. An occupation not normally considered as the acme of ethical behaviour.

              CopperC Offline
              CopperC Offline
              Copper
              wrote on last edited by
              #22

              @Doctor-Phibes said in Working Remote:

              Are they lazier than the rest of us?

              It used to be that they pretended to work, and we pretended to pay them.

              Now they have the best of both.

              Aqua LetiferA 1 Reply Last reply
              • CopperC Copper

                @Doctor-Phibes said in Working Remote:

                Are they lazier than the rest of us?

                It used to be that they pretended to work, and we pretended to pay them.

                Now they have the best of both.

                Aqua LetiferA Offline
                Aqua LetiferA Offline
                Aqua Letifer
                wrote on last edited by
                #23

                @Copper said in Working Remote:

                @Doctor-Phibes said in Working Remote:

                Are they lazier than the rest of us?

                It used to be that they pretended to work, and we pretended to pay them.

                Now they have the best of both.

                So you're saying that America's communist?

                Please love yourself.

                1 Reply Last reply
                • LuFins DadL Offline
                  LuFins DadL Offline
                  LuFins Dad
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #24

                  The work at home question really is fascinating. Think of the profound possible impacts to humanity if working from home became the primary model…

                  On the plus side - profound impacts on time and income with less commuting. Could even reduce the number of vehicles owned. Also it could release a LOT of commercial real estate that can be repurposed to residential or even just parks… What happens to divorce rates of spouses have more time together? Infidelity is almost always between coworkers. More families would home school and generally be a bigger part of their children’s education. It would also greatly expand travel opportunities.

                  In the negative side, we are already becoming more isolated and less social. What happens when you remove the social necessity of conforming to interactive conventions and niceties? It will also have extreme negative consequences to so many other industries. Transportation, Hospitality, etc… All of that time together could add new stressors to families. The opportunity for abuse grows exponentially, and our social filters disappear…

                  And that doesn’t even take into account that for every Aqua that thrives in the work from home environment, there’s a me, that wouldn’t be able to accomplish Jack working from home. Some people thrive in the isolation and others need to work in a group setting (even performing the same jobs)

                  It’s a fascinating conundrum.

                  The Brad

                  Aqua LetiferA 1 Reply Last reply
                  • LuFins DadL LuFins Dad

                    The work at home question really is fascinating. Think of the profound possible impacts to humanity if working from home became the primary model…

                    On the plus side - profound impacts on time and income with less commuting. Could even reduce the number of vehicles owned. Also it could release a LOT of commercial real estate that can be repurposed to residential or even just parks… What happens to divorce rates of spouses have more time together? Infidelity is almost always between coworkers. More families would home school and generally be a bigger part of their children’s education. It would also greatly expand travel opportunities.

                    In the negative side, we are already becoming more isolated and less social. What happens when you remove the social necessity of conforming to interactive conventions and niceties? It will also have extreme negative consequences to so many other industries. Transportation, Hospitality, etc… All of that time together could add new stressors to families. The opportunity for abuse grows exponentially, and our social filters disappear…

                    And that doesn’t even take into account that for every Aqua that thrives in the work from home environment, there’s a me, that wouldn’t be able to accomplish Jack working from home. Some people thrive in the isolation and others need to work in a group setting (even performing the same jobs)

                    It’s a fascinating conundrum.

                    Aqua LetiferA Offline
                    Aqua LetiferA Offline
                    Aqua Letifer
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #25

                    @LuFins-Dad said in Working Remote:

                    And that doesn’t even take into account that for every Aqua that thrives in the work from home environment, there’s a me, that wouldn’t be able to accomplish Jack working from home. Some people thrive in the isolation and others need to work in a group setting (even performing the same jobs)

                    Just to clarify a little here:

                    My job requires ideation, and staying the hell out of meetings. Meetings are never, ever helpful and destroy productivity for the kind of thing that I do.

                    But, the ideation stuff requires about 50/50 of isolation and collaboration. But even that second part works better remotely rather than in person.

                    Remotely, I'll be in a shared file at the same time as a co-worker. I can see their face and talk to them while we're working together. But, we both have access to the same digital workspace at the same time. So we can kick ideas around in real time, with both of us in the same file contributing our own part together.

                    This does 2 things:

                    1. Speed things up considerably. Wouldn't have this effect with every job but it absolutely does with mine.
                    2. Forces true collaboration. This is very important. Usually, there's a cat-and-mouse game at play. "You base your work on mine. No, you base your work on mine. " Etc. Real-time collaboration, that can only happen with this technology, stops this age-old debate.

                    Remote technology is very, very helpful to someone like me. But yeah, I wouldn't want to force everyone to do it, especially if it doesn't work for others.

                    Please love yourself.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    • JollyJ Jolly

                      @Doctor-Phibes said in Working Remote:

                      Remember when he fucked off to Cancun in the middle of a State emergency? I wonder if he was as self-righteous back then?

                      1. It wasn't a Federal emergency. Texas is unique in having its own power grid and there isn't a fucking thing he could have done. Optics were admittedly bad, but mostly because Cruz has an "R" behind his name.

                      2. Now, that you've engaged in politician bashing, does the man have a point, or not? How much time should most FCC workers spend in the office? I'm willing to compromise...If they wish to work from home full-time, cut their pay 15%.

                      jon-nycJ Offline
                      jon-nycJ Offline
                      jon-nyc
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #26

                      @Jolly said in Working Remote:

                      Texas is unique in having its own power grid and there isn't a fucking thing he could have done.

                      He could have, oh I don’t know, organized volunteer help for the elderly and infirm.

                      If you don't take it, it can only good happen.

                      JollyJ 1 Reply Last reply
                      • Doctor PhibesD Offline
                        Doctor PhibesD Offline
                        Doctor Phibes
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #27

                        I don't think people should have to work from home. What would be good is to give employees some flexibility, and for employees to do the same thing for their managers. The last thing I want is to work 5 days a week from home. Compromise is a great idea.

                        Another great idea for managers is to treat people like adults. If you assume that everybody who's working from home is screwing off, and talk to them in the way that Cruz did in that clip, then guess what, it's going to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. They're going to think you're a twat, and act accordingly.

                        I do appreciate that the clip is really just theatre. Still, I wouldn't want to work for that guy.

                        I was only joking

                        Aqua LetiferA 1 Reply Last reply
                        • Doctor PhibesD Doctor Phibes

                          I don't think people should have to work from home. What would be good is to give employees some flexibility, and for employees to do the same thing for their managers. The last thing I want is to work 5 days a week from home. Compromise is a great idea.

                          Another great idea for managers is to treat people like adults. If you assume that everybody who's working from home is screwing off, and talk to them in the way that Cruz did in that clip, then guess what, it's going to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. They're going to think you're a twat, and act accordingly.

                          I do appreciate that the clip is really just theatre. Still, I wouldn't want to work for that guy.

                          Aqua LetiferA Offline
                          Aqua LetiferA Offline
                          Aqua Letifer
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #28

                          @Doctor-Phibes said in Working Remote:

                          Another great idea for managers is to treat people like adults.

                          I don't think it's that, necessarily.

                          I've personally found that exceptions aside, technical skill diminishes drastically the higher up the org chart you go. What this means is that the more senior someone is, the more likely they are to: (1) be in a position to decide what the remote work policy should be, and (2) not have the technical skills required to know how a remote team could possibly be led effectively.

                          Just a guess but I'd put some money on it.

                          Please love yourself.

                          Doctor PhibesD 1 Reply Last reply
                          • Aqua LetiferA Aqua Letifer

                            @Doctor-Phibes said in Working Remote:

                            Another great idea for managers is to treat people like adults.

                            I don't think it's that, necessarily.

                            I've personally found that exceptions aside, technical skill diminishes drastically the higher up the org chart you go. What this means is that the more senior someone is, the more likely they are to: (1) be in a position to decide what the remote work policy should be, and (2) not have the technical skills required to know how a remote team could possibly be led effectively.

                            Just a guess but I'd put some money on it.

                            Doctor PhibesD Offline
                            Doctor PhibesD Offline
                            Doctor Phibes
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #29

                            @Aqua-Letifer said in Working Remote:

                            @Doctor-Phibes said in Working Remote:

                            Another great idea for managers is to treat people like adults.

                            I don't think it's that, necessarily.

                            I've personally found that exceptions aside, technical skill diminishes drastically the higher up the org chart you go. What this means is that the more senior someone is, the more likely they are to: (1) be in a position to decide what the remote work policy should be, and (2) not have the technical skills required to know how a remote team could possibly be led effectively.

                            Just a guess but I'd put some money on it.

                            Our senior management tends to be pretty technically savvy, they've generally worked their way up from being engineers. Still, they inevitably get removed from the day-to-day stuff.

                            The converse of what you're saying, which is of course true, is that the folks in the trenches often don't see the bigger picture. We see the pointless office attendance and the lights going out in the corridor, but maybe we don't see the other departments with a lot of new hires who are struggling because there's a lack of in-person training and mentoring.

                            I was only joking

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            • 89th8 Offline
                              89th8 Offline
                              89th
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #30

                              Cruz should focus less on where federal employees work and more on making it easier to fire them. I’ve heard of so many incredible stories of incompetence and yet the government makes it nearly impossible to hold employees accountable. Oh how much the taxpayers would save if supervisors had the ability to get rid of the counterproductive HR bloat.

                              JollyJ 1 Reply Last reply
                              • jon-nycJ jon-nyc

                                @Jolly said in Working Remote:

                                Texas is unique in having its own power grid and there isn't a fucking thing he could have done.

                                He could have, oh I don’t know, organized volunteer help for the elderly and infirm.

                                JollyJ Offline
                                JollyJ Offline
                                Jolly
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #31

                                @jon-nyc said in Working Remote:

                                @Jolly said in Working Remote:

                                Texas is unique in having its own power grid and there isn't a fucking thing he could have done.

                                He could have, oh I don’t know, organized volunteer help for the elderly and infirm.

                                Sure.

                                “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

                                Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                • 89th8 89th

                                  Cruz should focus less on where federal employees work and more on making it easier to fire them. I’ve heard of so many incredible stories of incompetence and yet the government makes it nearly impossible to hold employees accountable. Oh how much the taxpayers would save if supervisors had the ability to get rid of the counterproductive HR bloat.

                                  JollyJ Offline
                                  JollyJ Offline
                                  Jolly
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #32

                                  @89th said in Working Remote:

                                  Cruz should focus less on where federal employees work and more on making it easier to fire them. I’ve heard of so many incredible stories of incompetence and yet the government makes it nearly impossible to hold employees accountable. Oh how much the taxpayers would save if supervisors had the ability to get rid of the counterproductive HR bloat.

                                  Local VA has two incompetent employees in a particular department, that are so bad, they compromise patient care. After administration tried and failed to sack them, they have been "reassigned" to clerical tasks. The union is quite strong at this VA, in addition to regular civil service protection.

                                  So they show up five days a week, shuffle some meaningless papers, create reports nobody reads and play on the computer most of the day. But they are still in the organizational chart of the department that dumped them and that's the routing department for their paycheck. They'll never be promoted, unless they take a job at another VA (common in government jobs to shuffle your problem children elsewhere), but they are now effectively walled off.

                                  “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

                                  Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  • 89th8 Offline
                                    89th8 Offline
                                    89th
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #33

                                    Ha, funny you mention the VA. My wife worked for that dept (less on healthcare, more on vocational and educational services) and that is exactly what I was thinking of when I made my comment. She had (black) coworkers make anti-white racist comments, other coworkers commit fraud, and many other things that would get you booted in a second in a corporate job, but nope... no way the administration can ever go after them. It's infuriating.

                                    I guess one employee did face the music once, this is someone who worked a few doors away from my wife. The office knew what he was doing and only when his crimes became bad enough was he prosecuted. I'm not exaggerating. They all suspected he was sending veterans to quasi-fake schools in order to get kick backs (bribes) from that school: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-veterans-affairs-official-sentenced-11-years-prison-2-million-bribery-scheme

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    • LuFins DadL Offline
                                      LuFins DadL Offline
                                      LuFins Dad
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #34

                                      The more I think about this the more I realize this is a big effin deal. Cruz is absolutely right but his argument is wrong. This has absolutely nothing to do with private companies and employees.

                                      This is the Federal Government. The Federal Government’s business MUST be conducted on Federal property using Federal equipment and resources. There needs to be transparency and accountability from all Federal employees no matter the level. I don’t care if you are simply web designer for the IRS, you need to walk past me and my friends standing in front of the entrance flipping you and the building off. Plus, all of your work and materials are public property and need to be accessible.

                                      There is waaaaayyyy too much opportunity for malfeasance with these people working from their own homes.

                                      The Brad

                                      Aqua LetiferA AxtremusA 2 Replies Last reply
                                      • LuFins DadL Offline
                                        LuFins DadL Offline
                                        LuFins Dad
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #35

                                        Yeah, this is a full stop unless these employees would like to have their private addresses made available for FOIA requests and audits. Plus agree to allow protests outside of their residence.

                                        The Brad

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        • LuFins DadL LuFins Dad

                                          The more I think about this the more I realize this is a big effin deal. Cruz is absolutely right but his argument is wrong. This has absolutely nothing to do with private companies and employees.

                                          This is the Federal Government. The Federal Government’s business MUST be conducted on Federal property using Federal equipment and resources. There needs to be transparency and accountability from all Federal employees no matter the level. I don’t care if you are simply web designer for the IRS, you need to walk past me and my friends standing in front of the entrance flipping you and the building off. Plus, all of your work and materials are public property and need to be accessible.

                                          There is waaaaayyyy too much opportunity for malfeasance with these people working from their own homes.

                                          Aqua LetiferA Offline
                                          Aqua LetiferA Offline
                                          Aqua Letifer
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #36

                                          @LuFins-Dad said in Working Remote:

                                          The more I think about this the more I realize this is a big effin deal. Cruz is absolutely right but his argument is wrong. This has absolutely nothing to do with private companies and employees.

                                          This is the Federal Government. The Federal Government’s business MUST be conducted on Federal property using Federal equipment and resources. There needs to be transparency and accountability from all Federal employees no matter the level. I don’t care if you are simply web designer for the IRS, you need to walk past me and my friends standing in front of the entrance flipping you and the building off. Plus, all of your work and materials are public property and need to be accessible.

                                          There is waaaaayyyy too much opportunity for malfeasance with these people working from their own homes.

                                          Good points.

                                          Please love yourself.

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