3 years WFH - I could never go back. Flexible core hours make handling daily life chores a breeze (normal life stuff, doctors appointments, etc) and so long as you get your work done, the company doesn't bat an eye.
If I need to I split up the day and in many cases this ends up working out for the company, as I'll have done more work than I needed to even sometimes working the weekends (which most people say to avoid for obvious reasons, but it doesnt bother me).
It also helps when you love what you do - software is passion and career for me. The ability to work remotely allows me to explore things like programming in creative capacity , wfh provides distraction free environment which in the end leads to more creative well rounded employees.
This depends on the company, though. I worked from home for a while for a company that didn't have a culture of allowing it. I talked my way into it due to some unique circumstances. I found that I was actually chained to my desk more there than I've ever been for an office job, because I felt like I constantly had to "prove" that I was actually working and present. Any time I didn't answer an IM or phone call quickly could be spun into a discussion about me not being "available" because I was remote. And worse, they were in a different time zone, and expected me to be around from the time the work day started in their location, until the end of the work day in MY location. So it made for a long day. None of these things were outright stated, but certainly little comments or behaviors reinforced them. A healthy company wouldn't operate like that, but my point is just that you have to know what you're getting into if you're going to work from home.
I'm not sure why you feel compelled to defend a company you don't know anything about, but suffice it to say that I've been in the workforce long enough to have plenty of perspective on this, and it was not paranoia.
Despite HN having a high ambient arrogance level, this comment and the one above it really stand out for me. The guy was there. He lived it. What possible basis do you have for judging his mind and his life based on one paragraph?
Of course that's not news to me. It's also not news to him. Which is why he came to conclusion about this gradually and based on a variety of experience. Which he stated.
But it is apparently news to you, which is why a) you act as if you're some sort of mega-genius, able to accurately assess people's lives based on a handful of words, and b) you haven't get gotten started on assessing the portions of your own mental state that drive you to act like this.
I am now very interested in why you've reacted so negatively to what I said. I get this kind of negative reaction most of the time on the Internet, and I'm not really sure why.
To be clear, I meant no harm, anger, or ill will.
What part(s) of the things I wrote here lead you to write "you act as if you're some sort of mega-genius"? Why do you think my own mental state is relevant to this discussion?
The problem isn't conscious ill will, it's arrogance and lack of respect. You have acted as if you completely understand something you couldn't possibly understand, which is years of this guy's work experience plus all his ideas and reactions to it.
Paranoia is a clinical judgment, one you aren't remotely qualified to make. And if you were qualified to make it, you would know that you can't do it from a 182 words of written prose.
Self-indulgent lack of consideration is a much bigger problem in the world than ill will. If you keep practicing that, you'll keep getting negative reactions.
You think what I wrote was designed or intended as a medical diagnosis? As in, I am pretending to be a clinical psychologist? I didn't think that was in any way remotely possible, based on what I wrote. Frankly, I still don't think it's possible, but I'm not sure why you would have said that's how I came across.
I have no idea what I said that caused you or anyone else to think I "completely understand" anything at all. I never claimed as such, to be sure.
If I'm being honest, I think you're reacting negatively because of some emotional trigger I've pulled of yours. I think this because of how contradictory what you wrote is when compared to how you're delivering it.
Specifically, you seem to be "diagnosing" me with self-indulgence and lack of consideration using the exact same behavior you claim to decry in what I've "done". With that in mind, I don't believe you're being all that objective or reasoned in your response.
I'm taking a stab in the dark here, but I'm guessing you agree with him? Are you then aware of how deceptive one's own mind can be to itself?
Oliver Sachs is a great author (one who is not long for this world, I'm afraid) who also happens to be a neurologist, and he's written extensively about stories involving patients of his exhibiting the most extreme forms of ailments illustrating this fundamental point. What he also talks about is the fact that everyone's minds are addled -- just not to the extent of his patients.
Knowing all this, might it then be possible that a man's "years of work experience" could possibly be, at least partially, and in this non-consequential way, invalid and/or fabricated? Why is this such an unacceptable idea to you, that you not only reject it, but do so with vitriol and anger?
Dude, I am not talking about your character, I'm talking about your behaviors. Your behaviors in this very thread.
I'm not interesting in being your free therapist, interlocutor, or internet chew-toy. If you would like someone to help you understand why you keep offending people, I suggest you find and pay a therapist.
I've noticed our employees who often work from home seem to work more hours in the end. For better or for worse. On the one hand, yay for me. On the other, I imagine it has serious implications for work/life balance when that dividing line isn't there.
I know I factor in the commute time saved, so the actual net balance might be the same for a lot of people (i.e. saved one hour of commute / work an extra hour).
I certainly worked more total hours when I was working from home. I think part of that was that I no longer got any of that "just showing up" credit - I actually had to make progress on projects to demonstrate that I was working. Despite that, the lack of a commute and the ease of doing errands (banks and grocery stores are often empty at 9am on a Wednesday) made up for that.
When I regularly work from home, I work more from lack of friction than poor work life balance. Commuting to the office causes friction. Getting up, walking to the bathroom, the kitchen (all of which are a lot farther away in my office) all cause friction. Dealing with noise, making sure I lock my computer, mute my music and generally act like a considerate coworker all cause friction. All of those things go away when I work from home. I crank up my stereo and pace around my home without worrying about bothering anyone.
I work more hours and am less tired (I my mind, that's the key - I'm less fatigued at home) because I'm not constantly dealing with interruptions, context switches, and noise.
If I need to I split up the day and in many cases this ends up working out for the company, as I'll have done more work than I needed to even sometimes working the weekends (which most people say to avoid for obvious reasons, but it doesnt bother me).
It also helps when you love what you do - software is passion and career for me. The ability to work remotely allows me to explore things like programming in creative capacity , wfh provides distraction free environment which in the end leads to more creative well rounded employees.