this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2024
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This is probably going to be an unpopular comment, but I wanted to present the view in favour of what I call WFW (working from work). I'm sure it's always going to be different for specific cases, but I do see benefits of WFW. We have an open plan office and a lot of casual conversations between us turn into serious conversations about projects and sometimes they have important outputs. Sometimes you overhear a conversation that you realise you know something about and you make a valuable contribution to it. None of this happens when people are WingFH. I'm lucky enough that my only line report is a hard working person, so I let them WFH probably a bit more than other managers let their reports, but I still like when they are WFW because of the contributions that they make to those conversations I mentioned above.
I'm an introvert, so I totally get the argument of being able to focus better when you're not surrounded by people and their conversations, but at the same time I honestly noticed that my productivity decreases when I WFH. I'm sufficiently honest with myself to notice that and feel bad about it and this is actually the main reason why I do commute for an hour every day just to WFW, even though our company policy says that we can WFH 3 days a week and my job is 95% desk based.
I think it's often has to considered for individual cases because as I said, my report does 110% whether they WFH or WFW, but I know from other managers that some of their reports really stuttered and stumbled when they were asked "so you WedFH yesterday, what did you do exactly?"
I'm not trying to say "everyone should stop WFH", but it seems to me that most of the comments in this post are aligning with "just let your employees WFH!" and I wanted to present the other point of view, from the perspective of a non-senior manager who also has some non managerial responsibilities himself.
Numerous studies have proven that WFH is better for production, morale of the worker, and then the plethora of perks that comes with not having to go to work.
It doesn't make your point null, but you're more or less just the exception that confirms the rule.
Don't you know that personal anecdotal quirks completely override all scientific conclusions for all people, everywhere, at all times?
this is a flimsy argument I keep hearing office- enthusiasts grasp at. there're other variations to the random, impromptu conversation/not-meeting but they all share the argument that "one may accidentally contribute something to unofficial meetings".
how often does that happen? is overhearing and joining random conversations a business plan? is this such a common occurrence and the outcomes so beneficial and so pronounced that they balance out the very long list of demonstrable and concrete arguments against working from work, such as time lost in transit and CO2 emissions from the pollution of transit?
if something needs more planning and discussion, or reconsideration, then schedule a proper meeting.
That really made me laugh. No, of course it's not a business plan. I was just trying to make a point that there are benefits to people being together in the office.
I started going round the bend, feeling even more depressed, and started drinking alcohol again after 5 years of abstinence. Working back in the office (which admittedly is a 5minute drive or 15 minute cycle) helped a lot. What REALLY helped though was the absolute shitcunt of a director retiring and taking his foul thumb off my career path. (Fuck you Phil, I hope you get a horrible disease soon and don’t enjoy your retirement)
I am in complete understanding that most other people who work in offices have differing mileage, both physically and metaphorically.
Fucking Phil.