Lurker Posted February 26, 2013 Posted February 26, 2013 "To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side," the memo said. "That is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices." http://money.cnn.com/2013/02/25/technology/yahoo-work-from-home/?hpt=hp_t1 Something I have personally always stood for as well. Personal interaction remains the best, most efficient, and quickest way to solve problems. Not to mention enhances the overall personality. It takes a different skill set to meet someone, understand their problems, partner with them face to face and come up with a solution...than to send out emails back and forth, talk on phone, and provide a spreadsheet at the end. And of course pick a fat check for "working from home" for your efforts. Whats your take? Are you equally productive when working from home? Or are you a slacker who pretends he is working from home, as he watches Jerry Springer? As for Marissa Mayer, you go girl! :hatsoff:
Desi Cartman Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Im more productive when I work from home, I believe everybody should have the option to work from home for at least 2 days a week (for suitable jobs) as that way we can all save gas and the planet. I never understood the logic of travelling everyday for hours to come sit on a desk and work all day and then get up and drive for an hour and get home. No one calls anymore, meetings are over the phone and conversations over email or IM. Unless the job demands it, there isnt much logic in wasting time/resources everyday on useless commute
coffee_rules Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Work more productively from home. Saves commute time, by about 2 hrs a day. Most of the teams are global, so there is no personal interaction anyway even if we go to work. It is an honor system that works perfectly if the manager trusts you. Even lab work is done remotely, so no point in driving to work. I don't if I could work in a place if they force me to drive to work daily. It is a huge perk.
ravishingravi Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 It is one of the aspects I admired about Amreeka. I guess now I have nowhere to go
ravishingravi Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/02/marissa-mayer-is-wrong-working-from-home-can-make-you-more-productive/273482/
yoda Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Depends. If things move at a rapid pace in your company, it is not possible for folks to coordinate remotely that well. If everyone knows what they are doing on a given day well in advance and have minimal interaction with others, then it can work.
Clarke Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Watched it being abused time & again, hence understand when someone doesn't allow it. Sucks for those who did not abuse the option. Even in private organizations, we're all in it collectively.
Lurker Posted February 27, 2013 Author Posted February 27, 2013 Im more productive when I work from home, I believe everybody should have the option to work from home for at least 2 days a week (for suitable jobs) as that way we can all save gas and the planet. My honest(cynical) take on that is that is more of a hogwash than a genuine reason. Put it this way, if tomorrow gas gets to $1/gallon and cars suddenly have 10 times the existing mileage, would you change your stance to start driving everyday to work? Most likely not. Those who use saving planet as an excuse are also those who advocate working from home, the latter reasoning drives the former not the other way around. I never understood the logic of travelling everyday for hours to come sit on a desk and work all day and then get up and drive for an hour and get home. Ummm because everybody else does?? But for IT, few areas work this way. The guys from Finance still show up at work, so do HR, Sales & Marketing. Very few, if any, guys on the Wall Street would be working from home. Plus there has to be a certain way of "working". As in putting in simple effort of getting up, taking a shower, having breakfast and coming to work...than showing up in pink pajamas at home and start answering emails. No? No one calls anymore, meetings are over the phone and conversations over email or IM. Unless the job demands it, there isnt much logic in wasting time/resources everyday on useless commute People are different, and companies are different. Yes technology has its place, specially in a company with locations across different cities, and country.Personally I would not like to work in any place that does not have human interaction. Thats how you learn about business, meet people and grow up the corporate ladder. Most times those who work from home are also those who not too many people know. Again, companies are different so your experience may entirely be different.
Lurker Posted February 27, 2013 Author Posted February 27, 2013 Work more productively from home. Saves commute time' date=' by about 2 hrs a day. Most of the teams are global, so there is no personal interaction anyway even if we go to work. [b'] It is an honor system that works perfectly if the manager trusts you. Even lab work is done remotely, so no point in driving to work. I don't if I could work in a place if they force me to drive to work daily. It is a huge perk. Honor system is the perfect way of putting it. Wasn't there a survey by a British thinktank recently that most people who use Remote working tend to abuse it? May have to dig it up. In my experience more people misuse the previlige and end up doing everything from slacking to picking up a 2nd job. Of course your experience is entirely different.
Lurker Posted February 27, 2013 Author Posted February 27, 2013 http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/02/marissa-mayer-is-wrong-working-from-home-can-make-you-more-productive/273482/ Yep, it has become a full-blown debate in USA. One of the interesting aspect that is seen in this particular scenario is how many workers do not deem working from home as a previlige anymore, or something that their employer/manager has given them as a perk. Many folks look at it with a sense of entitlement, almost like they deserve it. That, to me, is worrying. There are some very valid reasons for working from home as well, of course.
triam Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 I dont evern work from home even though my company actively encourages it one of the reasons is that I live very close to work and I never got to being as productive from home as from work. That said, i believe 'work from home' is a very valid and viable option for people who can be productive from home, it boils down to the individuals integrity and the capabaility of the individual's manager to quantify the work beign done. @Lurker in my company atleast everyone has the option of working form home (finance, hr etc ) also the definition of work has changed and will continue to change I would ask you what is wrong with working in pink pajamas if I am as productive as I am if well dressed? (High performers who do secondary jobs due to their interests or financial requirements actually save a lot of time by not going through the charade of getting ready and commuting everyday to work saves close to 2 hrs a day.)
Lurker Posted February 27, 2013 Author Posted February 27, 2013 I dont evern work from home even though my company actively encourages it one of the reasons is that I live very close to work and I never got to being as productive from home as from work. That said, i believe 'work from home' is a very valid and viable option for people who can be productive from home, it boils down to the individuals integrity and the capabaility of the individual's manager to quantify the work beign done. @Lurker in my company atleast everyone has the option of working form home (finance, hr etc ) also the definition of work has changed and will continue to change I would ask you what is wrong with working in pink pajamas if I am as productive as I am if well dressed? (High performers who do secondary jobs due to their interests or financial requirements actually save a lot of time by not going through the charade of getting ready and commuting everyday to work saves close to 2 hrs a day.) Multiple reasons Triam. 1) face to face human interaction remains the best way to come up with solutions. Getting people in a conference room and knocking out a solution is far easier, quicker and more scalable than email and joining conference calls on bridge. 2) Working from home is often relegated to middle level employees (generally speaking) who can quickly become a no-show. Lower level employees, like those at call centers, do not get to take customer calls from home. And the hours they take off they get docked for it. Same with upper level. Generally speaking folks who matter ( C level executive, VPs etc) they all show at work. Generally speaking of course. 3) Personally I feel that a job should be treated with a certain respect and dignity. Afterall it puts food on your table, and for that of your family. It is hard to explain why but there is something inherently wrong in not taking the extra step of getting up, getting dressed and showered and then at work. I see showing up in pajamas as that of slacking and taking work as granted. But thats just my $.02. By the way my definition of WFH is not for those who take a day off to see the Doctor, or take their kids to school or time off during pregnancy etc. It is more for those who do it on a routine level.
veer Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Ahhh.. this is very much topic of discussion at a company I worked earlier.. IMO.. there are two sides to it and it very much depends on individual style of working and the work that he/she does. WFH - You'll have less interferance from your colleagues + Less time spent on commuting. WFO - Will be more productive + will be in touch with what's happening at the company Personally, I hate commuting two hours of day but I like interacting with other people and get lazy working at home. However, when I am really busy and have to meet deadlines, I hate constant stop-start situation when colleagues come by for chit chat or questions. Then there is other part where you've dual screens and work desktop that helps you work faster.
Lurker Posted February 27, 2013 Author Posted February 27, 2013 Ahhh.. this is very much topic of discussion at a company I worked earlier.. IMO.. there are two sides to it and it very much depends on individual style of working and the work that he/she does. WFH - You'll have less interferance from your colleagues + Less time spent on commuting. WFO - Will be more productive + will be in touch with what's happening at the company Personally, I hate commuting two hours of day but I like interacting with other people and get lazy working at home. However, when I am really busy and have to meet deadlines, I hate constant stop-start situation when colleagues come by for chit chat or questions. Then there is other part where you've dual screens and work desktop that helps you work faster. You summed it up very well Veer. I have always been a little amazed at the whole "I am more productive from home" argument. While every person is different, and every company is different too, if indeed people are more productive at home, meaning less productive at work, there is something fundamentally wrong with the working culture prevalent in those companies. How can one be less productive day in day out at an estbalishment created for...well work? Commute part is certainly something one has to think about sympathetically. Dont want to sound like some heartless SOB wanting everybody to spend hours commuting to work :winky:
PBN Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 working at a workplace is good for social interaction. It is healthy to be ineracting with other people. At home, you might feel lonely even though it may be more productive.
rahulrulezz Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Today is the first time I m actually working from home but to be honest I m only slacking n watching movies. I get some high quantity work done in office. Out of all the engineers in my team, I m the only one who purely works from office n I have received more awards n get more work done than any other in team. So I kinda agree with the OP here
punjabi_khota Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Doesn't seem to be a one size fits all solution here. Some of the senior researchers at my company work 1-2 days from home, and the company is more than happy to accommodate them. While I don't have a whole lot of meetings or interactions at office (once/twice a week at max), I could personally never work from home. Even on weekends when I need to get something done, I usually head to a nearby library. Plus I am addicted to coffee and my company has epic coffee machines. Grad school habits die hard :hahaha:. Obviously it helps that I live 10 mins away from where I work.
vvvslaxman Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Work more productively from home. Saves commute time' date= by about 2 hrs a day. Most of the teams are global, so there is no personal interaction anyway even if we go to work. It is an honor system that works perfectly if the manager trusts you. Even lab work is done remotely, so no point in driving to work. I don't if I could work in a place if they force me to drive to work daily. It is a huge perk. That is very very true.
veer Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 wow.. i thought i was one of the few ones who drive ~35 each way but seems like lot of other folks do that too. My colleague drives 100 miles each way four days a week. Houston to Beaumont every day.
rahulrulezz Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 wow.. i thought i was one of the few ones who drive ~35 each way but seems like lot of other folks do that too. My colleague drives 100 miles each way four days a week. Houston to Beaumont every day. now that's stupid. I used to drive 60km each wayfor almost a year n I used to hate that with passion. 100miles is crazy!!!
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