I work in a technical field (environmental remediation) for a large engineering company. Yes, our more routine sampling techniques are pretty straightforward, however when you get into more complex sampling, there is no replacement for hands on/boots on the ground training. Due to the nature of our work, you can’t WFH and collect samples at a remediation site or oversee monitoring wells being installed. So the excuse of WFH in our field holds little to no water. The sites don’t come to you virtually, you go to them. I’ve seen plenty of airports and 14 hour days behind drill rigs over the last 16 years to stand up to any skeptic. The passing of the torch from the more seasoned folks to the younger generation has to happen. If they don’t want to show up, their career trajectory in env remediation is incredibly limited.
I’s say that’s a hybrid work strategy. It’s not really a different direction; it’s just a different interpretation of a hybrid strategy. The end result is fewer feet on the ground downtown and fewer cars commuting into downtown from elsewhere.
I’ve worked for 2 of the largest tech companies in the world for the past ~13 years. Of that, 9 years has been 100% remote and I’ve moved up high in my respective companies, so not sure why you think working from home is somehow impedes career trajectory.
The fact of the matter is that the next generation cares more about their health and mental wellbeing than about spending 12 hours a day in the office (I happen to agree with them). They don’t care about making relationships with coworkers and they don’t love their jobs like older generations do/did. They view a job for what it is - a means to make money to survive. There is plenty of science that shows that working from home can be just as productive (if not more so!) than working in an office and the world is slowly accepting that. Look at how productive companies were during COVID!! Yes, there are a few bad apples who lay in bed all day and do nothing, but that isn’t really any different than what used to happen in an office (people putting in the bare minimum, not being productive, being plain bad at their jobs, etc).
For me, I am so so so much more productive at home. I wake up at 8am and immediately get to work. I usually stop at 6pm. Since I don’t have to worry about getting ready in the morning or about commuting, I am able to give those extra hours to the company and I’m happy to do so in exchange for being able to stay home with my dog and run the occasional errand when I have a break. When I do go into one of our offices, I get so little done because I end up chatting with coworkers, going to lunch for 1+ hours, etc.
It ebbs and flows. Companies used to hold 100% of the power. COVID changed that and put almost all of the power in employees hands. We took a big swing back towards employers, but I’ve started to see companies starting to compromise again, so we may be swinging back.
Yea, definitely agree with this. There are certainly some industries where WFH is impossible, but the vast majority of American office jobs could easily be completed from home. What’s the difference between sitting in an office on a call or staring at your laptop at an open-concept office versus doing it from home? Maybe coming in every so often is good for morale or to foster a spirit of innovation, but companies who support WFH are still able to innovate just fine, so I don’t buy it.
I have been 100% remote for 2 decades now and have been moving up in my company and just had a glowing review. I agree that WFH isn’t an automatic hindrance to one’s career. I have been through cycles of layoffs untouched, and have seen folks exit the workplace who were 5 day a week, in the office sort of employees.
If a leader thinks that employees are slacking off due to WFH, then I’d say that the leader doesn’t know how to manage to results. I’d also say that if someone thinks that work is getting done just because a body is sitting in a cubicle is a fool.
WFH can work for some people in some jobs. But it works for far fewer than actually want to WFH.
a great use of company time
That’s the thing though. It’s not company time, it’s the employees’ time. That’s the part the companies don’t seem to understand (or care about).
People were able to reclaim a lot of personal time while working from home during the pandemic. They realized the value of that time and they’re not as willing to give it away anymore.
Editing to add that my comment is regarding office jobs that aren’t dependent on being in any specific place. Obviously, some jobs don’t fit that mold.
If that’s true then aren’t doing a very good job. WFH is probably fantastic for certain individuals and I don’t want to place the blame entirely on remote work but I think the concept is generally bad for society.
I would guess social media is more the problem for social isolation. And there’s no going back from that for younger people who grew up with it unfortunately.
I am another example of someone who has worked at home since they took away my actual office 9 years ago. Open space doesn’t work for me and I have an intense job with long hours and the people I work with are not usually based in NC, or even the US.
I think its a combination of all things virtual, digital, remote, etc…
https://www.cbre.com/insights/briefs/cotw-what-drove-austins-ascent-and-who-is-poised-to-follow
“ Raleigh, North Carolina, is charting a course somewhat similar to Austin’s, benefiting from world-class research universities and a diverse tech industry mix that ranges from life sciences to advanced manufacturing. It is likely that Raleigh will continue to trend in the same direction as Austin. ”
Note charlotte usa is not even listed despite their obsession with trying to pretend they are a “tech hub”
Well, they have pretended their way to banking importance. They may have a lot of banking jobs, but are those really the heavy hitting banking jobs that places like NY and SF have, or are those just middling services & operations banking jobs mostly?
It’s mostly that, but it’d still a nice place to live with a seriously cool skyline, fun public transit, and neat neighborhoods.
Flipside, we own them on museums, fine arts, and education.
LA vs SF style contrast in miniature.
We are "to be’ while they are “rather than to seem”.
I am familiar with this methodology, but it’s performative and, frankly, the data that came of such systems was often ignored by business leaders in deference to the idea of how they “believed” the office was being used.
In the end, mandating office visits sure doesn’t sound like a strong position that’s backed up by anything meaningful.
Catching up on this thread. Our company has pushed for return to the office. Emails have gone out and it was mentioned that if you lived within an hour’s commuting distance, that you were required to come in. Enforcement has not been a big thing here. There was a big company meeting where they “encouraged” people to come in, but on a higher up level it hasn’t been completely “forced”. They’ve been trying to get lower management to push it from my understanding.
It’s taken a lot of effort to get even a lot of the local management in. I’ve made an argument that I don’t care for the policy of an hour and mentioned that it would now give me a reason to move further away. Realistically I do come in, and have even before the “suggested mandate”, but I don’t like being forced if it’s not going to apply everywhere. We have snacks and sometimes food is catered so I’ll go in for that. I purposefully don’t go in at times because I have a feeling that those who do not go in may be given additional incentives to come in. I want to be included in that group.
Needless to say, I saw someone already posted the amount of residential units coming in, so I’m definitely all about getting residential units. You get more people to live downtown, then naturally the foot traffic will be there; Not just during the parking lot to the office, lunch, and office to the parking lot.
I know this was mentioned in another thread, but now it’s on CNN. We’re famous!
https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/16/us/norovirus-sushi-restaurant-north-carolina/
Sam Jones Raleigh location featured in a recent Eater video about NC BBQ.
Side note - I had their chicken tenders for the first time yesterday and I think they might be the best in Raleigh.
is this where more and more ‘flex’ style spaces can be put into some office spaces? meet once a week, lease the space, bring in a caterer for tasty stuff, flexible presentaion areas on the same floor…and a gym for use 3 stories up, then a bus or bike ride home?