Hybrid versus 100% remote working

[JustKeepSwimming]

What's the reason for going in at least once a month? what cannot be done remotely? I personally don't get the whole "you have to come in X times a month" approach, if you are a manager who can't understand what your team is doing / working on and whether they are delivering or doing bugger all and you need to see them to somehow know they are working, then you are a tulipe manager, end of.

I fully understand that sometimes there's an actual hardware rig you can only work on locally or there's tasks you have to do with other people, but these are exceptions not the rule. If you go in just to talk to people face to face instead of on Teams, then sorry, but it's a waste of everyone's time.

Collaboration and team bonding. 1 day a month is not enough for the former really. Team bonding I think is valid if done properly, but it's not because managers aren't willing to accept people effectively doing nothing for the day beyond chatting to each other.

[ladymuck]

Pre-pandemic, I had a gig with a bank in Canary Wharf where, although most of the team were in the office, there were no meeting rooms so all meetings were conducted on teleconferences (no zoom!) and it definitely had the air of a call centre. I soon gave up going into the office unless there was a social occasion I wanted to attend and no-one batted an eyelid. I suspect I wouldn't get away with that these days.

I'm quite happy with hybrid if the people I work with are going to be in the office at the same time. If the arrangements aren't made along team lines then I would question the purpose of my presence.

[Snooky]

Those whose business model is living somewhere cheap whilst earning London day rates are going to need to find a new business model.

I don't see why. I only live 40 miles from work (the City), albeit a 80-90 min door to door commute each way, and it's probably only cheap by inner London standards, but I work almost entirely remotely, at London rates, in the financial sector. The fact I'm not sitting in the office every day doesn't diminish the level of technical and domain expertise and experience I can bring to the role, so I can still compete in ability against anyone who happens to live 10 mins walk away. If the client has a rigid presenteeism attitude I'll just work elsewhere, since plenty of companies are far more flexible.

[mattster]

I'm quite happy with hybrid if the people I work with are going to be in the office at the same time. If the arrangements aren't made along team lines then I would question the purpose of my presence.

Unfortunately repeated questioning of the purpose of my presence has not got me anywhere, other than "it has been decreed". Truly mad IMO and by all accounts some sort of stipulation from the very top. The managers I know are as much against it as the grunts, who all hate it.

[ladymuck]

Unfortunately repeated questioning of the purpose of my presence has not got me anywhere, other than "it has been decreed". Truly mad IMO and by all accounts some sort of stipulation from the very top. The managers I know are as much against it as the grunts, who all hate it.

If the attendance monitoring is based on a card swipe (and assuming you don't need to swipe out) then I'd travel in, swipe in, then immediately leave and go back home again.

That also assumes the journey isn't too onerous.

[wattaj]

If the attendance monitoring is based on a card swipe (and assuming you don't need to swipe out) then I'd travel in, swipe in, then immediately leave and go back home again.

That also assumes the journey isn't too onerous.

Her Ladyship knows the system for the House of Lords too well.

[mattster]

If the attendance monitoring is based on a card swipe (and assuming you don't need to swipe out) then I'd travel in, swipe in, then immediately leave and go back home again.

That also assumes the journey isn't too onerous.

It is based on filling in a form but the current whispering around the place is that they think people are not being entirely honest in all cases, so they are now cross-referencing card swipes.

Unfortunately for me the benefit of WFH is almost entirely in avoiding the 2:30hrs each way commute (and the cost, of course). If I lived next door the office (and some poor sods in Canary Wharf actually do) then I'd probably rather be in there and using their electricity and heating/aircon tbh.

[willendure]

I'm actively looking for hybrid home/office roles. Sitting on my own all day gets boring after a while, I would actually welcome seeing colleagues 2 days a week. 2 days is a good balance I think, and also as most offices hot desk you can avoid getting stuck sitting next to someone you do not like, as sometimes happened in the old days of full time office attendance! If you work with a decent bunch of folk, it can be fun to come into town and have lunch or beers too. So many anti-social people nowadays, I think they need to get over it and learn to enjoy each others company again.

[Protagoras]

Unfortunately for me the benefit of WFH is almost entirely in avoiding the 2:30hrs each way commute (and the cost, of course). If I lived next door the office (and some poor sods in Canary Wharf actually do) then I'd probably rather be in there and using their electricity and heating/aircon tbh.

+1. If I was a short walk from a clients's office I'd go in, but having got used to not having to get up at 6am, it's not something I'd go back to doing.

BTW, nothing much wrong with living in East London, I lived across the river from Canary Wharf for many years and loved it there. Probably couldn't afford it there now though!

[Bluenose]

So many anti-social people nowadays, I think they need to get over it and learn to enjoy each others company again.

there is a difference between not liking other people's company and sitting in an office .

there's also a big difference between having the option to come in and it being enforced upon you by reading the building pass swipes.