1st day back in office, this is truly horrible

[Anonymous]

Can you believe they have our health insurance tied to this ish as well?

[Anonymous]

OP, you should be able to find a remote gig. This wasn't a new thing even 10 years ago. I used to work remotely before the pandemic. If you have specialized skills reach out to your network and see if there is someone who needs your expertise out of state and won't require travel for face-to-face.

Just know that some remote gigs could be worse in terms of unpaid hours. You might be on the hook for more aggressive timelines based on someone else's idea how long things should take. And if you are remote there is no way for you to prove your presence and there is no "perception of productivity" like it is when you simply show up to the office and sit in a chair. You cannot just do your shift and log off. If you are distracted at the office or take breaks it's still a part of your working hours, and from what it sounds you aren't obligated to stay late to finish work or make sufficient progress. You may end up working nights and losing your evenings and not having time to go to the gym at all.. like I do.

It's not about WAH vs. working in person, it's about your employer and their expectations. If you have a job where you can clock out at a certain time, it doesn't mean that this concept transfers into an equivalent remote gig.

[Anonymous]

Agree, it’s a stupid waste of time. Most of the lunch places near my office are still closed or understaffed or bankrupt too. It’s so boring.

[Anonymous]

OP, are you the only one in the world who has your "specialized skill?"

If not, then you should fully expect that your employer WILL find someone else somewhere who will work remotely for much less.

Why should they keep you on the payroll when there is a fully-qualified person who is willing to work for much less AND will be more than happy to come in to the office (even if they fly on their own dime) for meetings when it is required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Quit. Some of us have been working in person the whole time and can't stand losers like you.

You... need help.

You're not better than anyone else. If you have been working in office the whole time, that means you had to which means you have a very different job.

Some of us can't stand losers like you who rub in that you're in person all the time because you're not able to get a WFH job.

No WFH in our company, the loser employee who was shopping at Costco and getting her nails done while on conference calls blew that for everyone. Reputable companies are not going to keep putting up with this much longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you the only one in the world who has your "specialized skill?"

If not, then you should fully expect that your employer WILL find someone else somewhere who will work remotely for much less.

Why should they keep you on the payroll when there is a fully-qualified person who is willing to work for much less AND will be more than happy to come in to the office (even if they fly on their own dime) for meetings when it is required.

Bingo. If you aren't making great money go ahead and advocate to WFH but if you're making "high 6 figures" like the rest of DCUM you're crazy if you think you can't be replaced for much less.

[Anonymous]

I worked at companies that allowed WFH as long ago as 20-25 years ago. The issue is today people wanted it all.

At my back in 2003 mgt. determined a commute cost is on average $5,000 a year. So WFH people got $5,000 a year less.

In addition average commute was 90 minutes each day so WFH folks had to work 90 minutes extra per day.

People with kids or long commutes still did it.

Other issue is bonus. You get paid to do job. But bonus is for extra work. I had days in office were my Microsoft Access Report won’t run, need a SQL issue fixed, data center outage, last minute board request, last minute in person meeting.

I would go to folks in the office. I had a big bonus pool

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many of us have been going back to work since 2021 and enduring wearing masks for a period of time and getting Covid checks at work. This is 2023. It’s time to get back to normalcy. Good luck, off, finding your next job. I hope they don’t give you a writing test.

Sorry you chose the wrong career.

Some of us never EVER worked from home throughout the entire pandemic - and still have to wear masks at work.

I feel bed you y’all. I’ve been WFH since 2007.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you the only one in the world who has your "specialized skill?"

If not, then you should fully expect that your employer WILL find someone else somewhere who will work remotely for much less.

Why should they keep you on the payroll when there is a fully-qualified person who is willing to work for much less AND will be more than happy to come in to the office (even if they fly on their own dime) for meetings when it is required.

You'd be surprised how many companies have extremely specialized SOPs that take years to learn how to do right. Or have to comply with all sorts of highly specific regs that are extremely difficult to find people who are knowledgeable in.

Have fun wasting 2 years on a new hire who needs time to learn the job all because you wanted people to waste time in traffic to log into virtual meetings anyway in the office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All those teachers want to WFH too. Let’s go back to virtual school! Your kid will get more sleep and be more productive just like you WFH.

Unironically yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh STFU. You’ve had YEARS more time at home than many of us. If you don’t like it, quit. What utter nonsense.

My job sucks so everyone else’s should too! Wahh!

OP is not the childish one here. Lots of bootlickers and crappy middle managers here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not live closer to work?

+1
Why did you take a job so far away?
You were presumably ok with commuting before WFH became a thing with covid.

Who says its far? Are you familiar with DMV traffic at all? Maybe many of you eat trash for breakfast, but if you are getting up, taking a showing, getting ready, cooking a proper breakfast, and have to do a 20-30 minute commute, that easily burns an hour and half.

Not everyone can afford to live closer to work of work locations are located where homes might cost 7 figures.

It so funny that you are here complaining about what most people do just fine - which is get ready and get to work in less than an hour and an half. Oatmeal takes two minutes to cook. Prepare overnight oats. Or eat fiber one. Or learn how to adult and figure it out like the rest of us…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh STFU. You’ve had YEARS more time at home than many of us. If you don’t like it, quit. What utter nonsense.

My job sucks so everyone else’s should too! Wahh!

OP is not the childish one here. Lots of bootlickers and crappy middle managers here.

Lol. Tell me you will never be more than a bitter, low level employee and are going nowhere fast in your company* without telling me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh STFU. You’ve had YEARS more time at home than many of us. If you don’t like it, quit. What utter nonsense.

My job sucks so everyone else’s should too! Wahh!

OP is not the childish one here. Lots of bootlickers and crappy middle managers here.

Lol. Tell me you will never be more than a bitter, low level employee and are going nowhere fast in your company* without telling me.

LOL indeed. I am fully remote and a well paid SME so you are 0/3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you the only one in the world who has your "specialized skill?"

If not, then you should fully expect that your employer WILL find someone else somewhere who will work remotely for much less.

Why should they keep you on the payroll when there is a fully-qualified person who is willing to work for much less AND will be more than happy to come in to the office (even if they fly on their own dime) for meetings when it is required.

Bingo. If you aren't making great money go ahead and advocate to WFH but if you're making "high 6 figures" like the rest of DCUM you're crazy if you think you can't be replaced for much less.

Not OP, but I have only just barely cracked 6 figures for a mid-career fed SME job, I'm absolutely here for the work life balance and not willing to go back to commuting daily. And I can't be replaced quickly because our HR is desperately broken - my last fed job will maybe be replacing me in April, 2 years after I left.

So I'm confident to say I have a leg to stand on until or unless Congress or the president changes the current policy. If they do, I'll be job searching. I'm thinking about professional development and certifications that would make me more marketable outside my SME area just in case.