Working in office severely crimping productivity

[Anonymous]

Today, I had to listen to 2 people in the office drone on and on and on and on and on for 50+ minutes BSing about everything from their kids, to traveling, to school projects, to how cute their outfits are. Worst yet, a 3rd person saw the other two BSing and also stopped by to BS. All of the noise ruins productivity and your ability to focus when people around are so loud all of the time and are BSing to kill time between meetings.

So much more productivity at home where it is quiet and you don't have people stopping into your office to BS or people around you BS for hours per week while annoying everyone around them. But hey, I guess you got team building and 'culture' when your employees waste 50 minutes talking about shoes and their kids while ruining the productivity of everyone around them.

[Anonymous]

Yet you have time for DCUM

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Today, I had to listen to 2 people in the office drone on and on and on and on and on for 50+ minutes BSing about everything from their kids, to traveling, to school projects, to how cute their outfits are. Worst yet, a 3rd person saw the other two BSing and also stopped by to BS. All of the noise ruins productivity and your ability to focus when people around are so loud all of the time and are BSing to kill time between meetings.

So much more productivity at home where it is quiet and you don't have people stopping into your office to BS or people around you BS for hours per week while annoying everyone around them. But hey, I guess you got team building and 'culture' when your employees waste 50 minutes talking about shoes and their kids while ruining the productivity of everyone around them.

We were told that's a good thing. Called "collaboration"... fancier word for BSing.

[Anonymous]

If you’re busy just excuse yourself to do work and put in headphones or close your door.

[Anonymous]

I like to BS and chit chat being gone is torture for me and I barely get 30-60 minutes work done a day.

In office I get in chit chat 20-40 minutes then get to work till lunch, chit chat at lunch 20-40 minutes get to work then chit chat 10-20 minute around 3 pm while getting coffee.

I had two introverts in my dept whose productivity went way up WFH as i distracted them, the majority of us it fell a lot.

I don’t like WFH as forced on me. Pre WFH 99 percent of company WFH on Friday I went to office 100 percent of time. I talk to guard, lunch people, coffee person, facilities. I was a VP making 500k a year and everyone loved me at clerical level. I rarely bother other VPs or SVPs.

I have been like this my whole life. Even at 18 I had a moving job, I get McDonalds and coffee and chit chat with. I workers first. I normally get to work one hour early to have time for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you’re busy just excuse yourself to do work and put in headphones or close your door.

In my office closed doors mean NOTHING.

[Anonymous]

If my office wants me in and my productivity down, that's on them. It's constant chit chat and breaks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’re busy just excuse yourself to do work and put in headphones or close your door.

In my office closed doors mean NOTHING.

Most people don’t even have a door to close these days!

[Anonymous]

Yet some of us are more productive in offices than we were when working at home. No doubt, this balances out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yet some of us are more productive in offices than we were when working at home. No doubt, this balances out.

Wow. Imagine if people could choose whichever option works best for them. Think of how productive we’d be!

[Anonymous]

I prefer WFH but if you're going to make me schlep in for an hour to be present with other people in an open office setting, you'd better expect I'm going to spend some of that time talking to them in said open office setting. I can, and do, work silently for hours without wasting any time chatting...at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet some of us are more productive in offices than we were when working at home. No doubt, this balances out.

Wow. Imagine if people could choose whichever option works best for them. Think of how productive we’d be!

It seems no one has thought of this yet.

If my employer is going to make me come in, they can. But there is no way I can be half as productive at the office.

[Anonymous]

I go in twice a week and actually find those days to be more productive. I enter a vortex and just work non stop. At home it's easy to break up the working day with little housekeeping and quick errands.

The number of Team calls/meetings is the same either way so it doesn't matter. Seeing people face to face is good, professionally and for my own well-being.

People who value professional advancement should make an effort to go into the office on a regular basis. You will be noticed more.

[Anonymous]

My understanding from our managers is that its this culture that will keep you from leaving this WFH for another WFH job that pays $1 more. Also if you need something, its easier if you know the person. You may think you know everyone, but they can't expect new hires to learn who their co-workers are if they've never met them. If everyone is an island, eventually the community will fall apart.

[Anonymous]

Some people have three kids under the age of 4 at home, plus two dogs, plus people ringing the doorbell all day, etc., to the point where the office is quieter for them.