Companies are on the war path against remote work

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It really blows my mind when people think that their own commute, expenses, and productivity are all that matter when companies set these policies.

To be clear, individuals should absolutely advocate and take action that is in their own best interest. Your job is a huge part of your life. If it isn't working for you, change your job or influence your employer to change their policies. Have at it! And if you organize and are effective at preserving permanent WFH flexibility in your particular organization, that is great!

But to argue that work location policies of employers should only depend on productivity, or your commute cost, or whether you will buy a sandwich at lunch is myopic naive view. It is exacerbated when you characterize the people making decisions as out of touch boomers who don't know what they are doing.

It isn't wholly unlike people saying they shouldn't pay taxes for services they don't use, or that changes to roadways that have a negative impact on their quality of life shouldn't happen. It is a public good to spread revenue around to ensure that cities (where the majority of our population, including the most vulnerable, live) remain viable.

Moreover, it is a financially prudent thing for corporations that get subsidies and incentives from municipalities to do what it takes to keep getting them. The less revenue your employer has, the more likely they are to need to cut staff or reduce comp and benefits.

We have seen the impacts of a reduction in corporate real estate values lead to negative effects on the financial system, and will eventually see it lead to decreased tax revenues that in turn lead to a lack of public welfare services.

THAT is why we are seeing these changes now. It is because all things are interconnected, and decisions are not being made based on whether or not you will buy a latte on the two days per week your employer's policy says you will come in.

I'm sorry, are you suggesting corporations / middle management are making coordinated decisions for the public good, to spread revenue around? LOL, get outta here.

There is not a coordinated effort, there is an assortment of differing incentives and priorities. If there were a coordinated effort for public policy reasons, then things like climate change, accessibility, and birthrate-boosting policy should factor in -- WFH is better for all three. But we're not having that conversation: instead we're continually having a conversation about commercial real estate and why allowing commercial landlords to lose money is Bad instead of the natural and arguably predictable outcome of decisions they made. Tiny violins etc.

I agree with you but feel you buried the lede here. WFH decreases carbon emissions, and our collapsing biosphere is infinitely more of an urgent and existential problem than collapsing commercial real estate.

THIS!!!

Buy your f g Prius that you push on everyone else and get your pajama but off the couch and get to the office. What a bunch of coddled lazy people.

Just retire boomer. We all know you want people back in the office so someone can help you turn your computer on for you.

One, not a boomer. Two, must have hit a nerve since you're throwing the boomer word around, lol.

I guess the truth hurts.

DP

Your ability at clever comebacks shows how solid you are in your argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys really have NO power. Companies and agencies are going to order you back to work. You will have no choice but to work in the office for your current employer or if you quit, your future employer. No-one cares if you bring your bologna sandwich from home or not - enough people will buy lunch and coffee and shop at lunchtime for last minute gifts. You guys keep thinking your individual experiences carry so much weight when they don't. In the grand scheme of things, no-one cares and you will find this out soon.

Well… I’m actually in a position of power at my employer, so I’m making sure we don’t implement stupid return to office policies when our employees have been diligently doing their jobs for three years from home. I’m not going to make someone commute into the office because I’m not a power tripping a-hole, and our business is thriving. Oh also, I actually do care about my employees morale.

[Anonymous]

These companies didn’t push back at ALL during those useless lockdowns and stay at home orders. People were allowed to WFH and found out they liked it. And now they don’t want to go back.

They should’ve pushed back against the Covid BS but they didn’t.

No one wants to go back to the office including myself.

You reap what you sow.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t go to an office. But I also don’t understand people that think they can tell a company what to do. If you don’t like your employer or job leave, kind of like if they don’t like you or need you they can fire you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These companies didn’t push back at ALL during those useless lockdowns and stay at home orders. People were allowed to WFH and found out they liked it. And now they don’t want to go back.

They should’ve pushed back against the Covid BS but they didn’t.

No one wants to go back to the office including myself.

You reap what you sow.

Same for cities like DC and SF. Did they not see this coming?

[Anonymous]

Capitalism would be doomed if there weren’t so many self loathing workers. Ugh

*I don’t work from home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Corporate real estate
Corporate real estate
Corporate real estate

Yes, but there’s other side of the coin. Companies are saving money by reducing the need for large office space in expensive urban areas. It’s a low hanging fruit when it comes to fiscal budget management. Some would prefer their employees to work from home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Corporate real estate
Corporate real estate
Corporate real estate

Yes, but there’s other side of the coin. Companies are saving money by reducing the need for large office space in expensive urban areas. It’s a low hanging fruit when it comes to fiscal budget management. Some would prefer their employees to work from home.

I just got hired by a company that’s full time remote/doesn’t own office space. Works out well for both of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t go to an office. But I also don’t understand people that think they can tell a company what to do. If you don’t like your employer or job leave, kind of like if they don’t like you or need you they can fire you.

This. All these posters saying “I’ll never go back to the office and if they try to make me, I’ll quit!” Ok, cool, quit or find a remote job. What’s the problem? I commute 5 days per week because it’s what my job requires and I really do love my job. There’s plenty of people like me willing to commute, so I don’t think employers really care about the few who refuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys really have NO power. Companies and agencies are going to order you back to work. You will have no choice but to work in the office for your current employer or if you quit, your future employer. No-one cares if you bring your bologna sandwich from home or not - enough people will buy lunch and coffee and shop at lunchtime for last minute gifts. You guys keep thinking your individual experiences carry so much weight when they don't. In the grand scheme of things, no-one cares and you will find this out soon.

Not every company is going to require in office work. You pretend like there weren’t remote work jobs/companies before Covid. There were and plentiful.


It’s honestly dinosaurs like yourself who will need to cope and wake up with the changing times. It’s not 1987 anymore. While many companies will go RTO, there will still be plenty of companies that will offer remote/hybrid and its here to stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These companies didn’t push back at ALL during those useless lockdowns and stay at home orders. People were allowed to WFH and found out they liked it. And now they don’t want to go back.

They should’ve pushed back against the Covid BS but they didn’t.

No one wants to go back to the office including myself.

You reap what you sow.

Exactly. They created this mess. Forcing people to work remotely in March 2020-July 2020 made sense. But they pushed it well into 2021/2022 unnecessarily even after it was known that Covid was only life threatening for people who had pre-existing conditions/ older frail people. There was no real reason the majority of the healthy workforce had to work remotely for nearly 3 years. What did they expect would happen?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Cities threatening to get rid of tax breaks for companies if they don’t RTO, because apparently small businesses are suffering, downtowns are becoming ghost towns, CRE values are plummeting & public transportation is being crime-filled due to normies no longer taking it.

Honestly, I am sick and tired if the FT WFH evangelists acting like these are not valid concerns. They are. Acting as if they are not is making the RTO worse. If you’re unwilling to meet halfway with hybrid, they’ll just make everyone come in all the time. The war path is over. People go back now.

How about those of us who have large commute costs. And time. I can either work the two extra hours or commute with them.

+1. And I’m sorry if small businesses in YOUR particular downtown area are doing poorly. Guess what? My suburb’s mom & pop restaurants have been revitalized because of the increase in WFH/TW.

Both businesses contribute to their respective tax jurisdictions—so why is one more important than the other? (It’s not.)

And PS, if my employer were to force full time RTO, I would bring my lunch AND coffee from home. Not spending one thin dime in that area if that’s the case.

Well, it's important to your employer, because they may lose tax breaks and other incentives if they don't RTO.

Does this really need to be explained?

Also, downtown DC *is* more important that some tiny suburb 90 minutes away.

Mayor Bowser, is that you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These companies didn’t push back at ALL during those useless lockdowns and stay at home orders. People were allowed to WFH and found out they liked it. And now they don’t want to go back.

They should’ve pushed back against the Covid BS but they didn’t.

No one wants to go back to the office including myself.

You reap what you sow.

Exactly. They created this mess. Forcing people to work remotely in March 2020-July 2020 made sense. But they pushed it well into 2021/2022 unnecessarily even after it was known that Covid was only life threatening for people who had pre-existing conditions/ older frail people. There was no real reason the majority of the healthy workforce had to work remotely for nearly 3 years. What did they expect would happen?

So you think people weren’t pushing back in 2021? It was wayyyy worse then with people threatening to quit and you couldn’t hire anyone from overseas AND the government was supplementing income for some of that time.

For those talking about morale? Whose morale?

Not everyone wants to telework. Many of the screaming WFH people are just bullying and drowning out all the other voices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cities threatening to get rid of tax breaks for companies if they don’t RTO, because apparently small businesses are suffering, downtowns are becoming ghost towns, CRE values are plummeting & public transportation is being crime-filled due to normies no longer taking it.

Honestly, I am sick and tired if the FT WFH evangelists acting like these are not valid concerns. They are. Acting as if they are not is making the RTO worse. If you’re unwilling to meet halfway with hybrid, they’ll just make everyone come in all the time. The war path is over. People go back now.

How about those of us who have large commute costs. And time. I can either work the two extra hours or commute with them.

+1. And I’m sorry if small businesses in YOUR particular downtown area are doing poorly. Guess what? My suburb’s mom & pop restaurants have been revitalized because of the increase in WFH/TW.

Both businesses contribute to their respective tax jurisdictions—so why is one more important than the other? (It’s not.)

And PS, if my employer were to force full time RTO, I would bring my lunch AND coffee from home. Not spending one thin dime in that area if that’s the case.

Well, it's important to your employer, because they may lose tax breaks and other incentives if they don't RTO.

Does this really need to be explained?

Also, downtown DC *is* more important that some tiny suburb 90 minutes away.

Mayor Bowser, is that you?

If DC fails so does your fat out suburb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cities threatening to get rid of tax breaks for companies if they don’t RTO, because apparently small businesses are suffering, downtowns are becoming ghost towns, CRE values are plummeting & public transportation is being crime-filled due to normies no longer taking it.

Honestly, I am sick and tired if the FT WFH evangelists acting like these are not valid concerns. They are. Acting as if they are not is making the RTO worse. If you’re unwilling to meet halfway with hybrid, they’ll just make everyone come in all the time. The war path is over. People go back now.

How about those of us who have large commute costs. And time. I can either work the two extra hours or commute with them.

+1. And I’m sorry if small businesses in YOUR particular downtown area are doing poorly. Guess what? My suburb’s mom & pop restaurants have been revitalized because of the increase in WFH/TW.

Both businesses contribute to their respective tax jurisdictions—so why is one more important than the other? (It’s not.)

And PS, if my employer were to force full time RTO, I would bring my lunch AND coffee from home. Not spending one thin dime in that area if that’s the case.

Well, it's important to your employer, because they may lose tax breaks and other incentives if they don't RTO.

Does this really need to be explained?

Also, downtown DC *is* more important that some tiny suburb 90 minutes away.

Mayor Bowser, is that you?

If DC fails so does your fat out suburb.

Like how you fail to make sense in your sentences? Fat out?