Tech CEOs predicting WFH will be permanent, and many employees will never come to an office again

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dont think companies are going to let you keep a DC or SV salary when you move to the midwest or south.

Who cares. Less driving and dealing with traffic. Would bolt in an instant if 100% WFH. Plenty of smaller and enjoyable towns within 2 hours or less of a major urban center where you can have much more space, less traffic, and lower col.


It's also not 2001 anymore. Internet, 5g,....tech is so much better now than 15-20 years ago even if tech went through this phase again. There are a ton of people who prob can't wait to ditch cities like Seattle or SF because they're sick and tired of paying $3500/mo in rent for a shoebox sized apartment in a city they'll have zero hope of ever owning in.

We moved from SF to a small city within 2 hrs of DC because of kids and DH could work from home. He did have to fly more then though. Now DH works for himself. Only moved here because family, COL still higher than Midwest. I still think urban centers are attractive to younger people with money and no kids. I work in government and have transitioned easily to WFM.

[Anonymous]

I'm on the executive team for a fairly large Reston tech company. We are officially not renewing our lease (we have grown substantially) and are moving to a hotel type modified office a bit further our near the Loudoun border. That office will be mainly conference rooms. We have 259 people in this area and will have seats for 50. None permanent. We too have seen productivity skyrocket. People are very happy at home and it is working despite many having kids underfoot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the executive team for a fairly large Reston tech company. We are officially not renewing our lease (we have grown substantially) and are moving to a hotel type modified office a bit further our near the Loudoun border. That office will be mainly conference rooms. We have 259 people in this area and will have seats for 50. None permanent. We too have seen productivity skyrocket. People are very happy at home and it is working despite many having kids underfoot.

That’s b/c everyone is working extra hard b/c they have nothing else to do and fear for losing their job.

[Anonymous]

"office centricity is over"

[Anonymous]

Decentralization will be great for the country if it happens. No more struggling in a few high cost overcrowded metros and greater freedom of choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the executive team for a fairly large Reston tech company. We are officially not renewing our lease (we have grown substantially) and are moving to a hotel type modified office a bit further our near the Loudoun border. That office will be mainly conference rooms. We have 259 people in this area and will have seats for 50. None permanent. We too have seen productivity skyrocket. People are very happy at home and it is working despite many having kids underfoot.

The people with kids are absolutely miserable. They won't admit this to you, but they are underwater and need schools to reopen ASAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Decentralization will be great for the country if it happens. No more struggling in a few high cost overcrowded metros and greater freedom of choice.

Plus it will make a lot of red states purple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the executive team for a fairly large Reston tech company. We are officially not renewing our lease (we have grown substantially) and are moving to a hotel type modified office a bit further our near the Loudoun border. That office will be mainly conference rooms. We have 259 people in this area and will have seats for 50. None permanent. We too have seen productivity skyrocket. People are very happy at home and it is working despite many having kids underfoot.

The people with kids are absolutely miserable. They won't admit this to you, but they are underwater and need schools to reopen ASAP.

Speak for yourself. I have two elementary school age girls. We have a strict schedule and are doing great. I am already planning to adjust my life to permanent WFH except 2-3 days a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the executive team for a fairly large Reston tech company. We are officially not renewing our lease (we have grown substantially) and are moving to a hotel type modified office a bit further our near the Loudoun border. That office will be mainly conference rooms. We have 259 people in this area and will have seats for 50. None permanent. We too have seen productivity skyrocket. People are very happy at home and it is working despite many having kids underfoot.

The people with kids are absolutely miserable. They won't admit this to you, but they are underwater and need schools to reopen ASAP.

We openly discuss it at my company. Management is aware. The strain of working with kids at home is discussed in town halls. You need to find a better company to work for,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the executive team for a fairly large Reston tech company. We are officially not renewing our lease (we have grown substantially) and are moving to a hotel type modified office a bit further our near the Loudoun border. That office will be mainly conference rooms. We have 259 people in this area and will have seats for 50. None permanent. We too have seen productivity skyrocket. People are very happy at home and it is working despite many having kids underfoot.

The people with kids are absolutely miserable. They won't admit this to you, but they are underwater and need schools to reopen ASAP.

Well kids will go back to school when this is over so what does that have to do with WFH long term? Also companies don’t control the pandemic or the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“I would leave this area in a heartbeat if I were guaranteed permanent WFH. I'd much rather retire faster by saving more money also not have to deal with horrific traffic in this area.”

Once this happens, the salaries would readjust to reflect the lower cost of living areas where many of the employees reside combined with potentially larger pool of potential applicants / employees who otherwise may not have applied for specific positions if they had to physically move.

Yeah. People are assuming there would be no market rate adjustment in salary based on location. If work from home becomes widespread it’s very likely that salary would be prorated based on location. There would likely be a base salary + cost-of-living adjustment with priority given to LCOL areas. The same Amazon job that pays 200K in DC would likely pay 100K in Boise. It’s very unlikely you’d be retiring early and saving tons of money. Businesses are great at capturing any surplus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course productivity is still good.. Comparing notes with my colleagues, we easily work an extra 3 hours a day now. Breaks have become a rarity too.

This. My steps have dropped to sub-1,000. This is an unhealthy reality for me. And I need to find time to make a change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Decentralization will be great for the country if it happens. No more struggling in a few high cost overcrowded metros and greater freedom of choice.

+1 and the environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Decentralization will be great for the country if it happens. No more struggling in a few high cost overcrowded metros and greater freedom of choice.

Plus it will make a lot of red states purple.

wyoming will flip -- it's such a small state that it won't take many nature focused dems to flip it.

I'd live in Teton County year round and work remote. there would be a 100k dems across the country that would agree which would be enough to make a deep red state like wyoming turtle purple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The beneficiaries will be the decent-sized cities or resort areas 2-3 hours away from the tech hubs, which can get out to the Valley once or twice a month if they needed to.

I mean if you're living in Frederick, Harrisburg, Annapolis, Richmond, Lancaster, or York, you can head in to DC once a month if you had to.

All those young people are just itching to hit up York Tinder!