Friday OT #2 - When It's Time To Change

[Angie]

This isn't any COVID argument thread, at all. Just a question.

Before pandemic, I was full-time in office. Back in March, I started working one week home, one week in office. Now, I'm almost entirely home working, and maybe go in once every month or so.

How has your day-to-day settled since pandemic started? Are you back at school/work/whatever? Or are you doing some things remote? This isn't to ask if you should be, or to shame others for what may or may not be their decisions, or to downplay others' decisions. Just an informal poll.

 

[BCClone]

This isn't any COVID argument thread, at all. Just a question.

Before pandemic, I was full-time in office. Back in March, I started working one week home, one week in office. Now, I'm almost entirely home working, and maybe go in once every month or so.

How has your day-to-day settled since pandemic started? Are you back at school/work/whatever? Or are you doing some things remote? This isn't to ask if you should be, or to shame others for what may or may not be their decisions, or to downplay others' decisions. Just an informal poll.

Not changed a bit honestly. Only thing is that I wear a mask when one of my jobs requires me to go inside a persons house otherwise the only difference is I have a college son around me now that usually isn’t.

 

[cycloneG]

Started 100% remote in March. Never going back after seeing how well it's working. Love it.

 

[JeanValette]

I was extremely surprised about how little changed in my normal day to day working remotely. I miss my office co-workers, but I can still go and make home/farm visits or help folks remotely (with precautions/masks of course).

 

[madguy30]

Remote and the word on the email street is going back possibly in January but the amount of loose ends will likely stamp it out. I'm almost more worried about having to talk to people (not Covid-wise--just having to socialize) than I am about working out unrealistic logistics.

Lifestyle wise I haven't changed much. I've gone from seeing friends once/year to 0 and I'm fine with it.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

This thread titled resurrected some horrible Brady Bunch episode from the depths of my memory. WHY ANGIE, WHY?!?

 

[urb1]

I was driving to Ames from DM every day and transitioned to working 100% remote in March. The company is downsizing the office space now and have no intentions to bring employees back to the office post-pandemic (assuming that will be a thing).

 

[Angie]

Started 100% remote in March. Never going back after seeing how well it's working. Love it.

Same here - I think we have the option to continue remote, and I almost certainly will in a majority capacity, maybe even 100%. I love it so much.

 

[jsb]

Before the pandemic I worked from home two days a week when I wasn’t traveling for work (maybe an average of 1 week every two months). So I already knew I liked it.

Have been 100% telework with no travel since March and they anticipate it going through the winter. They won’t bring us back until curious numbers are down or vaccine is widely available. I’m guessing maybe we are back in may. They also may expand telework to 3 days per week.

I like it. Occasionally I miss having a printer. Less occasionally I miss my coworkers. However, we have several offices and my boss is in Colorado and the people that work for me are in a different office, so not much as changed. I did haul monitors and a docking station home (previously I had just used my laptop when at home). When we go back to the office, I’ll buy those things with my own money because I’m used to them.

 

[Angie]

This thread titled resurrected some horrible Brady Bunch episode from the depths of my memory. WHY ANGIE, WHY?!?

It's going through my head, too, man.

"You've got to re-arr-(voice cracks)-ANGE"

 

[MJ29]

I began working from home in March. I was not thrilled about it. I always felt like I couldn't be productive at home. But I've surprised myself and have been just as productive, if not more. I'm sure my company will ask us all to come back at some point, though I think that's at least six months down the line. I miss some aspects about being in the office, but for now, I'm really enjoying my short commute, increased snack options, and the ability to do laundry while I'm working.

 

[FarminCy]

I worked remote before pandemic but included a decent amount of domestic and international travel. Been working 100 percent from home since March and I hate it. I used to complain about travel schedule at times but now I’d give anything to be sitting at a layover in OHare or driving to the Twin Cities.

We are in a travel ban until March 31st. Some of our offices globally are at 25 percent. Hearing that we will reduce office footprint and go to flex scheduling since remote has gone so well.

I had used Gravitate in downtown DSM just to get me out of the house at times pre pandemic. Going to start going back there a day or two a week as I’m going insane constantly working from home.

 

[20eyes]

This isn't any COVID argument thread, at all. Just a question.

Before pandemic, I was full-time in office. Back in March, I started working one week home, one week in office. Now, I'm almost entirely home working, and maybe go in once every month or so.

How has your day-to-day settled since pandemic started? Are you back at school/work/whatever? Or are you doing some things remote? This isn't to ask if you should be, or to shame others for what may or may not be their decisions, or to downplay others' decisions. Just an informal poll.

Virtually no change for me personally. I've not worked from home one time. And business has increased for me. I presume I'm a very rare case.

But the sort of seamy part of it is that it's all $$$ driven. I've been in meetings in conference rooms that are supposed to be off limits. I've gone to work when everyone was ostensibly working from home because it was faster to get the work done there. Time is money and the projects aren't stopping (or even slowing down) for COVID.

 

[cyclones500]

This thread titled resurrected some horrible Brady Bunch episode from the depths of my memory. WHY ANGIE, WHY?!?

EXACTLY what came to mind for me when I saw the title.

And that damned song is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day ...

 

[coolerifyoudid]

The owners at my work are extremely reactionary with everything from ideas to technology. We weren't equipped to do anything but continue working at the office with protective measures hastily implemented.

To be fair, we went 6 months without issue, but once a co-worker caught it, it hit 1/4 of the people here (myself included). I spent most of November working from home. It was a challenge at first, but I was able to settle into a groove after the first week. Realistically, I'm probably about 80-85% as effective as I am in the office, though. In a managerial role, I overhear a lot of issues that occur in the office and spend a significant amount of my day helping others where I can.

We are back in the office now, but we have steps in place to adjust more quickly. I personally prefer coming to the office. I was working longer hours at home due to convenience, and I have an easier time separating work from my life this way.

 

[Angie]

Virtually no change for me personally. I've not worked from home one time. And business has increased for me. I presume I'm a very rare case.

But the sort of seamy part of it is that it's all $$$ driven. I've been in meetings in conference rooms that are supposed to be off limits. I've gone to work when everyone was ostensibly working from home because it was faster to get the work done there. Time is money and the projects aren't stopping (or even slowing down) for COVID.

I'm really sorry. I know there are a ton of jobs that don't allow for remote work, but almost anything in a conference room can be done on Zoom or teleconference.

 

[Cyclonepride]

I've worked in the office every day throughout. My wife and I are homebodies, so this fits our lifestyle. Managed to get out golfing as often as I usually do on average. So all in all, about as normal for us as you could make it.

 

[Isualum13]

I cut my own hair now. I did this occasionally before but in the last 5 years I got lazy and paid someone else to do it. Mostly because it is incredibly difficult to do the neckline alone. I ended up setting my camera up on a tripod with an older TV so I could see what I was doing. I used to have a nice big 3 way mirror, but then I moved.

 

[mj4cy]

Only change for me is no more taking clients to lunch nor business travel. Had already worked from home for almost 5 years. Biggest thing I used to hear was "I could never imagine working from home...how do you do it? I'd get too distracted"

 

[SouthJerseyCy]

I worked remote before pandemic but included a decent amount of domestic and international travel. Been working 100 percent from home since March and I hate it. I used to complain about travel schedule at times but now I’d give anything to be sitting at a layover in OHare or driving to the Twin Cities.

We are in a travel ban until March 31st. Some of our offices globally are at 25 percent. Hearing that we will reduce office footprint and go to flex scheduling since remote has gone so well.

I had used Gravitate in downtown DSM just to get me out of the house at times pre pandemic. Going to start going back there a day or two a week as I’m going insane constantly working from home.

This is me pretty much. Traveled to customers all over US 25-50% and to the home office in Vancouver once a quarter. Now have been grounded since March and they just extended it to July 2021 unless authorized exceptions. I don't mind working from home, but I'm really missing the traveling. Business is down, but bottom line is steady because of the reduced travel, so the execs are in no hurry to lift the ban.