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

[wxman1]

Got sent home mid March. Sounds like we will be here at least until June if not July. Actually just got the email about our furlough days/paycuts for next year. Thus far just 4% so 5 days January-June.

I expect to have some kind of flexibility on WFH when we return to normal but I will primarily be in office. The thing that has been bugging me the most lately is not having the varidesk. May end up buying my own.

 

[SCyclone]

I have been at the office this entire time. We require our customers to wear masks when they come in, and of course yours truly masks up every day, since I'm high-risk. Our business sky-rocketed in the late spring, and hasn't really come off. We will have a record year sales-wise.

The good news is I'm pulling the pin next July, so I can see the finish line. I can't wait.

 

[IcSyU]

is he just over a year, October baby, right? That would be awful. Not virtual schooling a kindergartner awful but like you said, they need constant supervision. Read a report earlier this fall that the average mom with kids at home had an average uninterrupted working time of 3 minutes. Accurate. We kept ours home Monday and I could tell at 2.4 he was a good bit better entertaining himself than the spring at 21-24 months. Definitely happier to watch Elmo for longer. Spouse and I decided that either a non-mobile infant or child old enough to entertain themselves but not yet in school are the best ages for this. The one nap toddler who needs semi-constant interaction is flipping hard.

Yep. 13.5 months.

When both my wife and I were home with him in March neither of us got jack **** done. I spent most days working a full day after wife and son went to bed because they hadn't extended the tax deadline yet. My wife got virtually nothing done unless he was asleep...and our kid is broken and doesn't nap.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

Got sent home mid March. Sounds like we will be here at least until June if not July. Actually just got the email about our furlough days/paycuts for next year. Thus far just 4% so 5 days January-June.

I expect to have some kind of flexibility on WFH when we return to normal but I will primarily be in office. The thing that has been bugging me the most lately is not having the varidesk. May end up buying my own.

They kicked me out of the office on March 23. The previous 2 weeks I had the place mostly to myself so I would go to the office, then go home. At least it broke up the monotony. Now they are going to revist in January when we'll be going back in.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

The good news is I'm pulling the pin next July, so I can see the finish line. I can't wait.

 

[Angie]

I do know I've had that damn song stuck in my head ever since I saw the title to this thread.
I blame @Angie

All day long, I've been hearing Peter's voice break over and over.

 

[cowgirl836]

Yep. 13.5 months.

When both my wife and I were home with him in March neither of us got jack **** done. I spent most days working a full day after wife and son went to bed because they hadn't extended the tax deadline yet. My wife got virtually nothing done unless he was asleep...and our kid is broken and doesn't nap.

oh man, I'm sorry. Mine didn't sleep at night but would at least nap decently at that age.

 

[cycloner29]

I've worked remotely for four years now. My last business trip was the March 2nd. Since I like to travel, attend trade shows and work the NE part of the US, life pretty much came to a stand still for me. We had a record sales year considering all the Covid issues. My wife works from home also, so since I've been home, I tend to get on her nerves every once in a while. Did get some home projects done, new fences in the yard and new landscaping. The Derecho took up some of my time for insurance, tree removal, dealing with construction groups on roof damage. I've been able to stay fairly busy, but some days, I've just hit bed at 2 in the afternoon and took a couple hour snooze.

Just missed some good trip though, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, South Africa. Our bottom line is a lot better since we do not have the expenses, hopefully we get a good Xmas bonus for saving the company so much money this year. We also had to change 3 of our major suppliers around mid season so that took a lot of time and effort. Just miss the F2F contact with folks in the industry.

 

[mcblogerson]

Work life has seen no change outside of wearing a mask.

My opinions on people who own tigers have diminished

My opinions on hot chicks with bad teeth have improved

 

[MeanDean]

Pre-Covid I was retired and at home battling with my inner sloth in what I now think of as mere skirmishes. Since Covid the battles with my inner sloth have become more intense, epic even, more total warlike. Biking kept him at bay this summer and fall but with the onslaught of winter he is gaining ground.

Thinking of launching a new offensive this afternoon by testing my knees and hips by going on a short jog. With that said, I am still in my pajamas drinking coffee and wasting time on CF.

Since Boxster chimed in I'll do the same (also retired).

At the beginning I was a wreck. Reading too damn much about the end of all humanity. After about a week or 10 days I dialed it back and felt quite a bit better. Migrating back north in the spring instead of taking a circuitous route through the East just drove straight through in one very very long day.

Felt much better in Iowa since it's completely different having a structure all your own. That is, no common areas, no elevators to share with other residents etc. That said, as of now there have been NO cases in our building in FL. And only one in our sister building (about 3 months ago).

Family interactions were not affected much as it's usually just one on one with a brother or two and no one's been infected as most are also like me and very isolated otherwise. Had been sort of planning to visit sister and BIL in AZ but that didn't happen. Did some indoor dining out but also much reduced from normal.

The derecho did require more interaction and then moving in September from one place in IA to another was stressful, but the case counts were still minimal versus October and November spiking.

Did the same coming back to FL this fall. Drove straight through without stopping in a motel. Most of the snowbirds don't come back until after Christmas so the place is still sort of deserted.

Then I had a birthday. Now I've graduated to the high-risk age category so you can all just stay at home!

 

[SaraV]

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.

 

[NWICY]

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.

Not if your making sure to not leave an electronic or paper trail .

 

[NWICY]

I like no more getting ready/drive though I had a short commute. I had actually traveled for the first time in a long while two weeks before things got crazy and I got in late the night before so I worked from home that Friday and thought wow, I'd like to work from home more often. Husband calls it my monkey paw wish. I definitely meant that daycare was still to be open!

I don't plan to go back to an office full time, but will do a split. Visibility is important and some of those in-person interactions/meetings would be good. We were fairly resistant to WFH in the past so I hope this has truly chattered that resistance. One good thing about WFH is we used to do a lot of meetings where people who were remote or in other countries had to call in and basically didn't get a great experience vs. being in the room. Now we're all virtual so it makes an even playing field and interactions (for me) with global or non-local coworkers has gone WAY up.

It feels like expectations are the same or higher - more work, the sort of goodwill toward having empathy that this is a hard time for a lot of people has waned and I see a number of coworkers (particularly other parents with younger kids) stretched to their absolute max and it doesn't feel like there is true support for them. They just need to figure it out. So I definitely don't like that aspect.

That will just make it easier for you to climb over them on your quest to the top of the corporate mountain.

 

[NWICY]

My jobs really haven't changed much, they are all in person work that needs to be done. Biggest change has been when on the road no in restaurant dining, just get carry out and take it back to my room. I did some patio dining during the summer, but skipped the inside dining. I tried in person dining once about July just wasn't comfortable with it so I just stayed with patio or carry out.

When it was going crazy on the coasts you could really tell traffic was down, even though the Covid is worse now there are still more people travelling IMO, just a windshield observation.

I did a fair amount of bike riding this summer and even did a charity ride, it was all outdoors including the post ride gathering so I felt pretty comfortable at it.

 

[Dopey]

I'm in construction (field engineer / whatever my title currently is). We've pretty much stayed at the office full time. Can't do a zoom call to inspect forms / rebar, sign off concrete pours, etc.

Some of the planning could be done from home (and people did). Most of our business admin people went remote. Operations stayed in the office. Most of our meetings went remote, even though we were all in the same office. It would be very hard to give up some of interactive stuff that comes up throughout the day. I shared an office with someone and we were constantly bouncing stuff off each other. I think it's hard to get that spontaneity with a zoom call.

I also think being able to manage and direct the work of a bunch of young engineers (0-2 yrs max) would be difficult remotely. There are some that I would trust and there were others that we struggled to get production out of even in the office.

I spent a week working from home (waiting on a COVID test) and I flat out couldn't do it full time. I try to clearly define work/home time. The other reality is I'd be incredibly alone. Pretty much all my personal/social interaction came from people at work. It's probably better for people with have SOs or kids with them.

I also ended up moving from Houston to LA in October so that's been a change as well.

Agreeing with the young engineer part. Doesn't have to be an engineer I suppose. But I had one guy start in June right out of school. He's done phenomenal, but I'm afraid he's going to quit. He's lonely.

Another rockstar employee of mine has become incredibly hard to get productivity out of. 2020 has been rough for all, but he had some intense personal stuff this year too. He's through it now, but his motivation to crush work was gone. I shook up his responsibilities and he seems excited again, so I hope that helps.