Covid-19: is working from home really the new normal?

[@ironmaiden5658]

Why own a car and pay registration and sit in traffic to go to an office? When you can have that same office at home? We have the internet now. Not like 20 years ago.. We don't need paper mail. We can email. I feel cities will turn into domestic dwellings. We will live in those abandoned office blocks..

[@MrBashir111]

What will you do with all those hours you gained. ???? it’s mentally depressing. ???

[@SteveMoore1969]

@@MrBashir111 with more time we can enjoy our choosen sport.

[@tastyrick]

I see the effects in my industry already. We just work longer hours since we aren't commuting...

[@cameronf3343]

Bashir Jama It’s only mentally depressing if you only leave to go to the office. There’s tons of other ways and reasons to get out, just makes it less congested outside when you do.

[@neilsmith2009]

united nations agenda 21

[@JC-pg3cy]

I am all for 50/50 work from home and office. When people work from home, it takes cars of our roads and eases public transport commuters. We can find a balance of both WFH and office commuting

[@SairamPS]

This pandemic will take a step towards it

[@TheRussellStover]

If I was an office building owner I would be shuddering in fear right now thinking at least 1/3 of my office space is now unused and the clients will be downsizing that as workers start working from home long term.

[@FirstNameLastName-wt5to]

Why? My job can be done 100% from home. Why waste money on office space? I save a ton of money working from home (gas, tolls, childcare, time). Covert office buildings to housing. We need housing.

[@JC-pg3cy]

@@FirstNameLastName-wt5to absolutely not. The office is also a social aspect. You mingle face to face with your colleagues and build meaningful work connections. Right now, my city is still in lockdown. It is becoming very hard to distinguish home vs. Work. If im stressed at work; I am stresses at home. This has a huge mental impact whereas I can leave stress at the office as soon as i leave those doors. There is definately a need to keep offices. We don't all have kids or a family.

[@randyvalantino6850]

Why dont they just get india workers to do the work if can be done remotely. Cheaper more profit

[@DE-xt7jv]

I have been letting my team work from home at least three days a week, with two core days for meetings, interacting etc., for over a decade. Result happy team, more productive.

[@seyrseyr2089]

What kind of business do you run ?

[@Konykonykony]

Are you hiring?

[@Silenced_by_nazi_youtube]

Thats the perfect schedule. Still have the option to wfh and have days to come in. Permanently wfh is too drastic of a change.

[@FirstNameLastName-wt5to]

Jake-Kyle Harrison Jnr Thats a personal issue. Companies shouldn’t make policies based on your personal preference.

[@CarlB_1962]

DE I wish I worked for you!

[@casper-z9rkls6gl]

Given that the internet has been around for over 20 years, and "downsizing" and "restructuring" even longer, it's surprising that it has taken a pandemic to give companies a boot in the rear into allowing and promoting remote work. People waste sooooooooo much time, money and mental energy getting up early, bathing, shaving, ironing and putting on expensive suits, rushing, fighting and getting stuck in traffic, parking. Then at the office, we have to put up with bosses, office politics, gossiping, favoritism, backstabbing, unhealthy snacks and lunch, and back home again. With remote work, there is no commute, no traffic, no boss . . . just work in your pajamas on the kitchen table.

[@AndyWarholsWig]

I can tell you the number one reason a lot of companies are afraid of WFH is because of a lack of trust in their employees to actually work instead of watching TV with their laptops next to them on the couch, which is a shame. I'm lucky enough to have been working from home since March (along with 98% of our company of 5300 people). It can be done, and quite easily so, when upper management has faith in their employees.

[@carrotlover7763]

For years I worked from home 2 days a week, until COVID and now it is full time. I work more, since I don’t have to commute. I also exercise more since I have more time and have lost weight, eat healthier and have more time to spend with my husband. I am happier.

[@MiniM69]

You actually can be more productive if you get out of your pajamas!

[@stockholmpublishings2937]

@@AndyWarholsWig what r you talking about? What did he say that was wrong? If you don´t trust your employees to work then maybe you shouldn´ve not employed them. I´m 29 and been working from home the last 3 years. And I deliver more then the ppl that work from the office.

[@AndyWarholsWig]

@@stockholmpublishings2937 um.... He didn't say anything wrong and I did not suggest otherwise. Also, I don't employ anyone so I can't fire them. I was speaking from an employee's perspective. I have worked for people who did not trust us working from home. That's all I was saying. I'm on your side of this argument. I think you misunderstood what I was saying.

[@katyoutnabout5943]

If office space drastically cleared up, that would create so much more affordable living space

[@odunayo1198]

Exactly

[@2drealms196]

I wonder what that would do to business property taxes that cities need to pay for hospitals, doctors, teachers, schools, fix roads, police, etc. Force cuts in the school systems forcing students to home schooling while teachers gives lessons over Zoom?

[@katyoutnabout5943]

Secret Sauce is overrated taxing residential property taxes is better than no one occupying there at all. With shifts in demographic, cities need to adapt accordingly.

[@W1DO]

@@2drealms196 Making everything more efficient shouldnt hurt our economy or central/local govt as long as they adapt.

[@akatobi2002]

No it unfortunately it wouldn't. There are plenty of spaces/ opportunity for affordable housing but most owners dont want to live near affordable housing & cities don't make as much money

[@ProjectHighsociety]

I never liked offices. No matter how fancy it looks, there is something really sheepish about it!

[@femmeNikita27]

No wonder. Temperature is always a struggle between those who favour low and those who favour higher temperature. Usually both sides are unhappy about the end result and the room temperature impacts negatively on their performance- there is a lot of research on this issue now. Artificial light is too luminous (usually exceeds healthy norms hence people get headaches and sore eyes from it- again what was intended to keep people more alert longer makes them less productive). And air inside air conditioning usually breads both bacteria and viruses and spreads them around. Sometimes altogether with a fungus. So in a nutshell, if someone wants a healthy and productive team probably more flexible environment than office is a better option. Especially given remote work- friendly technologies and the fact that yes, in some countries option of working outside in warmer months might heave positive impact on both health and overall fitness, work-life balance and performance. Plus some people just prefer to work at different times during the day. Some like to work later in the evening, some earlier in the morning and office do not accomodate such varied needs.

[@cuteButKindaDeadlyBreloom]

The office already died when Steve Carrell left

[@campkira]

work from home mean you had to paid more bill.....by youself...

[@W1DO]

Steve Carell wasnt in The Office. He was in the remake :)

[@cuteButKindaDeadlyBreloom]

@@W1DO oh ye thas rite innit

[@windskm]

@@W1DO which is called The Office

[@Motivation2Invest]

😂👍😂

[@IDarkCalibur]

yes, meet other people only when it's necessary and you could still live just ask an introvert

[@brynleytalbot778]

DarkCalibur Introvert, and high return employee. It's going to be interesting to see the networking office politics brigade survive without their coterie of sycophants and the truth emerge about their incompetence masked by socialising outside of work and planning coups.

[@sleepsmartsmashstress740]

Mr. Introvert modern humans required to be forced to sit in he same room to start talking. Now with the force gone humans would just stop talking to others. that is going to have serious health consequences including a spike in suicide rates

[@alvarocorral1576]

Work narcissists will not be able to survive without their supply anymore! The rest of us can safely focus on our jobs.

[@sleepsmartsmashstress740]

@@alvarocorral1576 Safely ? ?

[@jigyanshushrivastava6153]

Introvert and extrovert are just labes. Who decides someone is.introvert? When someone says us an introvert and when we believe it we think that we are an introvert.

[@chayeng1948]

I've been working from home full-time since the outbreak. It's been a huge boon for me. No time spent in traffic, no gas money spent, I can make my own lunch rather than paying for takeout, and my company gives me a stipend for my internet and phone bills. Long-term I see issues for employees as companies will offer lower wages for employees that don't live in high cost of living areas. Also, it might be hard to get noticed and promoted over employees that go into the office regularly. I've noticed it has been harder to collaborate with my teammates. Video calls and instant messaging are not as smooth as in person training.

[@brynleytalbot778]

Perhaps competence will surface above confidence making meritocracy a reality in promotions. A cabal of networking junkies must be climbing the walls at home.

[@OnTheLooseGoose]

I've saved so much money and it's been amazing...but has made me think about the falafel van that's normally near my office who haven't had any business now for 4 months...it would make the economy change dramatically and potentially shrink significantly if we were all to work from home all the time. Also productivity was way up for me for the first couple of months, now down - want to see my lovely colleagues again!

[@hunnerdayEDT]

I've saved a lot of money on childcare.

[@Cecilia-]

@@hunnerdayEDT I saved a lot of money not buying makeup, clothes, bags, etc. I hand wash my clothes(PJs) daily using left over bath water. I'm over video call in my pjs nowadays, I don't even shower daily since I don't leave the house LOL. Definitely saved a ton

[@brynleytalbot778]

rvidal0001 Some people must be climbing the walls due to having to live with their own drivel and being without a fan base. I guess social media networking will fill the void in the short term.

[@buckydragon]

I've worked in the corporate setting for my entire career. The last 6 months have been the most efficient use of my time now that I no longer spend up to 4 hours a day commuting to and from work. I never want to go back to the way it used to be.

[@Wolfangs88]

It's better for the planet

[@KOG.113]

humans need to change their bad habits for conscious ones - that's the ultimate solution for the better planet

[@marcusanderson9042]

I'm just hoping this becomes part of the public consciousness. We can't keep living as if the planet was some distant concept to exist only for our enjoyment and make way for our convenience.

[@pengelu]

I wish I could work from home forever, it saves me time and money from commuting to my worlplace which normally takes and hour

[@grantchen9731]

Well we certainly don’t need to rent in NYC anymore

[@SilverAudiophile]

Yes, and suburban real estate in nice leafy fringe areas will go up in price.

[@DWilliam1]

Suburban? I’m moving to my summer place in SC as soon as the virus calms down. I’ll be working from the golf course.

[@monkeyman321]

Live in cheaper countries and you will be able to afford a Kings life with minimal salary.

[@SilverAudiophile]

@@monkeyman321 ..and work from home in a cheaper country.

[@sunnyzc8545]

Grant once we have a vaccine for COVID-19 we can relax social distancing measures and have employees gather at offices and other places of worship as it was pre-pandemic.

[@thesaw9988]

Ahhh yes. The best 4 months in my working life. I only need an internet connection. I was working 2 days at home already so the switch wasn't that hard. Offices are overrated. So is working from 9-5. or from mon/fri. Or getting payed an hour. I'm able to combine work and private life easily. It's beter for your health, physically and and mentally. Yes, I could work overtime if I wont and work less the next day. Take a break for 2 hours and finish in the evening. Never late at work: I start wen I wake up. No alarm needed. And stil I'm more productive in less time.

[@nonoson4167]

What do you do for work if you don't mind

[@thesaw9988]

@@nonoson4167 I'm a European Civil Servant. Most is done online in my country. As long as my team gets it's work done it's fine.

[@dimitarmargaritov]

@@thesaw9988 I am also in the EU. How does one get started in this and what qualifications do I need?

[@aneliyageorgieva5352]

Do you have kids ? If yes did they have an access to child care or school ? It's really difficult with children :)

[@thesaw9988]

@@aneliyageorgieva5352 3 actually. They all do go to school now but had remote teaching online at the time and it worked out fine. Yes, I imagine it can be hard with (small) children at home while having to work at home too. My wife took care of that. I have a critical profession so my kids could go the childcare/school if needed in my country. I have my little mancave here in perfect isolation to work and actually it's better for family life. I can go to see my daughter celebrate going to highschool without taking leave. Love it, no stress. And my wife likes having me around too. Just need some exercise to get rid of those extra Corona Kilo's

[@Tamarind525]

I’ve never enjoyed the company of my work colleagues more than the opportunity to be in my own home in comfortable clothes, able to stand or walk or move my body instead of sit in a chair at a desk.

[@happyperson6022]

Agree

[@Silenced_by_nazi_youtube]

You must have had some bad colleagues.

[@kenmtb]

@@Silenced_by_nazi_youtube no, they just prefer to be comfortable by themselves. People can be a burden.

[@johnl.7754]

Working from home might lead to more offshoring/outsourcing of work.

[@larrygerry985]

It depends on tax regulation. I would assume that a government would give tax benefits for physical positions staying in a geographical border.

[@tubester2023]

@Matthew M do you have any idea how much electricity bills your employer would save if their employees were to wfh. i dont think you do. so laugh all you want but the jokes on you

[@Diode5]

@Iu Iulitza The offset is that paying for cars and public transport cost a lot more per month to operate than all those things with only marginal increases, plus you get a tax concession for running a home office. So the workers also win by saving more. Working from home potentially also gives you access to cheaper food as you are more likely prepare a lunch meal at home. There are a lot of financial positives that can come from remote working, not to mention more environmentally friendly. As for the off-shoring of employment, to some degree that can happen, but the advantage of employing well paid staff in developed nations is that the education level is better, and so is the quality of the work. A company won't be able to sustain being innovative and competitive in all markets if it just tries to hire the cheapest employees it can find in the world.

[@dimartinable]

@Matthew M Even if she did, her English is perfectly understandable. I do not see a point in this comment

[@glennmoonpatrol8676]

@Iu Iulitza I pay $90 a month for a cable-sourced wi-fi. I always thought it was unfair to be working a low pay job and be expected to use MY phone for messages and correspondence. I don't know where the line is between my bills and an employers'.

[@jingyuanchen1]

I’m more favor for getting paid for what I produce rather than me sitting on a desk for 8h

[@stevereyes-villa7568]

You’d fit right in a sales role haha But totally agree!

[@monique_pryce]

100%. Not to mention the time saved from not commuting.

[@Hanna-uo8wc]

Definitely NOT! imagine the inequality! People are very different in their ability to produce. What some might do in 1 hour can take another 2 or 3. We would have People working constantly for the same salary as someone working half as much. That is a very scary scenario.

[@anyone150]

Depends on the occupation too. Health care workers, delivery drivers, warehouse workers, first responders, etc still need to go to the office/station/shop etc.

[@casper-z9rkls6gl]

@@anyone150 Scientists and engineers are working full speed to automate, robotize and AI all these positions.

[@akbeastvijayfan]

Work from Home will be acceptable if timing norms remain the same. From what one could see yet, it's leading to even further labor exploitation.

[@TheChickenRiceBowl]

How so? Just curious.

[@NSV610]

@@TheChickenRiceBowl I'm hearing from friends that their workload actually increasing as a result of working from home. What's thought to be a benefit due to time savings and comfort is more work for same or less pay...

[@trcherrera]

True especially in BPO and customer service. In the office you have a bathroom break and proper lunch breaks. While working at home its difficult because you cannot just get out of queue and always ask supervisors to go to the bathroom. Most times you have to run for calls not to get abandoned. And you are called to extend for more hours if emails are still there from your shift time even if youve never stopped doing work your whole shift. Its some form of exploitation. More workload with same pay. Less time for family.

[@TheChickenRiceBowl]

@@trcherrera Ah, I see. What kind of jobs even are these? IT? Call center?

[@youtubebystander9294]

@@TheChickenRiceBowl I have a desk job working for a top consulting firm. And boy, I work longer hours. Lead and managers asking for reports after reports even if its already out of the office hours. How can you say no when everything you do from the office is at home with you. Im thankful the company just dont let go people, its just that it can get tiring sometimes.

[@vladplays6206]

5:30 The economist subtly reminding us that America isn't as developed as European countries.

[@User-xw5mk]

@mike bravo America has a developed market but a developing sociopolitical structure.

[@Manuel-rl6um]

Why people says America to refer exclusively to US? Even North America wouldn't be correct (Canada, Mexico, etc). It would be like saying Europe to refer to Spain, or saying England to refer to the whole of UK. Am I missing something?

[@reinterpret_cast]

When it comes to IT (and IT technologies are used pretty much everywhere nowadays) the US is far ahead the rest of the world, don't know what you guys are talking about.

[@Manuel-rl6um]

@mike bravo that doesn't answer my question of why. It's still not correct. I know what you mean though, I find myself sometimes saying the same, still not correct. USA is USA, neither North America nor America, ity just part of them. Saying Brits is very different than saying England or English people when refering to UK or people from UK like Scottish, which is what I said. People from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are not English. Brits has a bigger scope than UK. It's like calling a Californian a New Yorker :D

[@Manuel-rl6um]

@mike bravo oh, I'm very chill, I was just wondering. Through text it's more difficult to show emotions :)

[@tacicana]

My work efficiency has increased tenfold working from home. I love it.

[@shantanushekharsjunerft9783]

I am way more productive from home than at the office. I like peace and quiet and the office is the last place to find it.

[@espanolhablante2752]

Yes!

[@miraculixxs]

People will find other ways to build social relationships. We don't need offices for that.

[@PeterEhik]

Exactly we could have that in our neighborhoods, actually spending more time where you live means getting to know the people around you even more and they can contribute more to your life and you to theirs because they just don't disappear when you change jobs. They can help raise your kids, it could really foster a sense of community again. I do miss happy hours though but maybe we can do that in our neighborhoods.

[@TeachTheGirl2024]

We can also better choose our social relationships instead of being forced to happy hour with the boss we hate or the colleague that won't shut up. Personally it means I can just get my work done quicker/more efficiently (not being interrupted as often) and spend time with the people I want to spend time with.

[@sandralaing8688]

Two sides to this..i think people still prefer face to face personal contact...it builds up a team

[@forza223bowe5]

Offices are horrible places, at home is more relaxed

[@journeytocozyASMR]

TeachTheGirl 👏🏾👏🏾

[@ponypower8]

Virtual offices and virtual conferences will be the new norm.

[@RealSalica]

You should thing about the commute who takes most people 2 hours a day in big cities and the pollution ....

[@windskm]

2 hour commutes are an epidemic itself

[@argiberico]

in countries w bad transport systems yes, thx

[@sayedarif7]

4 hours commute is not so uncommon in a city like Bangalore

[@tomwright9904]

this is exercise tho

[@carmcam1]

I saved more of my salary from work from home set-up, i almost want it to be permanent.

[@jodiemarie2166]

I agree with you here. Me and my partner were paying £160each per month on travel to and from work. I understand it's not for all, but we prefer working from home

[@LaidbackLuc9]

So salaries can go down according to many employers?

[@carmcam1]

@@LaidbackLuc9 what?

[@LaidbackLuc9]

Carmela Camba well, if you have more money left, probably people start working for jobs for less. So employers can lower (starting) salaries.

[@carmcam1]

@@LaidbackLuc9 are you an employer? You mindset is scary.

[@allbaugh04]

If I'm required to go back to the office, I'll just look for another job.

[@Stevetrevor360]

That is 💯 percent the way I feel

[@Silenced_by_nazi_youtube]

But why?....you applied for a job that requires you to go to an office

[@Silenced_by_nazi_youtube]

@@screwedupmystic2597 yea...people act like they didn't apply for an office job lol

[@dryuya1]

Thats how I feel as well. Luckily I work in a tech field thats always in fairly high demand...so if one place says no they want me in an office I can go to another that doesn't...already started looking just in case this scenario comes to pass. In fact...many in tech fields like mine are probably doing the same...enough that employers already know its happening. So yeah...they are in a dilemma if they want to senseless bring everyone back for no reason...and they probably know this. So...hopefully this brings about the new normal by force.

[@agriswold2009]

I love working from home!!

[@MrJoystickid]

I've always thought a change needs to happen. I'm a designer and my job absolutely doesn't need me to be chained to a desk 9-5 every day. I like the idea of a collaborative space for meetings etc and then allowing people to do the main bulk of the work remotely, it'll enhance workers lives 10 fold. It'll help the planet too so it's a win win. Those who refuse to adapt because the are set in their ways will fail. I hope to never be chained to a 9-5 work life ever again. It's time for a change!!!

[@MrJoystickid]

@@xdrowssap4456 Don't think that'll happen mate.

[@angry-white-men]

You must not have a family or you'd realize being a stay at home dad now is actually harder than going into the office.

[@bluesteel1]

WFH is the biggest reward an introvert could get .... Finally being able to work peacefully .... away from the toxic hellhole full of politics aka office ... definitely increased my productivity

[@edum.6353]

I have already seen companies saying that they need half the space they used to need so that may lead to a decrease in real state price but other companies will come and they will certainly want physical space, it's not the end of the world for the real estate industry. I think this pandemic has thought us that yes, it is possible to have a remote team, yes, it is possible to be productive and I think this is a great conclusion because just a few months ago it was normal to see people - specially old managers - dissing remote work.

[@conoroflynn2335]

Companies will offer employees chance to work from home instead of a pay rise going forward.

[@ecrusch]

I think you've hit the nail on the head.

[@sarah3796]

😬😓😭

[@JellyBeanInTheNight]

Agreed. I hope the trade off it fair.

[@1matthewworku]

interesting take

[@dwaynericketts882]

No; you will get paid for your actual performance rather than being seen to be working. The long hours culture is dead. It will require managers to actually manage rather than monitor who starts and leaves at a set time.

[@brynleytalbot778]

If the office is about networking isn't that bad for productivity? It's often demoralising to see the socially adept, but fundamentally lazy and barely competent, rise primarily on networking. I do believe productivity gains from remote working shown in this pandemic reflect the increased mental wellbeing from not being trapped with the networkers who dominate office politics.

[@Jessica-ec3ic]

Completely agree! Maybe now people will be given promotions based on merit rather than their ability to gossip at the water cooler.

[@waryo]

OK, I'll work from home. But then I expect that my salary reflects the raise of the utilities that I been using at my home instead of office (energy, water, gas, technology).

[@renatanovato9460]

Bravo. No one seems to be considering this as costs.

[@r3dp1ll]

next to nothing. You're likelt saving money (food, transport)

[@carmcam1]

i work from home, and we have a utility subsidy added to our salary.

[@ZergforLoser]

Salary will actually be deflated if the cooperations decides to outsource most of the demands.

[@r3dp1ll]

@@carmcam1 Same here.

[@janedoe133]

I have been working from home since the beginning of lockdown. I really enjoyed it at first, but after months of working from home and living alone. It’s has had a very negative impact on my mental health. I think it’s important to be mindful of people’s circumstances. A one size fits all doesn’t work in this scenario.

[@rachelhulks8926]

I'm in this exact boat. Liked it at first now I'm really struggling from lack of interaction, feel lonely & starting to lack motivation. I also feel that I'm passed over for opportunities, if I was in the office I think my manager would be more aware of me

[@janedoe133]

Rachel Hulks Hang in there. I’ve really struggled with the loneliness, but I’ve spoken to some people at work about meeting up. I’ve received some rejection but made a new friend. I’ve also become closer to neighbours. I think in the future cafes will have more evening events whereby people can connect with others. There will be many of us in the same position who feel isolated and will want to connect with others outside of work. It’s also worth chatting to your Manager about how you’re feeling if they’re approachable.

[@zombieowen]

Yeah, it was that way because workers were being exploited. Those of us working from home are having a struggle with our companies wanting us to be available 24/7. The weekend was created so we could have time away from work, some personal and family time. And the equipment I need to access my job (computer, equipment, software) aren't currently being provided. And then there's the issue of security.

[@shinutokoro]

As an extroverted Introvert, I appreciate working from home and saving money on gas. But still miss seeing my colleague's smiling faces, dance parties, goofing around and building connections. Working from office 1-2 days of the week would be ideal. There are some things like training, tech issues, paperwork, and problem solving that is better managed in person.

[@janedoe133]

shinutokoro I totally agree. I live alone and appreciate saving money, but find the loneliness crippling.

[@annmarieconway8892]

& turn the office space into flats!

[@TravelingwithKristin]

I wrote an article about this on Medium in 2019, predicting what would happen: "How the World Will Change When Everyone Works Remotely"

[@happythoughts33]

Shamless self promotion, but I’m here for it!! 👏

[@AndreaFernandez-nh5qm]

Love the idea!!! We get paid for the value we provide, not by the hours we get to stay inside a building. Less crowded cities, more freedom for choosing where to live, more freedom with our own time. Tons of burocratic useless jobs will end finally...

[@Peter-MH]

WFH always used to feel almost like a day off, but after WFH constantly for the last few months I can't wait get back into the office to see everyone, and actually get some productive work done!

[@TheRussellStover]

Working from home for the last 5 years I have to say I do miss the social interactions during the day but I find that I get MORE work done at home than at work. No stops from "Bob" to ask if you saw the game or the latest news on (insert news) or hey I got an issue with my phone... and you have one so you must be an expert... All that goes away. Only 3 Devils at home. TV, Fridge and Bed.

[@yellowberrypie]

Ugh, now I remember lol. I’ve always had some people stop by for small talk which lasts forever and they ramble on and I just keep thinking I wanna get my work done lol

[@Lawrence_Femi_Ikenna_Odedina]

As someone who works in the tech field and was working from home before covid 19, I hope everyone gets to enjoy the luxury of working from home.

[@richygambs321]

I feel this work from home 'revolution' is built on the premise that workers will work from home all 5 days of the week. It need not be like that at all, and I think it should not be like that. Why not have up to 2 working days a week from home? That way workers can discuss, innovate, work together and make contacts for career advancements, while feeling less like a prisoner having to work all 5 days a week from the office (especially if you dislike your job/colleagues) and saving on commuting time and stress, whilst carving out some time for yourself at home. Why aren't we talking about that??

[@zh512573]

Because common sense can't be found on youtube comments.

[@LaidbackLuc9]

It’s a bit like e-commerce. People tend to think in absolutes. Either we purchase everything online in the future and have flying cars, or nothing has changed. The true development will be somewhere in the middle: either 40% WFH or 80%, but unlikely outside of those boundaries and trending upwards from its current level.

[@BabsW]

I'm watching this while working from home

[@tubester2023]

Having mandated working from office cubicle sounds draconian at least for people working on their computers

[@hollaatthekid1796]

I have worked from home since 2011. it is VERY different from office life. You definitely meet less people so it can be lonely but if you make the effort you can still socialize with the people you meet. I ave friends who live all over the USA and a few in Canada that I met while working at home.

[@sarah3796]

I wonder if apartment design will had to change, I live in a one bedroom.

[@mauishopgirll]

Same here. I’m also more efficient with multiple large monitors as my job involves financial modeling. It’s not a setup I can or want to recreate in a one bedroom I share with my BF.

[@rockscaler99]

They already design apartments with more than one room. Not everyone will need or be able to work from home.

[@abrown4835]

It means you need a bigger place to do it indefinitely, like a 2 bedroom minimum. It basically is the company putting office space costs on their employees.

[@infinity_studios_work]

@sarah and others, if office spaces are cleared. That would create more supply of real estate than demand. Plus workers will save on travel. This can lead to better homes and apartments. Plus, companies anyway have to pay for systems/computers for employees. Now they’re also saving on rent, so they can provide employees a set up at their new bigger apartment 😃

[@kenlewis2253]

A Brown - in exchange for no commute time or expenses, no clothing budget, etc. It’s a fair trade!

[@jazzmoos5382]

In the future people will say: remember when we had to buy a car, and pay all those related bills, create pollution, deal with road rage, and spend sometimes hours a day just to go to a job to make money? ...to PAY for those things?

[@VitalMusic217]

In the future nobody will own anything. We will have a balanced bank account. The state or amazon pays us 1000 dollars? We pay 1000 dollars in monthly services. You will not have a bike, you will pay X dollars for bike leasing. You will not have furniture, you will pay IKEA X dollars for the monthly leas. Therefore nobody will leave any sign of their time on this world, nobody will pass anything to their children. Life will become a net where everybody is taken care of by the State.

[@likira111]

You're talking like once we we stop working away from home we just stop going outside.

[@BrighamYen]

It's not like all companies will ditch the office. Sure, many companies will shrink, but many people don't like working from home either. Some people thrive working with others and having a routine going into the office. Happy hours is a nyc after office culture that many look forward to. People THINK they'll love working from home forever, but people will begin to realize they miss The City, the hustle bustle, and being around people.

[@esonon5210]

People who are happy with WFH are only happy now because they're tired of waking up early and be on the run. They begin to miss the craziness after a few weeks.

[@renatanovato9460]

In a house crisis, how can we all work from home. Homes becoming smaller, how can a household of 2 incomers work in a small flat? Besides going to the office has a social function.

[@rkbelmont1138]

Social function? I Don't even know the name of most guys in the office. I have family, friends, social dances and other circles to interact with people. Offices are toxicity.

[@lukerobinson9646]

@@rkbelmont1138 'Social function' = Opportunity to be toxic to other humans.

[@colorfulcodes]

I miss the food on campus and making friends. Can't do that with wfh.

[@kali18]

I work from home and I love it 🥰! I get so much more done in a day and before work I can workout at home before clocking in.

[@1982blvd]

Companies will use this opportunity to save money on real estate as long it doesn't affect productivity output

[@doujinflip]

WFH has ironically made me more needed at the office, now I show up 6 days a week there. The server stacks and the facility don't maintain themselves -- if those go down then nobody else from the office is working from home. Or at all.

[@mikedennington8856]

I worked from home for 8 years once some time ago. It was Terrible due to no interaction, no conversation, and others said it was the same for them.

[@AvaniVee]

Turn offices into adaptable working spaces (hubs/studios) where people can socialise, attend events and run workshops from. For those people who can't WFH still have the option of going into the office. There are places like Fora Space who are already doing this successfully in the UK. You hire the space as you need - based on your project - rather than committing to a long term contract. There are so many opportunities here to revolutionise the traditional office space into more meaningful spaces.

[@javg4663]

I've been working from home for over 7 years. Wouldn't change it for nothing.

[@777swampie]

For some, their work is their social life, their religion. For people who are hooked on being around people the effects will be overwhelming. For those of us who don't depend on work to trap people into socio-political correct relationships, work at home is freedom. Get on zoom when collaboration is necessary. A lot of the negative part of jobs that we put up with because we're paid to, will be more controllable.

[@debradudek1689]

The work from home revolution will be a huge advantage for people who wish to live in a more affordable area outside of big cities. Their remote-work income would be a huge contribution to smaller communities in mid-sized cities or rural areas, bringing opportunities to create other jobs in those areas. It would also have the potential to cultivate economic renewal in places left behind by the loss of major manufacturing jobs. Don't forget the positive environmental impact of working from home and the easing of use on our underfunded public transportation infrastructure.

[@link2442]

Well one year later those with high salaries moving in to cheaper areas only increased the price of the market and now locals can't afford to buy in their own community

[@roger_welco]

Interesting of the effects of the changes with Office space will effect our pensions. A lot of pension funds are tied to office space rentals.

[@brynleytalbot778]

Excellent point. And physical retail too. The inflated rents of both allow pension funds to maintain unrealistic annuities, both existing and future ones. I'd not be surprised to see pension funds declare annuity cuts for existing, theoretically fixed, payments. Either rents fall to retain occupiers or the value of the properties collapses. Either way the fund loses.

[@sejnb1]

Zoom and other such apps need to improve their audio quality significantly. It currently remains quite difficult to hear conversations clearly via these platforms.

[@doujinflip]

There's also the equipment and the users, who both need to improve as well. I use a gaming headset and a mic-less camera (it was from the days before laptops came with webcams standard), and the only complaint I've gotten was forgetting to unmute myself.

[@MikeJ2023]

Al Bee it’s also depends of the individual’s internet connectivity.

[@summersnow7296]

I'm not sure what others think but I really like this new normal. I'm saving on average 2 hours per day. No more getting ready to work. No more commuting. No more traveling to customer's offices. These extra 2 hours per day translate into more time with family, more time for learning, relaxation and exercise. I really hope this new normal will be permanent.

[@beadmecreative9485]

The pre COVID working in the office was insane. There is no work life balance. Why spend 2+ hours in traffic or public transport when you can simply work from home. I hope this trend continues because it’s better for people’s mental and physical health and the planet. Also it didn’t mention how if people don’t spend their money in the city, they will spend it in their own communities where they live. I am sure many low paid workers can’t live in cities due to cost as well so they might get more jobs in their own communities.

[@ticomlabs]

I like how jobs will be incentive driven; promoting function based priorities rather than time based

[@QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“You can't go back to how things were. How you thought they were. All you really have is...now.” ― Jay Asher

[@jamieoglethorpe]

It was distrust. The sort of managers who don't do any real work expected everybody else to skive off if not kept in view.

[@DingXiaoke]

This combined with AI/robotic/automation really going to transform what the work force gonna look like

[@greenabyss5114]

Most people would rather work from home than drive to work, deal with traffic, deal with co-workers they don't get along with, deal with workplace gossip, etc... The work can still be done at home (or from anywhere in the world) if your job relies on computers. Manual labor jobs are different though. But if given the choice 99% of people would want to work remotely. Plus it is cheaper for the company, they do not have to pay for office space. There are far more benefits to working remotely than negatives. I think working in a cubicle or office will be a thing of the past.

[@hugovanhees9893]

For me personally this would be really bad. I love the interaction and the fact everyone is in working at the same time enhances communication between diffrent jobs. I feel like the value of knowing the people you work with is greatly underestemated in this video. Yes is works in some cases but a teamspirit only emerges out of real life realations with people.

[@julianschmahl8267]

Nah working from home is way too chill😄

[@Macaroth1]

The tendency to work from home might be a boon to rural communities if they manage to keep up with the infrastructure demands. If they permanently work from home many people might move to rural areas to enjoy lower costs living.

[@a.g.4843]

I work at home since 20 March and miss my nice luxury office at Ku’damm Berlin.

[@TheChickenRiceBowl]

Aww. :'(

[@MrNitisharya]

Make you home office luxurious

[@turbofanlover]

Ah, I love Berlin...and the Ku'damm. Haven't been there since 2001. Hope to get back for a visit soon. :)

[@KOG.113]

Get used there's no going back

[@a.g.4843]

KOG IMI that would be bad because it took my 13 years of hard work and awful jobs in awful cities like Aachen to finally get there

[@davidford694]

Productivity in this video is treated as some sort of ultimate virtue. Why? A wise person pointed out that if you want to find out how happy a person is look at their relationships, not what they own. One thing this situation is offering us is a chance to see how much productivity we actually need to be happy. Beyond that level all we are doing is harming the planet to no purpose.

[@brynleytalbot778]

You'd love the Californian tech guy who found happiness didn't improve above an income of $75,000. At that point what's bought with income above it doesn't increase happiness. I guess the meaningful metric is of the value of the productivity and whether we pay too much to those able to negotiate and too little to those who can't.

[@davidford694]

@@brynleytalbot778 We need to stop paying the psychopaths in charge.

[@xungnham1388]

The moment everyone proves they can do their jobs from home is the moment you show your job can be done from ANY home. Homes where people would gladly do your job for 1/2 or 1/10th of your salary. Think that your productivity or talent at your job will justify your salary? Those don't matter. Companies have shown 9 times out of 10, they will choose to pay someone half your salary for half your productivity or half the quality of work. If they didn't, they wouldn't be price competitive against a company that was doing that. This will bring about the collapse of cities and white collar work. Everyone will rue the day that they can work from home and wish they had to drive into the office.

[@tristanhoran1347]

I don't follow this thought process. Office jobs are for 'highly skilled', white collar workers. Talent levels exist. If companies pay less-talented or less-productive employees to save money, they are either lowering their quality of product/process or their capacity. Regardless, you're becoming less competitive. Companies enjoy cost savings, but not at the peril of their company. Offices are outdated. If you want to address culture, make virtual coffee breaks and quarterly meetings, mandatory. Many of the systems and structures that currently exist in society are remnants from decisions made just after the industrial revolution. I think we are entering into a second iteration of modern society, where we have the capability to do everything more efficiently. EVERYTHING can and most likely will be disrupted. (IE - the last 100 years hasn't equated to 100 years of growth as a society, it has actually equated to 20,000 years compared to history).

[@xungnham1388]

​@@tristanhoran1347 I think you are over-estimating the productivity/talent of western workers or are not grasping the magnitude of difference in payscale you can find worldwide. You do not even have to dip into the third world to find this level of disparity. The median salary for software developers in the US is $85k, the median salary for software developers in Bulgaria is $17k, 1/5th a US counterpart. Even if a US software developer is slightly more productive, they most certainly cannot match the output of 5 eastern european developers. I'll point out that Bulgaria is a member of the EU, and has offices of global software houses such as VMWare, HP, Ubisoft, etc.

[@CarlB_1962]

Xung Nham Employers have been doing that for decades, long before WFH came on the scene. Think of all the UK production plants that have been relocated to other countries over the years.

[@angry-white-men]

They now essentially live in their offices, like a trucker. So any salary they were receiving is now based on a 24hr work day. So they took a 2/3rd pay cut to work from home.

[@annieboookhall]

I work at a college library. No matter what y'all are doing, I'm going back to my usual office

[@sidneyeaston6927]

Try registering your home as an office or place of work it will cost regular on property tax, your home insurance may go up or refuse to pay out in the event of a claim. are you paying the correct internet account you could be cut off without warning for miss use on the contract, there are a million reasons for not working from home some of them legal. You should have separate water, gas, electricity, and sewage. There are regulations that are not at the moment enforced but will be when the local authorities think it is worth while and profitable to do so.

[@Andrew84UK]

Offices and commuting should be a thing of the past. It’ll reduce traffic, save energy and allow employees to avoid the commute and have more free time. I’m certainly not going back to a corporate office again

[@dindafatihana3518]

I think it's quite hard for the extrovert people because seems like me, I miss face-to-face interaction with workers, I miss to go out with my car, I miss go to mall or restaurant, I miss everything outside my home 😢

[@PujaWahi]

I’ve worked from home for five years and what a difference to my old life! I used to spend three hours a day on the road and the stress was killing me. I decided to work from home to be able to spend time with family and my productivity didn’t suffer at all. I did miss meeting other humans and spending time outside the house but that’s where hobbies come in. Join a class or a club. It’s totally doable. I’d love to move away from the big city of my husband’s job becomes more flexible too.

[@janedoe133]

Puja Wahi I really like your comment. I’m struggling with the loneliness of working from home as I live alone. Many of my friends and family are on the shielding list so I can’t visit them. I hoping to join more groups etc after lockdown to help with the loneliness.

[@PujaWahi]

Oh dear! I feel you. Definitely find a class or club of some kind. In fact look for a social activity you can do online now too. Even something as simple as joining a live session on KZbin or Facebook helps. I do group video calls with my parents and sister. Do a video dinner date. I’d lose my mind without all the video calls with friends and family even though I live with my husband and baby.

[@jamesmacleod9382]

I guess there is no reason the home office could not be in Bangalore or Nairobi as well.

[@christineb.8475]

I worked at my office job daily throughout the pandemic at the VA; my department was essential so we all wore masks and hid behind plastic shields on our desks. At my new job at a civilian physical rehab hospital, I must be at work every day as well - the difference is that I must wear PPE, there have been patient lockdowns when positive cases have appeared, families are unable to visit, but can see patients on zoom or speak by phone. It's difficult on everyone, but every positive case causes the state to close the hospital for two weeks until cases are cleared, but then we get a new case in and start the lockdown clock again.

[@importantname]

i go home to get away from work, work being when someone else is telling me what to do, when i do it, and how i do it. Home is my kingdom, a tiny little place where for a short while i am in charge.

[@stevenvictx]

This should go well as people no longer see each other. We will be more and more introverts. , schooling from home, never meeting your high school crush, only knowing them from being behind a camera. I fear our face to face social skills will be damaged.

[@reyalexandro]

We havent been back in the office since March. At first I hated it, but I've gotten used to it. Its clearly showed we can work at home and still be efficient, and now we are being told we might just never go back.

[@yalcharan]

The future of IT work will change .. Most of the companies will vacate big offices and move to small .. For Eg: If a company at presently has 20000 sq ft of office space, It will shrink to 5000 sq ft or will use one floor instead of 4 floors and also Companies might negotiate salaries with the employees and they might have cuts in salaries if employee chooses to work from home 🏠

[@michalziobro1984]

Beautiful work is coming around the corner ;)

[@Peppermint1]

I need to call sometimes my internet or cell phone provider and their workers work from home. Sometimes it gets really awkward. The employee being at home, I think some people develop something I would call 'emotional call'. Maybe is something in the customer's voice, I don't know, but sometimes I really have the impression that the employee takes the conversation on a different direction if you know what I mean - emotionally speaking. You can feel it in their voice, sometimes it gets so cringe, I can't wait for the call to end. This never happened back when their were working in an office

[@picturapictura7159]

At 7:30, with "like corporate culture, and creativity... and these will be the..." -- the sentence starting with "and these will be the" is in a very different, soft voice -- strange

[@brynleytalbot778]

I think the reporters skewed the piece to convey the ideological belief that corporate culture is only created within enclosed corridors of power. If imprisonment is the only way to inculcate corporate culture then the culture wasn't particularly appealing. Also, on creativity, these reporters egos need validation in meetings to perpetuate hierarchical power. It's almost a video on, get us back, now!

[@yakuza01]

Another thing to consider is the companies that are staying afloat but still losing money. If there is one big expense to cut in order to get some relief or help boost recovery, it would be rent, assuming the penalty for getting out before the lease expires is not too great. I was reading an article another day of how some companies have taken that step and will most likely keep working remotely even after covid-19.

[@janicenichols4591]

The tax law needs to go back to allowing us to take off a portion of our expenses since we are wfh.

[@varshasindhu5672]

It’s sad that highly skilled and highly paid people work for social media companies like Twitter and Facebook.

[@brynleytalbot778]

And are drawn to finance, accountancy, and law. What a waste of intelligence! Just imagine what we'd accomplish without that brain drain.

[@Stevetrevor360]

I have been working from home since the past 4 months in Pakistan... And I have had absolutely no problem in managing my daily tasks... I strongly believe that due to this new normal we are becoming accustomed to due to Covid 19 the work from home policy has essentially become a permanent feature of life... And looking back I seriously Wonder why so many people used to come unnecessarily to the workplace causing air pollution and making companies suffer from costly expenditure such as extra power consumption lunch meals and car parking allotments

[@TheMarmite09]

I think it's more about employers taking the imperative steps of shifting the working environment. Rather than having stuffy corporate offices, the environment should be relaxed and one which resembles a home working environment. This is the shift we need in our corporate jobs. It's a working environment which does not tie us down to our desks, forces us to complete timesheets and clock in and out on certain times. People enjoy working from home because it removes some of these archaic methods of working. We are not factory workers and we're not in the 1940s. We are living in an era of modern technology and our office environments and way of working should be a reflection of that!

[@andrewlaw8121]

But how will commercial sales spend their budgets if not on burning petrol and meeting to have meetings...

[@maxheadrom3088]

Amazon warehouse workers will love working from home!

[@epicherbalism]

*Our idea of the work week needs to evolve with our technology.* The original 40 hours was intended for one parent to earn income outside of the home while the other did the work at home. Now both parents are expected to work full time and do the home work too which is part of why people are so stressed and unhealthy, because parents are kind of working two jobs (and especially more home work still falls unto women). And especially in my country (the U.S.) basic necessities like emergency healthcare (even with insurance) and child birth could put someone into debt while other things that improve life and health like parental leave are absent here, so even having a child here is unfortunately an irresponsible financial decision for everyone except the rich. But at least people are starting to relearn the value of non-income work that humans do. Even if everyone was unemployed there have been, could be and would be most people staying busy with projects, childcare, growing food etc. People forget that some of humanities most important inventions came from people experimenting in their leisure time. When people are able to think and tinker with things instead of "grind" into burnout, amazing things can happen. And of course life is about more than just money because overlooked things like health, family and passion projects have so much value (again not only to your quality of life but that of the society as a whole).

[@aloolo3361]

The economist please talk about how overpopulation affects job or how every industry depend upon each other

[@samobrien815]

there is no overpopulation, we're just reaching the limits of over-production and over-consumption

[@TheChickenRiceBowl]

@@samobrien815 Yep, you got it. 👍

[@glennmoonpatrol8676]

Overpopulation is one topic that is of greater significance than everything else being talked about in the world.

[@louisefitzgerald4400]

Has anyone had trouble reaching people working from home ? It is very frustrating.

[@GorHayrapetyan87]

Remote work is great,but problem with COVID-19 is that you stay at home and often continue to work, without detaching

[@neilsmith2009]

ALL PLANNED DECADES AGO

[@djp1234]

Working from home should have been the normal for 20 years. We have the technology.

[@eugenb9017]

Sure we do. Harvesting fruits from home, so you can eat them. Fixing broken water pipes from home, so you can have running water in your house. Making soap from home, so you can be clean. Should I go on?

[@another_day4783]

@@eugenb9017 not all job, but the one that can, should be

[@djp1234]

Eugen B obviously I’m talking about office jobs. Thank you for your insightful reply.