What's funny is that I love remote work, but I have all these problems. But I think they are actually related to the other overthinks and managers on teams that also struggle with the remote work.
As someone who can walk away any time, that backup thought kills the anxiety straight away. But dealing with an entire office of anxious, overthinking engineers is incredibly stressful, and always has been. Then these people think taking it out on their coworkers is fine, because "well, everyone is stressed out"
If people can learn to work remotely in a hybrid company, they also need to teach the onsite people to learn to work with the remote people correctly, which most people, especially managers, DO NOT DO. Bad managers the last 2 years have been freaking out at about the lack of control of headcounts and butts in seats and semi comatose clock watching. But a lot of people are done with that, at almost any cost. Look at all those open jobs that can't be filled at minimum wage. Who wants to work a minimum wage job with customers that are going more literally insane day by day.
Maybe Gitlab had it right all along. Remote first is really the only way. At least everyone is on the same playing ground then. Even when you get management together (for some reason the higher you go, the more people think "face time" is important), they will gossip like an office, but that won't happen with their reports (underlings). It's just very one-sided.
I can't believe how well this article described me at work. I've done 7 years of remote work interleaved in my career, and didn't notice that making things worse or better. Perhaps other issues eclipsed that in those cases. But the general issue, for both good and bad, totally describes me.
- I am 5 minutes late again. People look at me. I wonder who keeps a diary of me coming late.
- Can I use the same excuse, my train was late?
- I wish I had spent more time finding a T-shirt. Probably wearing a T-shirt with a cat and "Not today" underneath wasn't the best idea.
- Oh someone commented on my t-shirt, are they being sarcastic or do they like it?
- Only I have a big coffee today? I should have gotten an espresso on the way.
- Oh no oh no oh no I have brown shoes and a black belt. How can I get rid of it. They already noticed!!! going to toilet quickly pulling the belt oh noes my pants are too lose, I need this belt! Ok maybe I'll pull the T-shirt out? Oh no it's all wrinkled! What am I going to do? Stand up is in 10 minutes!!! going back to desk
- Oh my laptop looks so dirty I forgot to clean it last night. They think I am filthy, of course they think that.
listening to co-worker complaining about builders dropping his travertine tiles
- Was I looking interested and sympathetic enough? Oh thank god someone calling me for stand up.
and so on and so on...
Remote work cuts all that cr*p away.
That being said, seems like BBC has not marked it as a sponsored article. It just reeks of commercial property owner panic.
Spending two additional waking hours five days per week good.
Spending one additional two hours per month washing your work clothes good.
Being micromanaged at the office and looking busy good.
Getting exposed to sick people who don't cover their mouths when sneezing or coughing good.
Not having enough time for your family good!
Not getting enough sleep because you must beat the rush to find a parking spot good!
But remote work - bad! Very bad!