Remote Working News and Discussions

[wjfox]

What a $1 deal says about America's office market

7 hours ago

New York City deli owner Jimmy Yavrodi looks grimly out of the shop that he opened 27 years ago in one of the city's prime business districts.

"Everything is empty," he says. "I don't understand it."

[...]

Four years after the pandemic sparked a revolution in work-from-home practices, especially pronounced in the US, the shift is proving hard to reverse - and the consequences no longer possible to ignore.

About 20% of office space around the US was unleased at the end of last year - the highest vacancy rate in more than 40 years, according to Moody's Analytics.

With that number forecast to rise over the next 12 to 18 months, the fall in demand is changing city neighbourhoods and hitting property values, which have already plunged an estimated 25% on average across the country.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68472143

[wjfox]

[caltrek]

Study Finds Working from Home is Stifling Innovation
by July 30, 2024

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) Remote and hybrid working may be great for employees’ work-life balance, but it may be stifling innovation, according to new research.

The study, led by University of Essex and University of Chicago economists, found that staff who worked in a hybrid model were less likely to come up with innovative ideas than colleagues who always worked in the office. And staff working from home tended to produce lower quality innovative ideas than those who always worked in the office.

“Innovation in the workplace can occur through random, spontaneous ‘watercooler’ conversations between employees,” explained lead researcher Dr Christoph Siemroth. “However, these ‘productive accidents’ are less likely to occur when employees work from home. Our research has found that innovation is suffering as a result.”

Post-pandemic, many firms are hesitant to implement a full time return to working from the office and have adopted a hybrid model, where employees get the best of both worlds, spending some days in the office and some at home.

Many business leaders have voiced concerns over innovation suffering with these new work modes. This new research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, finds their concerns could be valid.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1053030

[caltrek]

A Death in a Cubicle Undermines the Case for In-Person Work
by Gleb Tsipursky, PhD
September 3, 2024

Introduction:

(Common Dreams) The recent, tragic story of Denise Prudhomme, a 60-year-old Wells Fargo employee who was found dead at her cubicle four days after she came into her office, challenges the prevailing narrative about the supposed social and collaborative benefits of in-person work. Prudhomme's death went unnoticed in an environment that is often portrayed as fostering better communication and team cohesion. This disturbing reality casts serious doubt on the claims made by many corporate leaders that bringing workers back to the office is essential for their well-being and collaboration. The story reveals a stark contrast between the idealized vision of in-office work and its practical shortcomings.

Corporate leaders frequently argue that remote work results in isolation and a loss of team spirit, emphasizing that the physical presence of employees is necessary to maintain a connected and innovative workplace. Yet, Prudhomme's case suggests otherwise. Despite being in the office, her presence—or rather, her tragic absence—went unnoticed for days. This raises a profound question: How can an employee die at her desk and remain undiscovered for so long in a place supposedly designed to enhance collaboration and human connection? Several employees noticed a foul odor but attributed it to faulty plumbing rather than the grim reality. This oversight reveals a significant disconnect between what companies claim about in-person work and what actually happens on the ground.

Recent research adds another layer to this discussion. The Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (SWAA), led by Nick Bloom and his colleagues, shows that employees spend only about 80 minutes on in-person activities during a typical office day. The rest of their time is spent on tasks like video conferencing, emailing, and using communication tools—tasks that are equally manageable from home. These findings highlight the inefficiencies of in-office work, where the supposed benefits of collaboration are minimal, and the majority of the workday could be performed just as effectively outside the office.

Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/author/gleb-tsipursky

[wjfox]

Amazon tells staff to get back to office five days a week

16 September 2024
Updated 2 hours ago

Amazon is ordering staff back to the office five days a week as it ends its hybrid work policy.

The change will come into force from January, Amazon's chief executive Andy Jassy said in a memo to staff, external.

"We’ve decided that we’re going to return to being in the office the way we were before the onset of Covid", he said, adding that it would help staff be "better set up to invent, collaborate, and be connected enough to each other".

Mr Jassy has long been known as a sceptic of remote work, but Amazon staff were previously allowed to work from home two days a week.

Amazon's push to get corporate staff back into the office has been a source of tension within the firm which employs more than 1.5 million people globally in full-time and part-time roles.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czj99ln72k9o

[Time_Traveller]

Amazon tells staff to get back to office five days a week

16 September 2024
Updated 2 hours ago

Amazon is ordering staff back to the office five days a week as it ends its hybrid work policy.

The change will come into force from January, Amazon's chief executive Andy Jassy said in a memo to staff, external.

"We’ve decided that we’re going to return to being in the office the way we were before the onset of Covid", he said, adding that it would help staff be "better set up to invent, collaborate, and be connected enough to each other".

Mr Jassy has long been known as a sceptic of remote work, but Amazon staff were previously allowed to work from home two days a week.

Amazon's push to get corporate staff back into the office has been a source of tension within the firm which employs more than 1.5 million people globally in full-time and part-time roles.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czj99ln72k9o

That's why I wouldn't like to work here, sounds like a horrible place to work for?

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

Elon Musk’s first order of business in Trump administration: Kill remote work

November 21, 2024 at 3:56 PM GMT

Donald Trump appointee Elon Musk unveiled his first blueprint to radically shrink the federal bureaucracy, which includes a strict return-to-office mandate.

Together with partner Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk is set to lead a task force he has called the “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE, after his favorite cryptocurrency. The department has three main goals: eliminating regulations wherever possible; gutting a workforce no longer needed to enforce said red tape; and driving productivity to prevent needless waste.

“With a decisive electoral mandate and a 6–3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court, DOGE has a historic opportunity for structural reductions in the federal government,” the pair wrote in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal published on Wednesday.

They’ll start by cracking down on remote and hybrid forms of work among government employees.

Those no longer willing or able to come into the office five days a week can find gainful employment in the private sector.

https://fortune.com/2024/11/21/elon-mus ... ings-doge/

[firestar464]

f*ck the WSJ for mainstreaming these idiots.

[wjfox]

Employees are spending the equivalent of a month’s groceries on the return-to-office–and growing more resentful than ever, survey finds

November 20, 2024 at 2:57 PM

Despite the benefits of remote work for employees, many organizations are abandoning it in favor of returning to the office full-time–or part-time in a hybrid model. A 2024 survey from BetterUp shows that the number of primarily remote roles has been cut in half – and one out of four organizations cite improved connection and culture as the business rationale behind mandated office returns.

However, our research found that returning to an office often is a major disruption to one’s routine, foundational work, and overall life experience. We surveyed 1,400 full-time U.S. employees who were mandated to return to in-office work and found that they had higher burnout, stress, and turnover intentions. They also had lower trust in their organization, engagement, and productivity levels. Our results indicate that if the return-to-office transition is not handled with a high level of humanity, sensitivity, and empathy, workplace culture suffers, and the workforce's sense of belonging plummets.

We also found that RTO results in pressure on employees’ flexibility, time, and even bank accounts. If you are struggling to adjust to a mandated return to the office, know that you are not alone.

[...]

While it seems intuitive that people form better working relationships in person, poorly communicated and implemented return-to-office mandates breed resentment toward employers. Resentful employees are less likely to bring their authentic selves to the workplace and less likely to invest in those around them.

The most challenging aspect of returning to the office is the commute. This isn’t surprising because commutes of only 30 minutes are linked to higher stress and anger, while 45 minutes or more is linked to poorer overall well-being, daily mood, and health.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/employee ... 00356.html

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

How Does Remote Flexibility Influence Employee Engagement?

Exclusively remote and hybrid employees tend to have significantly higher employee engagement than on-site workers.

Remote-capable, on-site employees have experienced the largest drop in engagement since 2020. These individuals have a job that could be performed with remote flexibility, but instead, they are required to work on-site every workday.

On-site employees whose job is not remote-capable have the lowest engagement.

https://www.gallup.com/401384/indicator ... -work.aspx

[wjfox]

Japanese store deploys remote workers as convenience store clerks for graveyard shifts

Leveraging time zone differences to staff late nights and early mornings

By Zo Ahmed January 2, 2025

Lawson, the Japanese convenience store chain, has come up with a novel approach to address the country's chronic labor shortage: hiring remote workers from overseas. At first glance, this might not seem like a groundbreaking idea, but the twist lies in how these employees contribute. Despite being based abroad, they can virtually assist in stores by operating lifelike avatar clerks.

Interactions through the new system function similarly to a video call for customers, except they interact with cartoon avatars rather than seeing the actual clerk. The remote operator's movements are replicated using cameras, allowing for a more dynamic experience. While this approach might feel a bit impersonal, the avatar system could help ensure these essential stores remain operational and accessible around the clock.

A survey by Nikkei revealed that last year, an astounding 62.5 percent of franchise owners struggled to find enough part-time staff to keep their stores open 24/7. Lawson's innovative solution aims to address this challenge head-on.

The company launched its first overseas cashier this month, operated by a Japanese national living in Sweden. Leveraging the eight-hour time difference, this remote worker can virtually "man" the graveyard shift in Japan while working during regular business hours in Sweden. Their avatar is projected onto screens at Lawson locations in Tokyo and Osaka, assisting customers with self-checkout as needed.

https://www.techspot.com/news/106169-ja ... lerks.html



Image credit: Keiichiro Sato

[Powers]

Reality beat The Onion once more.

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22real ... e+onion%22

[weatheriscool]

I feel that remote work from online is vastly more efficient then maintaining government buildings. I don't know why Trump and Musk is against it? Aint they for efficiency? I'd make everything that can be done from home done that way if I ran the government. It would save billions of dollars...

This just shows that it isn't about efficiency but cruelty towards the poor, disabled and idiocy when it comes to education, science and maintaining our infrastructure. Just dumb.

[Powers]

I feel that remote work from online is vastly more efficient then maintaining government buildings. I don't know why Trump and Musk is against it? Aint they for efficiency? I'd make everything that can be done from home done that way if I ran the government. It would save billions of dollars...

This just shows that it isn't about efficiency but cruelty towards the poor, disabled and idiocy when it comes to education, science and maintaining our infrastructure. Just dumb.

I don't know Elon besides getting more rich/important but for Trump is all vengeance for the last 4 years.

[caltrek]

Bosses are Fed Up with Remote Work
by Jane Thier
February 17, 2025

Introduction:

(Fortune) The golden age of remote work seems to be ending. The Trump administration is seeking to end remote work for federal employees, with Trump saying, “Nobody’s going to work from home, they’re going to be going out, they’re gonna play tennis, they’re gonna play golf. They’re gonna do a lot of things—they’re not working.”

And Fortune 500 companies from JPMorgan to Amazon have called their employees back into office five days a week (much to their chagrin).
The economic blogger Kevin Drum, formerly of Mother Jones, has taken note of the increasing anti-remote literature and is making a bold prediction about the future of remote work: There is none. Work is not going to look much different than it’s ever looked. That’s because the remote work revolution just isn’t going to materialize.

“Companies that put up with [remote work] for a long time are finally getting sick and tired of [it],” Drum wrote. The reason for that is fairly straightforward: Working from outside the office “simply isn't as productive as office work, no matter what remote workers say. Too much evidence has piled up to credibly deny this any longer.”

He pointed to return-to-office pushes at tech companies where most jobs could be remote, particularly Salesforce, Google, and Meta. Then he highlighted four key pieces of evidence, although asterisks abounded. Still, Drum is worth listening to on this matter: Along with figures like Brad DeLong and Ta-Nehisi Coates, he thrived in the Wild West days of blogging, and at Mother Jones and independently he displayed an aptitude for paying attention to what the data says about major economic subjects and cutting out the noise.

Read more here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/saving ... 09&ei=79

caltrek’s comment: Even if you do not agree with analysis that remote work is more unproductive, this article does show the resistance that is mounting against such work arrangements.

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

[wjfox]