Rise of remote work

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • wtburnette

    WT(aF)
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    44   0   0
    Nov 11, 2013
    26,859
    113
    SW side of Indy
    Like many others, I've been working from home since the stay at home orders back in March. My job function is one that can be done completely from home, with no need to go into the office except for very few things. I find it ironic that it took the Coronavirus scare to push remote work into the limelight. My first job where remote work was allowed was working for Anthem, which I started in 2012. I was amazed and happy to be able to take advantage of it twice a week, as policy allowed. Most of my team were scattered over geographically diverse office locations, so a majority of our work was through the phone or WebEx. In 2016 I had problems with my back and was allowed to work from home as needed. I discovered that it was easily possible to do my job completely from home. For most of 6 months I worked remotely and managed to have the same or higher level of productivity. I was disheartened to find out that Anthem was actively phasing out permanent work from home positions, even though it was almost all positive for them to allow this to be done. They also discouraged more than 2 days per week allowance to work remotely. With other things happening that made working for Anthem no longer viable, one of my coworkers and I started looking for positions elsewhere. He ended up getting a position with a company that was completely working from home. It was for a UK based company that had no office in the state, so he didn't have to ever go into an office. That sealed it in my mind that there was no reason to not allow a lot of remote work for my type of position.

    In early 2017 I obtained a position with IU Health, doing the same thing that I'd done at Anthem. Again, the position allowed working from home, but only 1 day per week. I had many discussions with my manager and his boss and we finally implemented working from home 2 days per week. We had no adverse impact from the extra day, but complaints were made from other teams who weren't allowed 2 days a week, so we had to go back to 1 day per week. Ironically, during the 65 road work project HR decided to let those who could work from home during the entire project, so I got to work from home for ~8 weeks straight. Fast forward to last week and we're told during a team meeting that due to that experiment and the recent remote work done during the Coronavirus scare, management has decided that positions that can work remotely will be allowed to much more often going forward. For my team, that means working from home permanently, with the exception of going into the office once every 2 weeks for face to face meetings. They determined that not only was this going to save them money for real estate, but that staff members were happier and more productive with the additional flexibility that remote work offered. I'm very happy because I've been a huge advocate for remote work as soon as I realized how beneficial it is for employees and employers both. I realize that not every position can offer remote work as an option and not every employee can take advantage of the option as some don't have the discipline to get work done while sitting at home. For those who can, it's a wonderful benefit. I think one of the biggest obstacles I saw to this was management. Too many managers didn't have a clue how to get a handle on the productivity of their workers, so they had the "butts in seats" mentality, as they considered their employees as working hard if they were in the office at the desks. I find that funny as I've always gotten much less work done in the office where there are so many distractions, than working from home where I can lock myself in my home office and crank out the work.

    Anyway, sorry for the rambling. Just wondered if other people are seeing a rise in the ability to work remotely as well. I've been seeing a lot of articles like this one touting the benefits: https://www.forbes.com/sites/patric...st-work-at-home-experiment-ever/#29a7a9a56d2c. I have to laugh since we've had the ability, from a technical standpoint, to work remotely for a long, long time, but so many companies don't take advantage of it. Are you seeing an uptick in remote work at your job? Post your thoughts as I'd like to see what others think about this topic.
     

    PistolBob

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Oct 6, 2010
    5,387
    83
    Midwest US
    I am part of a 400 member IT department, and we've been WFH since early March. We meet every day at 7:30AM online with Microsoft Teams to discuss issues, projects, timelines and according to our CIO we've not missed a beat. Management is not concerned about rushing us back to the office, we're doing well and in some cases even better with the WFH.
     

    rosejm

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    11   0   0
    Nov 28, 2013
    1,775
    129
    NWI
    I always ask this "question" in an interview: "Are you looking for a hard worker? Or a successful achiever?"
    If more time needed to complete a task is your measure of success, then I'm not your guy.

    The managers don't want WFH because that changes the model they need to use for productivity.
    WFH forces them to see who's performing, not just attending. Attendance is much easier to record, performance will need some good metrics (or you only get what you're scoring for).

    Now the bean-counters, they're salivating. There is a huge cost to real estate & infrastructure to support a full-time workforce.

    For a great many companies, there's going to be a hard look at cost vs. productivity after this episode.
    I think most of them are going to realize that double-digit savings & equal or slightly improved performance is a no-brainer. Especially for those with multiple locations, even within the same metro area.
     

    Dean C.

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Aug 25, 2013
    4,429
    113
    Westfield
    I see a lot of businesses switching to work from home, even if it is just an overhead cost cutting measure. The wife (who actually works for Anthem) has been working from home for at least the last month with no loss of productivity.

    That being said as a chemist it is hard to take my work home with me :laugh:
     

    KellyinAvon

    Blue-ID Mafia Consigliere
    Staff member
    Moderator
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Dec 22, 2012
    24,796
    150
    Avon
    I’ve teleworked regularly about every other Friday for years now. With the Wu-Flu I’m at the hospital every day. I only telework on my own time right now.
     

    wtburnette

    WT(aF)
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    44   0   0
    Nov 11, 2013
    26,859
    113
    SW side of Indy
    Been WFH for 15 years now. I remember when they upgraded my POTS to ISDN, WOW. Yup I'm that old.

    Yes, see, you prove my point. We've had the technical ability for working remotely for decades. The reason more people aren't able to take advantage of this are poor managers IMO. BTW I'm on 1GB fiber, so I understand what you mean about the speed difference.

    I always ask this "question" in an interview: "Are you looking for a hard worker? Or a successful achiever?"
    If more time needed to complete a task is your measure of success, then I'm not your guy.

    The managers don't want WFH because that changes the model they need to use for productivity.
    WFH forces them to see who's performing, not just attending. Attendance is much easier to record, performance will need some good metrics (or you only get what you're scoring for).

    Now the bean-counters, they're salivating. There is a huge cost to real estate & infrastructure to support a full-time workforce.

    For a great many companies, there's going to be a hard look at cost vs. productivity after this episode.
    I think most of them are going to realize that double-digit savings & equal or slightly improved performance is a no-brainer. Especially for those with multiple locations, even within the same metro area.

    Exactly right. I'm very lucky that my current manager doesn't care about how the work gets done, as long as it does get done. She's told me more than once that I'm not a 40 hour employee and all she cares about is results. As long as the work gets done and I attend any meetings that are scheduled, I'm good to go. I'm the type of worker who can't work straight through, except on rare occasions. I work for a while, then read stuff on the internet for a while. Then I work a bit more, then go take a walk. I'm far more productive that way and get what most people get done in 40 hours in about half the time. I really hope that this change helps in this regard for more companies. More than just allowing more remote work, but understanding productivity and how people actually work. One of the things I hated most about working for Anthem was that there was this unspoken/unwritten expectation that people with salaried positions were expected to work a minimum of 50 - 60 hours per week. Work done was a secondary consideration to hours spent working. It might not be that way everywhere in the company, but it was in the InfoSec area where I worked. That was one of the biggest reasons I left Anthem, was to find a position where working more than 40 hours a week was rare.

    I see a lot of businesses switching to work from home, even if it is just an overhead cost cutting measure. The wife (who actually works for Anthem) has been working from home for at least the last month with no loss of productivity.

    That being said as a chemist it is hard to take my work home with me :laugh:

    Yeah, like I said, not every role can work remotely. I can see them frowning on your position working at home... :):
     

    510picker

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Apr 16, 2017
    376
    12
    Martinsville
    I am a designer for an engineering firm and this week starts my sixth week of working from home. For the past five years, I have asked about working from home during my annual review, only to be told no and never being given a real answer as to why.

    My productivity has increased working from home. I don't have kids that distract me. I no longer have a two hour commute. I no longer feel the dread of Monday on Sunday afternoon. This break in routine has helped with my job burnout. I asked my manager about the potential of continuing this once "normal" returns, even if only a couple days a week. He said that can be discussed later, but is a possibility. My fingers are definitely crossed.
     

    wtburnette

    WT(aF)
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    44   0   0
    Nov 11, 2013
    26,859
    113
    SW side of Indy
    I’ve teleworked regularly about every other Friday for years now. With the Wu-Flu I’m at the hospital every day. I only telework on my own time right now.

    Sorry to hear that, but I can understand with what your role is. Hopefully things will settle down soon.

    I am a designer for an engineering firm and this week starts my sixth week of working from home. For the past five years, I have asked about working from home during my annual review, only to be told no and never being given a real answer as to why.

    My productivity has increased working from home. I don't have kids that distract me. I no longer have a two hour commute. I no longer feel the dread of Monday on Sunday afternoon. This break in routine has helped with my job burnout. I asked my manager about the potential of continuing this once "normal" returns, even if only a couple days a week. He said that can be discussed later, but is a possibility. My fingers are definitely crossed.

    Good luck! Hopefully this whole thing will show your management that it's a benefit that you should be allowed to take advantage of going forward.
     

    Route 45

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    92   0   0
    Dec 5, 2015
    14,884
    113
    Indy
    I have been working from home full time since 2013. I don't even know if I could make myself get dressed and drive to a job every day anymore. :):

    Seriously, it would take a $15-20k bump in pay per year to get me to even consider taking a job where I have to commute.
     

    wtburnette

    WT(aF)
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    44   0   0
    Nov 11, 2013
    26,859
    113
    SW side of Indy
    I know that feeling. I wouldn't even entertain the idea of accepting a position where there was absolutely no remote work. Once you've taken advantage of a benefit like that, it's hard to go back to the "normal" way of working. I will say the only downside is that the wife doesn't seem to understand the concept of me being at work when I'm working from home. I dread the days when she's off during the week... :rolleyes:
     

    Dean C.

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Aug 25, 2013
    4,429
    113
    Westfield
    .

    Yeah, like I said, not every role can work remotely. I can see them frowning on your position working at home... :):

    Mdkg60qh.jpg


    I know the Walter White chemist joke is old but I could not resist :laugh:
     

    HoughMade

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Oct 24, 2012
    35,615
    149
    Valparaiso
    I think most people saw the potential of at-home work a decade or more ago. This thing just forced the issue. This could be a great time and money saver for the employees and a big money saver for the employers.

    ...I mean, I've been coming to the office every day throughout this thing...but I'm an old man...who has 3 kids sharing the slow DSL to do online work.

    I thoroughly plan on doing some work days from home after the kids are out of the house.
     

    DoggyDaddy

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    73   0   1
    Aug 18, 2011
    102,071
    77
    Southside Indy
    I've been working from home off and on since around 2009. Now (before this situation) I work a 9 day flex schedule every 2 weeks (80 hours spread over 9 days instead of 10) and I was only in the office 4 of the 9 days. I love working from home. I just picked up dog poop out of the yard. Can't do that in the office! ;) Things are slow today, so I'm going to get a head start on mowing.
     

    jkaetz

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jan 20, 2009
    1,953
    83
    Indianapolis
    A lot of WFH barriers can be tied to fear of change and supervisors who can't "see" what their staff are doing. The final one is one of liability. Employers can be found liable for workplace injuries that can be the result of ergonomics or other safety issues in a physical space that they do not control. To have regular remote work from my employer involves entering into a telework agreement, inspection of the home office space, and installation of company owned office furniture that complies with ergonomic standards.
     

    DoggyDaddy

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    73   0   1
    Aug 18, 2011
    102,071
    77
    Southside Indy
    A lot of WFH barriers can be tied to fear of change and supervisors who can't "see" what their staff are doing. The final one is one of liability. Employers can be found liable for workplace injuries that can be the result of ergonomics or other safety issues in a physical space that they do not control. To have regular remote work from my employer involves entering into a telework agreement, inspection of the home office space, and installation of company owned office furniture that complies with ergonomic standards.
    We had to sign a telework agreement also, but no inspection or company owned furniture required. I don't know if the agreement kind of works like a waiver or not. I'm sitting out on my deck right now and that's where I'll be working until late fall. I dread having to go back to the office.
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
    77
    Bloomington
    I'm a little backwards than most of you on this thread. (Normal for me being an outlier:)). I spent the first 20+ years working from home. It has been in the last 7-8 years that I have had to come into an office. My company is Japanese so they are really not receptive to letting people work from home.

    I do know this about myself: I get more done WFH. Like rosejm, i am more about performance. I figure I am about 20% more effective WFH.

    Some days when I'm in my cube at work I am thankful that most of my life has been working from home and on the road traveling. I was really lucky. I would like to get back to that, but if I can't, I will ride out my last 10 years in the office.
     

    jkaetz

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jan 20, 2009
    1,953
    83
    Indianapolis
    We had to sign a telework agreement also, but no inspection or company owned furniture required. I don't know if the agreement kind of works like a waiver or not. I'm sitting out on my deck right now and that's where I'll be working until late fall. I dread having to go back to the office.
    We do get a lot of freedom for temporary and unusual situations. Though most everyone is currently working from home and has been for at least a month no one has had to enter into telework agreements that wasn't already working remotely. We've always been able to do work around life rather than the other way around. With the weather getting nicer I expect to see more video meetings with people outside.
     
    Top Bottom