Great Resignation (Big Quit) 2021-2022

[Karl Henning]

The rise of working from home

A popular cliché of 2020 was that covid-19 accelerated pre-existing trends. Yet that is a poor description of the massive rupture to office work. Before the pandemic Americans spent 5% of their working time at home. By spring 2020 the figure was 60%. The shift has gone better than expected. People are working longer hours, but they report higher levels of happiness and productivity. As lockdowns lift, working from home is likely to stay.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

The rise of working from home

A popular cliché of 2020 was that covid-19 accelerated pre-existing trends. Yet that is a poor description of the massive rupture to office work. Before the pandemic Americans spent 5% of their working time at home. By spring 2020 the figure was 60%. The shift has gone better than expected. People are working longer hours, but they report higher levels of happiness and productivity. As lockdowns lift, working from home is likely to stay.

A similar projection by Forbes: Remote work is here to stay. According to their projections, 25% of all professional jobs in North America will be remote by the end of 2022, and remote opportunities will continue to increase through 2023.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2022/02/01/remote-work-is-here-to-stay-and-will-increase-into-2023-experts-say/?sh=55b77cb020a6

[Karl Henning]

A similar projection by Forbes: Remote work is here to stay. According to their projections, 25% of all professional jobs in North America will be remote by the end of 2022, and remote opportunities will continue to increase through 2023.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2022/02/01/remote-work-is-here-to-stay-and-will-increase-into-2023-experts-say/?sh=55b77cb020a6

Indeed. Whatever bee is in Musk's bonnet, working from home isn't "pretending to work." In that, he was being no more than an asshole. I withdraw the word "chump."

[Mirror Image]

Indeed. Whatever bee is in Musk's bonnet, working from home isn't "pretending to work." In that, he was being no more than an asshole. I withdraw the word "chump."

Still doesn't change the fact that he has $218.1 billion. Calling someone else an asshole doesn't make you look any better, Karl. We're all assholes in some way or another.

[Brian]

Indeed. Whatever bee is in Musk's bonnet, working from home isn't "pretending to work." In that, he was being no more than an asshole. I withdraw the word "chump."

I'm among the many thousands of people who have found themselves much more productive at home than in an office. But as I mentioned on a previous page, having a job you don't find immensely boring can be even more important!

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Indeed. Whatever bee is in Musk's bonnet, working from home isn't "pretending to work." In that, he was being no more than an asshole. I withdraw the word "chump."

"There's this clinging narrative of a 'return to normalcy' that many employers are holding onto, when in fact, the world of work will never truly return to the way it was before," Ragu said. "The pandemic revolutionized the workplace and expedited an already growing need for remote workers. The pandemic served as a massive wake-up call, teaching us not only that work was more than capable of being completed from home, but showing the need for flexibility for employees to take control of their own schedules—a necessity for those with long commutes, pricey childcare arrangements and those who simply wanted to spend more time with their families."

We're all assholes in some way or another.

[bhodges]

I'm among the many thousands of people who have found themselves much more productive at home than in an office. But as I mentioned on a previous page, having a job you don't find immensely boring can be even more important!

True. Working from home is great, but loving what you do is even better.

--Bruce

[Brian]

P.S. I agree that Elon is not a chump but a monster. He isn't making a miscalculation because being a villain is his strategy.

[Karl Henning]

P.S. I agree that Elon is not a chump but a monster. He isn't making a miscalculation because being a villain is his strategy.

Fair enough.

I leave the ruling to others, but at a guess, my character will not take any great hit from going on the record as regarding Musk an asshole. Flaunting his net worth at me is low-hanging fruit.

[Brian]

I leave the ruling to others, but at a guess, my character will not take any great hit from going on the record as regarding Musk an asshole. Flaunting his net worth at me is low-hanging fruit.

Agreed entirely with this sentiment. Nobody is perfect, but to call a spade a spade is not a flaw.

[greg]

Anyway, good for him for making people return to the office.

Not for IT people.
Pay for gas at this cost + extra hours each week spent driving/dealing with clothes/packing food, or paying for expensive office food.
Not worth it, we are literally paying to work in office.
Productivity increase? Zero.
The only gain is making people at the top feel powerful, or feeding whatever delusions they have about team spirit or whatever bullshit. 

[DavidW]

The person of founded

Elon Musk did not found Tesla, he bought it.

[Brian]

Not for IT people.
Pay for gas at this cost + extra hours each week spent driving/dealing with clothes/packing food, or paying for expensive office food.

Yep, same, I was being paid to drive to an office and type things in Microsoft Word. They even gave me a laptop to type in Microsoft Word at home, but then made me go to the office four days a week to type there instead. Completely pointless. It's all about making workers feel controlled.

[Spotted Horses]

Yep, same, I was being paid to drive to an office and type things in Microsoft Word. They even gave me a laptop to type in Microsoft Word at home, but then made me go to the office four days a week to type there instead. Completely pointless. It's all about making workers feel controlled.

It depends on the job I guess. My previous work was in scientific research and there constant collaboration is a huge benefit. Currently I work as a technology developer in a startup company and I wish I didn't have to work from home. Being in constant contact with the people who will be selling or running the tools in the field can be invaluable to keeping things on track, even though most of the time I'm doing my own thing. But I certainly can imagine jobs in which working remotely is the most efficient option.

Maybe some employees of Tesla could be more productive working in an office setting. The question is why Elon Musk thinks it is to his advantage to publicly shame and insult his workforce, as opposed to HR sending a low-key notice that the work from home option is being phased out. Does he think that will improve their loyalty and/or productivity?

The market value of Tesla is a small fraction of what it would be, based on revenue. Most of the value of Tesla is in the Elon Musk cult of personality. So maybe the nasty tweet is actually more valuable than the actual productivity of his workforce.

[greg]

Yep, same, I was being paid to drive to an office and type things in Microsoft Word.

Ugh. Yep, we all know Microsoft Word at home is inferior, when you bring it to office it starts sniffing its secret cocaine pile and becomes 100x more productive. Too bad.

I'm actually logged in less in office than at home. In office, I go on a lunch break, take frequent walks (since I always feel so restless sitting at my desk all day), talk to coworkers, and logout earlier to go home. At home I stayed logged in during lunch, the whole day basically, and logged out later.

[Brian]

It depends on the job I guess. My previous work was in scientific research and there constant collaboration is a huge benefit. Currently I work as a technology developer in a startup company and I wish I didn't have to work from home. Being in constant contact with the people who will be selling or running the tools in the field can be invaluable to keeping things on track, even though most of the time I'm doing my own thing. But I certainly can imagine jobs in which working remotely is the most efficient option.

It definitely depends on the job. Now, at a more creative office, it helps to get all the creative people together in a room and imagine things up. If you're just completing assigned tasks, that is definitely different.

It also depends on your coworkers to some degree. I work with a lot of people who treat instant message type apps (Teams, Slack) just as they would a real office - willing to banter, brainstorm, spitball, shoot the breeze, etc. But I also work with some people who don't do well in that dynamic and who are definitely better at communicating in person.

By the way, this morning at the office I heard someone ask, "are you going to work remostly?" 

[Karl Henning]

Maybe some employees of Tesla could be more productive working in an office setting. The question is why Elon Musk thinks it is to his advantage to publicly shame and insult his workforce, as opposed to HR sending a low-key notice that the work from home option is being phased out. Does he think that will improve their loyalty and/or productivity?

The market value of Tesla is a small fraction of what it would be, based on revenue. Most of the value of Tesla is in the Elon Musk cult of personality. So maybe the nasty tweet is actually more valuable than the actual productivity of his workforce.

Unfoertunately, I think you may have something there.

[DavidW]

This is all just political theater. 

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Nature: Has the 'great resignation' hit academia?

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01512-6



Entrepreneur: The Great Resignation will continue. Employers must take an employee-centric approach that includes strengthening the relationship of managers with their direct reports, embracing flexibility, expanding company wellness policies and offering professional growth opportunities.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/426353

[Karl Henning]

https://www.youtube.com/v/GVB6wN04VVQ