Most Americans want to keep working remotely or at home as part of work schedule

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

It is better for people to work in office. Humans are social animals. Take away the social life and make humans solitary creatures will cause mental stress and depression and suicide.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

It's the same in the UK, most want a mix e.g. 3 days working at home and two in the office.

It's going to be a tough sell to convince people here to go back to the office after over a year of working from home.

Many large firms have cut their office space which has saved them a fortune.
The days of the commute and then 9-5 grind are over.

Certainly this is going to cause a shakeup in office space rents. Right now most companies had already locked themselves into multi-year leases but are looking at that decision with regret as their employees are dutifully working at home.

The company I work for has expensive office space all over the world not being used. Luckily they had already switched everybody to virtual desktops so they don't need somebody making sure the desktop machines are working fine and can even power down the floors.

This does bring up a question as to whether companies will not only question real estate expenses but also the cost of all those desktop computers on employee's desks that they have to replace every N years due to obsolescence.

"But", here in the UK, so many jobs are dependent on retail trade from the commuters(3-4million) that there is no way the UK goverment will allow a full time switch over to WFH.

People will head back to the offices - they have to - for the economy to recover - but it will be little less than before, for sure ...

The current norm will not be the new norm simply because of the economic cost and loss of jobs that will entail.

This is definitely a concern. There will be a substantial loss of foot traffic into eateries/retail near workplaces plus those in office building maintenance/support.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

It is better for people to work in office. Humans are social animals. Take away the social life and make humans solitary creatures will cause mental stress and depression and suicide.

I think 热闹 is more of an East Asian thing. In other parts of the world the opposite is preferred most of the time...like the guy pictured in the hammock.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

I think 热闹 is more of an East Asian thing. In other parts of the world the opposite is preferred most of the time...like the guy pictured in the hammock.

Not true. Go to the clubs and dance parties in the US and see for yourself. Americans are the most social people on the planet.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Not true. Go to the clubs and dance parties in the US and see for yourself. Americans are the most social people on the planet.

Sure, some people like crowded beaches in Ft Lauderdale/Cancun too during Spring Break vacation.

However during their other vacations to Bermuda/Bahamas/Aruba etc they actually want to relax.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Continued work from home is worth a pay cut, say Americans - 9to5Mac

A new survey shows that two-thirds of US employees seek continued work from home arrangements; most of them would be willing to ...

9to5mac.com

As Apple’s plan for staff to return to the office are again delayed, a new survey shows that two-thirds of US employees seek continued work-from-home arrangements; most of them would be willing to take a pay cut in return; and many would quit their jobs if ordered to return to the office full-time.

Apple announced a hybrid working model, with employees able to work from home on two fixed days a week, subject to line-management approval. Some, however, say they want greater flexibility, and would leave the company if they don’t get it …

ZDNet reports.

A survey of 3,500 US workers commissioned by GoodHire, an employment screening service provider, found that more than two-thirds (68%) would choose remote working over working from an office — a sentiment that has been echoed thoroughly by white-collar workers who have enjoyed the freedom and flexibility of working from home during the pandemic.
So hesitant are employees to return to the office, in fact, that 61% of those surveyed said they would be willing to take a pay cut in exchange for being able to work from home permanently. Some even suggested they’d sacrifice up to 50% of their current wage to do so.
Most respondents weren’t willing to take such a big pay cut to carry on working from home: the most common response was a 10% reduction in salary […]

The findings suggest employers face a hard time persuading workers back to their desks after many have spent the past 18 months working remotely.

The survey found that continued remote working was more than a preference: a massive 45% of those surveyed would look for another job if forced to return to the office full-time. Some experts believe that the pandemic has created a permanent shift in the relationship between employers and employees.

While Apple is offering a mix of in-office and remote working, there have been employee complaints at the company’s stance. First, that the plan would have Apple dictate the days on which they work from home, rather than allowing flexibility. Second, some say that they are both happier and more productive working from home full-time, and that there is no benefit to the company in them returning to the office.

Additionally, some of those seeking WFH arrangements as a disability accommodation object to Apple requiring them to authorize access to confidential medical records.

The Cupertino company has so far been unyielding on the issue, though it has bought itself some time after twice delaying its planned return to the office, with the latest estimate now January 2022.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

 

[S.Y.A]

Work from home is the best option. reduced paperwork, no need to rent out/buy large spaces, no need to waste hours travelling to and from offices. and if one is pro-environment, WFH will massively reduce traffic and decrease emissions as a result. Factory and retail staff will still have to go to their respective places of work.

 

[Bouncer]

Go read this story of tech workers who secretly work multiple remote jobs

Read this interesting article on people working two jobs secretly. I personally know a guy who is doing this in Pakistan and making good money.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Remote work guru Nick Bloom thinks we'll never go back to the office full-time—but 'maintaining discipline is important'

“The most creative mode seems to be for individuals spending time both in groups and working alone.”

fortune.com

Remote work guru Nick Bloom thinks we’ll never go back to the office full-time—but ‘maintaining discipline is important’​

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Houston outranks NYC, LA for amount of empty office spaces possibly due to remote work, experts say

Working from home has its benefits, but could it have a negative impact on the local economy? Experts explain what could happen now that Houston is facing a top-ranking amount of empty office spaces.

abc13.com

Houston outranks NYC, LA for amount of empty office spaces possibly due to remote work, experts say​

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- You might think it's New York or Los Angeles, but Houston and Dallas actually have more empty offices than anywhere else in the country.

It's a problem that could get worse and impact us all. The National Association of Realtors said one in five offices are empty in Houston.

"I do see those, especially in the downtown area, with the vacancies," Kasi Vandha said.

"Some companies offer working from home," David Xu said. "There's less space right now."

When it comes to office vacancies, the NAR said Houston and Dallas are at the top, at nearly 20%.

The two Texas cities are ranked higher than San Francisco, 16%; Chicago, 15%; LA, 14%; and NYC, 12%.

"I'm a bit surprised by that," Juana Collins said. "I thought the percentage was lower for Houston than it was for some of the other cities."

Experts said it's because it's cheaper to build in Texas than in other states.

"Maybe they're anticipating faster job creation compared to the rest of the country," National Association of Realtors chief economist Lawrence Yun explained. "More people are moving into the region, and they want to be prepared for all these incoming people."

This means there's more supply with less demand. Experts said remote work is keeping people home.

"Retail, warehouses, apartments, the vacancy rate is falling, but in the office, it's still rising despite the job creation," Yun said.

Empty offices could impact us all because if developers can't pay back loans, it could trickle down to other items, according to Yun.

"Once the local community banks become a little wobbly financially because of the high office vacancy rate, then you are looking into the lending into other sectors may have to be restrained and hurting the local economy," Yun said.

Yun expects the occupancy rate to get worse with remote work. Because of this, he says don't be surprised if you see offices turned into apartments or schools as a way to remove lease signs.

 

[RoadRunner401]

There will be chage in the relationship between workers, employers and where they work.

"But", here in the UK, so many jobs are dependent on retail trade from the commuters(3-4million) that there is no way the UK goverment will allow a full time switch over to WFH.

People will head back to the offices - they have to - for the economy to recover - but it will be little less than before, for sure ...

The current norm will not be the new norm simply because of the economic cost and loss of jobs that will entail.

Not sure if thats possible anymore most office tower owners have been given permission by the governments to go ahead and convert these towers into residential condos...