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My company canceled all trip to affected regions, and is imposing a 2-week quarantine for anyone who did recently travel where they can't come into office and should WFH.
I have been slowing increasing my WFH time. I'm actually home right now. On the days I do go into the office, I can tell traffic is much lighter. I imagine many people are doing the same.
That's all a bit simplistic, though. Office workers aren't the only people at risk or who work around many people, and even if service workers and other people who can't work from home got paid to take time off of work, that many people staying out of the workplace could be damaging to society and business. If all of the cashiers and food service workers don't go to work to avoid sick people, where does that leave retail and restaurants? What happens to transit if bus drivers and flight attendents stay home?
I think the big thing will be that those who can work remotely should in impacted areas. There's just no need to add additional risk where it isn't necessary.
My hope is that businesses realize the benefits of technology and WFH for many roles and this becomes "sticky".
I had a prior employer reduce WFH (likely as a way to increase voluntary attrition) and it did nothing to add productivity.
Between broadband, videoconferencing, email, instant messaging, etc. there is little that a disciplined worker can't do from home that requires going to the office every day.
My hope is that businesses realize the benefits of technology and WFH for many roles and this becomes "sticky".
I had a prior employer reduce WFH (likely as a way to increase voluntary attrition) and it did nothing to add productivity.
Between broadband, videoconferencing, email, instant messaging, etc. there is little that a disciplined worker can't do from home that requires going to the office every day.
The purpose of working from office:
- employee surveillance (they walk by and look at your screen).
- "collaboration", when employees in a Starbucks style common area chit chat all day and teamwork the job to be done. It's a myth, but there are many believers. Corporate social utopia requires crowded spaces.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I cannot respond to the poll because there is no suitable option. I have already been working from home at times, such as snow days, or if I have an appointment near home in the middle of the day (as happened yesterday). There are a large percentage of IT people that work from home all the time, in the interest of reducing commute trips. There has been no change since the virus, though I expect people that are known to have been exposed to work from home for a few weeks even if they didn't before. For meetings, we have found that products like Skype and Webex can be problematic, a lot of time wasted getting it working.
My husband and son work in the construction trade. Most of the time, they are the only two working in a newly constructed house. So while they can't work at home, obviously, I think they're about as safe as they can be. Unless another contractor (a painter, a cabinet installer, etc or the homeowner is in the new (not ready to be lived in) home hacking and sneezing all over everything, they are really only at risk of getting sick when they go to lunch (since they typically will buy a sandwich at a convenience store or sometimes something at a grocery store).
We have had one positive diagnosis (meaning one hospitalized individual who was tested despite not having traveled to China/Italy/Iran) in our county, so it's in the community.
I cannot respond to the poll because there is no suitable option. I have already been working from home at times, such as snow days, or if I have an appointment near home in the middle of the day (as happened yesterday). There are a large percentage of IT people that work from home all the time, in the interest of reducing commute trips. There has been no change since the virus, though I expect people that are known to have been exposed to work from home for a few weeks even if they didn't before. For meetings, we have found that products like Skype and Webex can be problematic, a lot of time wasted getting it working.
Grocery delivery is easier than ever. I can order groceries on my phone and they're on my doorstep in a couple hours. And why would someone need to do their laundry? I don't need to leave home to do my laundry.
Sigh.... do you realize how many people have touched your grocery delivery box? Did they wash their hands? You wouldn't know.
Many people in apartments or poor people do use public laundry facilities and laundromat. So there.
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do you realize how many people have touched your grocery delivery box? Did they wash their hands? You wouldn't know. 
