Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston, Cambridge: recruiters, looking for, computer)

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by lrfox

No, but with one exception. I suspect I'm in the minority here, but I can't wait to get back into the office. I can effectively do most functions of my job remotely. However, my work product greatly benefits from face to face interactions, and that's one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. I'd be in favor of a few remote days per month; or better yet, the option to work remotely instead of taking a sick day in certain instances (which I sort of already have). But I wouldn't take the offer to work from home indefinitely, and I think most of my office would be on the same page. I almost definitely wouldn't move.

The exception would be flipping the cause/effect. I would consider indefinitely working from home if I had to move. For instance, my girlfriend works for an international law firm with offices in a number of U.S. cities and in several countries in Europe and Asia. So we've discussed potentially picking one we'd like to live in and moving there. It's relatively easy for her, because she can transfer. But I'd need to hunt for a job which is a lot of stress. The remote working piece would enable me to have more flexibility and retain employment until I find a new job. But I still wouldn't want to do my work remotely over the long haul.

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

I hate working from home and I resent the fact that now my house is a remote office. Socks life out of the place.

I agree to all of this, although there are occasional tasks where I might benefit from not having the regular work distractions going on. Give me one day a week at home to get caught up on those, past that is when I start losing my mind.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

I'd be interested in working in the office 2 or 3 days a week. I don't think long term I'd like working from home (though I probably will through the rest of the year) and there are still things I need to do at work but not necessarily from the office.

That's what i'm doing right now. I'm pretty much going into the office every other day, so i'm doing 3-2 days from home per week. It works for me and i'm able to be effective at home.

Long term...I could do this fine. I really don't want to go back to going into the office 5 days per week.

Now 5 days per week at home? Not a fan of that idea.

[Bridge781]

I love not having to commute in. I don’t miss the train, traffic or being around hundreds of people at all

I get the sense that people who like working remotely are looked at as lazier than the people who want to be in the office. That is part of the problem. Just because someone is working from home doesn’t mean they’re doing less work but because they haven’t used any effort to go to the office and home it’s like they’re doing less than someone who does trek in. That mindset is so silly and needs to go.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by Bridge781

I love not having to commute in. I don’t miss the train, traffic or being around hundreds of people at all

I get the sense that people who like working remotely are looked at as lazier than the people who want to be in the office. That is part of the problem. Just because someone is working from home doesn’t mean they’re doing less work but because they haven’t used any effort to go to the office and home it’s like they’re doing less than someone who does trek in. That mindset is so silly and needs to go.

Back when I commuted into Boston, I'm sure my response would have been much different. Don't miss those days at all.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by Bridge781

I love not having to commute in. I don’t miss the train, traffic or being around hundreds of people at all

I get the sense that people who like working remotely are looked at as lazier than the people who want to be in the office. That is part of the problem. Just because someone is working from home doesn’t mean they’re doing less work but because they haven’t used any effort to go to the office and home it’s like they’re doing less than someone who does trek in. That mindset is so silly and needs to go.

Really? All I've seen online is how people who like in-person contact with other people are unimaginative, unwilling to get with the times, and probably stupid and hate the environment.

I will say, my commute in my new area is much better than Boston, to be fair. I get 8 miles on a bus down the highway in about 20 minutes and the bus is usually half full anyway. Not 50 minutes to go 3 miles packed to the gills that I was doing in Boston.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by Bridge781

I love not having to commute in. I don’t miss the train, traffic or being around hundreds of people at all

My commute was a major time-suck. Was 55 min each way. Friday AM was a treat because it was 35 min.

Now, it's 18-20 min each way, and only 2-3 days a week. You have no idea what's that done for my mental happiness.



Traffic is picking up now. Yesterday was the first day I got out onto I-95 and thought people were crazy. Everyone going 80MPH, but the highway was densely filled with cars. People zipping around from lane to lane. It was a little extreme even for me.

Back in March the day after the shutdown started, I have a picture (from my dashcam) showing me on I-95 with not a car in front of me or behind me for as far as you could see up ahead. That was crazy.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by massnative71

I agree to all of this, although there are occasional tasks where I might benefit from not having the regular work distractions going on. Give me one day a week at home to get caught up on those, past that is when I start losing my mind.

I could get on board with that too. A day to hole up in the home office and run through emails and some of the more tedious tasks uninterrupted would be nice too. But generally, I want to be in the office.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by NewfieMama

Maybe this is more relevant for a real estate thread, but it is a direct result of Coronavirus, so I'll ask:

As we've talked about before, it seems that one of the results of us staying home for months on end is that businesses are embracing remote work.

If your company allowed you to work from home indefinitely, would you consider moving?

I already live 38 miles out from my office in Cambridge, in a quiet-ish small coastal city with pretty nature. So not sure if I'd really move further out, but my commute sucks, so I would love it if I could work from home indefinitely, or even just go in 2 days a week instead of my usual 4 as I did prior to the lockdown.

Our company has told us that they perceive "no critical business need" to rush us back into the office, so I think some changes are possible later on. For now, I think the working plan is to have most everyone back in the office by the end of the summer.

[justyouraveragetenant]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Earlier you mentioned that people have sometimes been disrespectful in response to some of your posts. This is why. It's pure, unadulterated far-right political propaganda (if they start using words like "RINO," there's your sign). You should be able to see and identify it as such. You cannot regurgitate this garbage and expect that people aren't going to respond negatively.

its ok to be disrespectful to people who you disagree with. gotcha! pretty scummy if you ask me.

[robr2]

My wife is expecting an alternating weekly schedule of 3 days office/2 days home one week and the opposite the next week.