commit 30990c6882ed73d9cb2b7a7481db6129968ad22b
parent ca97fd173aa58a83024518175051a4811440f3ad
Author: pyratebeard <root@pyratebeard.net>
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2022 23:32:13 +0000
wfh
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+I have been working in open plan office environments since leaving the Air Force in 2013. I have enjoyed some of my time in these environments, and I have not enjoyed some of my time.
+
+Over the years I came to realise that the elements I did not enjoy stayed the same with each new job and each new office. The noise levels. The unsolicited interruptions.Being dragged away from your desk into meetings that could have easily been an email, or more often than not should have easily been none of my concern email or otherwise.
+
+I don't treat a new job as a place to make friends and be involved in all the social events. I am not that social anyway. That is not to say I don't make friends at work, on the contary; I have made some very close friends, but that's because we clicked on a deeper level not just a superflous "we work together" level.
+
+A few years ago I realised that the things I didn't enjoy about the office environments far outweighed the small potential of making a new friend, and so I started to look into working from home or remote working. I knew it was something I wanted to try but finding a job which allowed remote working was not an easy task, in fact I was unable to succeed in this endeavour.
+
+As a contractor I have to rely on recruitment agencies to find positions, very few companies hire direct. I would always stipulate my desire to work remote but the answer was usually the same, "some work from home may be allowed at the employers discretion".
+
+I would ask about remote working potential in the interview, unsuprised when I was told it wasn't really done at compamy _X_.
+
+So I continued to commute. I didn't hate the hour long commute to and from the office, I would generally use that time to read or catch up on podcasts. Living and working in the city meant I would use public transport, and when there was any issue it had a knock on effect. It also meant having to be prepared for all weather as I live in a climate that can't decide whether it wants to rain a little bit or rain a lot in between random heatwaves or cold snaps.
+
+Then in early 2019 the whole world found out what working from home was really like.
+
+I had been at my job for two weeks when we got told to pack up and head home for a few weeks. I can't speak for every company but my work did an amazing job and getting people set up at home with equipment, and allowing some slack on getting use to the new way of working. We adapted fairly quickly though and I for one settled into my new environment, enjoying it while I could.
+
+Two years have gone by since I have stepped foot in an office. I never want to work in an office again. In last year I also became a father, which has given me a whole new love for being at home all day.
+
+* companies need to adapt
+* wfh/remote work should be normalised
+* offices still required
+* pay for commute time
