Several people I talked to said they'd be willing to quit if they are required to return to the office full time. Why is that suddenly such a big issue? It's not something new and inconvenient they're implementing, it's just a return to normal. How do you get to a point where you're willing to quit over that?
11 replies (most recent on top)
To the poster that referred to the big chief:
Is that the same big chief that:
1) let’s buy the Conoco campus call it Centennial Park and COLLABORATE closely together —> no, scratch that, let’s have 2 HQs one in the Woodland one in GWP
2) Let’s divest North Africa, no stop, let’s make it a core.
3) We’re all about dividend, hold up let’s double in size.
4) Our balance sheet is sacrosanct, then again debt is king.
5) We must all be in the office, no wait…. Let’s all work from home.
To quote my dear friend Korg: “the only thing around here that DOES make sense is that NOTHING MAKES SENSE”
“ … and right now that is at least 3 days at the office.”
It’s fine that you feel that way. Hopefully you wind up in an organization that fits your values and beliefs (Oxy or otherwise) and I end up working from home 5 days a week (Oxy or otherwise). This is directly to the point of the question posed in the original post.
You must have missed the speech by the big chief a few years back. The theme was If you aren’t engaged with the process of change then get out. The change wasn’t related to work from home and never will be. It is all about being engaged with the company and right now that is at least 3 days at the office.
Ok - to the person who said "if your job doesn't require more physical people interaction then it isn’t a job worth doing and you really should be terminated to reduce costs." you need to pay attention. You really are not getting it - not everyone needs to be in the office to work. Some people are confident, self-motivated individuals who don't need affirmation from others to do their job. I really think this is an extrovert not understanding that not everyone works the same or has the same motivations. We get it extraverts need to be around people to be happy so they make excuses as to why being in the office is important to justify their wants. Don't expect everyone to be like you and think like you.
I think the flaw in your question is the “return to normal” bit. In those words is a big assumption, steady state. All of technical folks understand nothing is steady state even though it’s an assumption we make all the time to simply quantitative problems. Societal norms like physical properties are also always changing. Some change is slow, some catalyzed into quantum change. We are in a new “normal”. It has been proven over the last year and a half or so that we can perform our duties and be productive in a wfh environment. In addition to that, there is risk associated with returning to working in an office. Because of those two reasons SOME people believe they may be able to find work with another organization that maintains their ability to work from home. Full stop, simple as that.
I agree let us work from home. People are also quitting in record numbers because they have decided their mental health is more important than working themselves to death. The people commenting against it below are clearly old timers that don’t like that the world is changing without them.
One day at work is not enough. If your job doesn’t require more physical people interaction then it isn’t a job worth doing and you really should be terminated to reduce costs. Who needs your types that are not engaged. I repeat, you are not engaged. Go away.
@wth+1chFJ7wJ described it well. The one thing that person didn’t mention that only furthers the point is that WE HAVE RUN THE COMPANY FROM HOME FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. Why can’t that continue? 1 day in the office a week would be plenty to get in-person matters done. That would be a true balance.
Big tech is cutting salaries for those that want to work from home. I say if a person has to be home working 5 days then they should take a pay cut. The only exception would be the people with a true medical condition for themselves, a spouse, or dependent child or elderly they are responsible for. If it is just because one likes working from home then give up something and benefit the company. No one working at home can't be replaced, and that goes all the way to the top.
Why don’t you people just grow up or get out of the adult world decision making. I hate to be so blunt but you can’t possibly relate to the cash flow that is required to raise a family of 2 kids and support a non-working spouse unless you are living it. It is literally like running a small business. The best way to be successful at this role and still have a nice retirement is to be right in the middle of people in the physical world. The only way to do this is at the office. You do what you have to do to support the family and yourself even if it requires a commute and long hours at the office. Now if you don’t like it then don’t work for major industrial corporations. There are plenty of people who would take your job for less money. Just quit and see what other job you can find as a quitter.
I think the world has changed and people realized life is too short to work in an office 50 hours a week + sit in 5 hours a traffic on top of that weekly. People are willing to put in the hours, but they want to do so around their family and pets (in my case) where they are free to get their work done without the butts in seats rule that has plagued corporate America for too long. Did you know in Germany, German companies require employees to take six (6) weeks of mandatory vacation each year. In Iceland, companies only do a four (4) day work week. Needless to say, these countries have happier, more productive workers with less turnover. Their experiment works better than America's old way of doing things which is work yourself to death and maybe enjoy 10 years in retirement if you are lucky.