I did a little reading on this board and I see that in light of the recent “telecommuting situation”, a lot of folks are speaking ill about the people that work from home, labeling them as privileged, lazy, clueless, or even spoiled. I couldn't disagree more, and frankly, it also pisses me off. WFH is not a new thing. It came with the arrival of technology and worked for the benefit for the company as well as the worker. The worker got to create its own schedule and was spared the expenses of commuting to the office, but the company also benefited from having a worker that doesn't spend the company's resources at a certain location. Not everybody is cut out to WFH, given that a lot of folks fail to self-impose the work discipline on themselves. Sure, some folks use the situation where there is no one physically controlling them to skip work or work at a slower pace, but the fact is that a lot of us do those same things at the office. We all know that this situation doesn’t have a lot to do with the actual work performance of telecommuters, but is rather a part of a larger scam with the goal to cut costs. So it would be good if we stopped speaking ill about our colleagues cause we are all in the same pot. Today it’s telecommuters, tomorrow it could be you.
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Collaboration is a big hoax....If so concerned with collaboration then why hire Developers and Engineers who work in India?? There is no in office collaboration as we communicate via conference calls which we all know from experience does not work very well. It is like the game telephone we played as children....Our India partners are available generally speaking to 12:00PM CST....Our Developers in India are MIA after 3:00PM CST....Who can collaborate when AT&T is hiring and placing our SE's and Developers in India?......
I would go into the office. But I'm a huge ray cyst that cant compete for my job against motivated Indians. I am also more productive when everyone leaves me alone to work instead of bugging me with questions. The more work I get done, the more impact I have on the stock price. Just look at the 20% change I drive this year!
Back in reality, keep in mind that what got us to this low point of company performance will not dog us out. Something has to change. The out of touch work from home employees need to come back into the office and commiserate with the rest of us so we can start fixing the company.
@1bfg P--p on the floor, that's what the India people do LOL
I’m not privelaged. But if they make me come in after being WFH.......I’ll gladly walk straight to the restroom....drop a huge revenge dump with extra corn and peanuts! That’s right, I’ll drop a double duece in the top tank and then give my notice- in the office!
I would gladly go into the office M-F if there were ANY hot men up in this place.
I WFH a couple days a week and go into the office the others. Guess what? I’m still on conference calls all day either way. Do I get more done at home or in the office? At home. Less distractions and I can work later.
If they change us to 100% in the office, I will put in less hours not because I’m a prick, but because I know I need to get home at a decent time. Whereas, now, on days I know I need to stay late for a call, I WFH. It’s just easier.
@les: Do you still pay bank account fees in 2019? You're getting ripped off.
Banks are open on Saturday to solve a real problem: a subset of their customers work all week and the bank still wants their business, so they accommodate them.
What is the legitimate problem that eliminating WFH is solving?
Yes you deposit your money and the bank makes money off that. Plus any fees associated with credit, debit or savings accounts.
Did we think banks are just really nice people doing you a favor?
@kyo - you pay your bank money? LOL because I sure don't. They house my money and I can remove it whenever I want. And find me a bank open on Saturday. You're missing the entire point of this discussion.
“It would be like your bank saying that you no longer have the ability to manage your money online because they want to get to know their customers in person. As a bonus, maybe customers will see other customers getting loans and be inspired to get loans of their own!“
Actually no. The bank works for you. You pay them money. So really asking the bank to be open on Saturday because it’s what you need is the same as the company saying you have to come to the office.
Saturday work is inconvenient for the bank teller but they want to get paid so there they are working.
All this commotion about teleworkers but how about those who are FTO but don’t go in. Rather I see posts on social media out with their kids, out drinking at happy hour or on a golf course (all during work hours), etc. And no their names aren’t Randy, John D., John S., or John S. And they didn’t take a V day or PTO either. They “stay in touch” while out goofing off via a COU. Why doesn’t HR repremend those individuals? Are they not paying attention to social media posts by employees during work hours? Just another group of individuals who cheat the system and get away with it.
McDonalds’s...I’m loving it!
At the moment, I am home based flexworker. The only difference between the office & home for me is the availablity of telepresence. Since that requires scheduling, when I need to use that technology I gladly go the office. I’m located near a satellite collab. zone. Going to the office every day would not help my situation if the current rumors are correct. if I lived near a collab zone, I would put up with whatever I had to related to going to the office until this blows over.
3 times as much? I'm calling b---s--- on that. Please do share the name of that company.
I used to work from home at AT&T and they laid me off. So, I found a new job that pays 3 times as much and encourages working from home because most companies aren't as stupid as AT&T.
There will be no "top performers" in the office because they will all be gone. And those left, stuck miserable at a desk won't care. No one cares now.
@waa: The company can do whatever they want, but that was not the discussion for this post.
It's not that it's an inconvenience to go to an office, it's that it's nonsensical AND unneeded AND an inconvenience.
It would be like your bank saying that you no longer have the ability to manage your money online because they want to get to know their customers in person. As a bonus, maybe customers will see other customers getting loans and be inspired to get loans of their own!
Now it’s not just read comprehension that’s hard it’s also sarcasm we have trouble comprehending.
Here is the fast easy answer.
The company does not care that you live in a town with tons of traffic or no traffic. The company doesn’t care that it’s “easier “ on you to work from home. The company that pays you says you will work in an office. And guess what you will work in an office.
The only reason any WFH people are this upset is because it’s an inconvenience for you. If you are as amazing as you say your appraisal are you will still be amazing in the office. If you aren’t that amazing then the entire office will see that.
At least when I work from home I am not subject to foul smells, germ infested desks/chairs, people sneezing & blowing their nose in my face, temperatures poorly regulated & a noise level of a United Nations meeting. No one p--ps on my floors and we shower & wear clean clothes here.
And I get more work done!
@rdz: The logic keeps changing. First, we hear that removing WFH is meant to force telecommuters into leaving of their own accord. Now, it's meant to get the better-performing employees back into the office so their behaviors can rub off on the lower-performers? How can that goal be realized in a way that benefits the company if forcing them back into the office causes them to leave altogether, potentially finding employment with a competitor? Why aren't the low performers being managed properly in the first place? Not only are you now stuck with those low performers, but you have also lost your top performers. Does that sound like a winning strategy to you?
T Plans in 3 years cycles, WFH was the lure, the shiny object, those that used to work in an office and switch,FAILED themselves...... just as How To Fish With A Lure
In reference to “reading comprehension is hard”...
The WFH “advantage “ is in the favor of the WFH employee.
I’m sure every person who has a job would love to be able to do it from their couch with ESPN on in the background. But that’s not real life. It’s been stated that the WFH employees are “ exceeds” employees so the company loses nothing by having you work in the office. Perhaps you tremendous work ethic will rub off on the less ambitious employees. You returning to an office can only help the company improve. You have so much to teach the rest of the underprivileged slaving away at a desk.
Welcome back!
@unk: Reading comprehension is hard. WFH is treated as a privilege within AT&T, but it should not be. If it's such an 'advantage' in your own words, why is it being revoked rather than promoted? It seems to me you are content with an 'us' versus 'them' mentality about this.
I have been a full time telecommuter for nearly 10 years. In that time I have never received less than a "far excerds" on my annual review and have no less tha 4 key contributor awards.
I have telecommuter from home, from Hawaii, from France. As long as I am willing to adjust my schedule to align with those I collaborate with - and they are in every timezone in the US and Europe) I can work very effectively. Going into an office to do so is pointless, because of the geo diversity of my team and my management. Opponents of telework seem to have this preset notion of collaboration that often simply does not reflect the real business environment.
Wrong....WFH is a privilege! That’s why it has to be requested and approved. That’s why they can stop it and the company will continue to keep the doors open.
If it weren’t such a privilege and advantage to those using it there would be no argument here. Driving to work is a necessary evil for the majority of the company. Enjoy the fact you were able to WFH the time you did, but understand you were ALLOWED to do that.
OP - Perfectly stated. Can you please explain this to someone at HR who covers ATO!!
No, seriously. Try using paragraphs. It will only strengthen your message.
@rry: It's 10 sentences. if that's too much for you to consume, go back to Twitter.
@hae: It makes you wonder if they have any metrics whatsoever to back these decisions up. Are they actually finding that in-office employees are serendipitously coming up with great ideas and solutions just by way of being located in proximity to each other?
This is so well said OP:
Today it’s telecommuters, tomorrow it could be you.
I have been saying the same thing for years. Labeling WFH a privilege only serves to create rifts in the workforce through misperceived inequality. Imagine calling the ability to work from an office a privilege. How ridiculous it would sound. You have your workplace. I have my workplace. Unless your position requires physical presence, we all have collaboration tools to work effectively together regardless of location. Hell, even when my entire team was located on the same floor of the same office, we would Q or NetMeeting or call anyway because it was more productive to sit at our own PCs.
Try using paragraphs. It will change your life!
Spot on!