There are growing voices from the corporates to force people to go back to office 5 days a week, with NAB now taking action for full 5 days a week in the office for senior staff:
https://www.9news.com.au/national/nab-ceo-calls-end-of-flexi…
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/apr/25/time-to-go-…
Have you been asked to go back to work 5 days a week yet? Would you accept the request?
do you mind sharing your industry?
Male prostitute without many customers… only in twice
Outcalls are more expensive, so you don't need as many clients.
Or maybe male prostitute whose only given it twice this year, other times he was the taker?
They need to ask me for some tips (no pun intended).
Soz, we werent asking about your industry, but 87percents.
Maybe this will prove to be useful, can even filter by using industry:
Still completely optional for us but most people seem to want to voluntarily do 2-3 days a week in office nowadays. Especially on Wednesdays, can't even find a seat. Mondays are a ghost town as expected.
Only people who does not know how to do their job will be happy if all will be forced to go back to the office 🤣
office gossiper too
One of a few reasons why I avoided going into work. The floaters between departments sucking up gossip in one department and spewing it out at the other.
Can't stand them.
And the plagerisers. Hard to stick your name on someone else's work when they email it in and you can't claim to have "helped and supervised".
And al the managers who do nothing but get in their team's way.
No wonder productivity shot through the roof.
+1 No, but I was asked to go to work more days, but not 5 days a week. They asked people to go in 3 days a week. However they agreed an exception of 2 days / week for me since one of two teams I work in is offshore.
The problem for 2-3 days in office is, you ended up doing all meetings virtually anyway because some just won’t show up.
I think going in for social is great. Work can be done anywhere anyway.
We have weekly meetings where those in the office cram into a room with the rest zooming in.
Yes, I like catching up with people over lunch.
Work does have some functions on days I don't go in but I wouldn't go in just for the function - 1 hour travel time each way, canapes and drinks for a couple of hours and most people attending are people I have never met before.
We go in fortnightly, get nothing done thats normal work just focus on getting collab stuff done.Seems to work ok.
Im just glad we reduced our real estate footprint so they cant get everyone in even if they wanted to lol
Where is the option "My work told me to return to the office 5 days a week, I just laughed and said no, but kept my job"
I go in when I am required (a car that needs technical diagnostic work done), all other times I am only talking with suppliers, reps and other time sinks and I am ordering parts and other mundane tasks, shit I dont need to waste my time driving 10 mins to work and sit in their office to do.
Love it, but that's probably not a very common outcome
Nope, I’m pretty lucky. I don’t need the job and the boss can’t find replacements for the filter monkeys, let alone a diagnostic tech, so I think that is the reason I get a pass, and if anything urgent comes up, I’m not that far away.
Also, boss doesn’t want to install an EV charger (even though they have a 250kW solar system) and I said, if they want me there more often, I want free electricity!
whats a filter monkey?
10 min drive into work is living the dream.
Technically, it’s 8km… so, some days it’s faster than 10 mins. :D
My commute is about 15 to 20 minutes - with WFH, I save 30-40 mins a day, or 2.5 hours a week. For each fortnight, I save about a day. That's very attractive to me!
Wow you have incredibly short commutes compared to most of Australia's workforce.
In Sydney and Melbourne (who have about as many people as the other capitals combined) most commutes are 30 to 90 mins each way.
Work from home is obviously a lot bigger benefit for most of us, than it is for those of you lucky enough to have a very short commute (under 30mins).
I'll see your 10 minutes and raise you 3 minutes (2 km).
And become a target for the "15 minute city" conspiracy theorists". You'll never convince them that it is "living the dream" as you say. Even if some of those brainless idiots were employable, I'll bet most would hate having to commute to work for an hour or more every day.
It's interesting seeing a strawman constructed and destroyed that's almost completely unrelated to the conversation at hand, kudos.
That’s true. I drive 5 mins to work and I don’t care about WFH.
I feel sorry for the megalomaniacs that need their flock of sheep back in front of em .
Sometimes I think there is a more sinister spin on it….maybe they're forcing a return to the office expecting people to quit…this way they don't get bad publicity from lay-offs or have to pay severance.
I have no evidence this is the case, but it seems just evil enough to be plausible.
The released chats from the Twitter deal makers predicted exactly this—so you're not far off the mark.
megalomaniacsnarcissistssociopaths
FTFY
Where are the "I work in the Public Sector" Options, that might be interesting to compare.
I work in the Public Sector as IT contractor. I go to office 2 days per week.
Working as a contractor in a state government department they like us in 4 days out of 5.
I'm looking forward to moving on.
Same here, I work in the public sector. My substantive role requires onsite availability more often than not, so any WFH for that is purely ad-hoc, but now I'm working in projects so I have the ability to schedule a regular WFH day/days.
Looking for work and any job that says to go in 5 days i don't bother.
if it was good for them during covid it is good for them now.
its not like we have great roads and public transport.
Nowadays, any job that demands 5 days in office means they have one or more of the following:
99% #3
other thing is… current company i contract to i come into office, not one person says sfa to me, no one goes for coffee, rarely for lunch, and only person I deal with works in other office so i have to teams him anyway.
previous place to that same deal, sat in office on my own with one other woman who was a mute and had zero personaility.
so why do i have to f……. come to work when no one says shit
Might depend on your contact. Contractors are treated differently most of the time, because you are paid more and more competitive in skills (ideally lol). It is then up to you to break the ice, sometimes there are ice castles you need a hammer.
@frugalftw: trust me I have tried, I don't mind, but don't make me come to bloody work if there is a culture of 0 in the work place, and it serves sfa purpose.
who gives a shit who gets paid more. if a permie wont speak to a contractor because they get paid more that piss poor. i have no job security, sick pay, super, holiday etc and perpuatly going for job dealing with recuiters.
if a permie wants more money, quit your job and go contracting. there is nothing stopping them, its not that great especially when you get sick
@Donaldhump: The companies are probably dying because the perms are not happy (hence underperforming) to start with, so they had to engage contractors. Normal IT people would be interested in new faces, even the introverts, because the new face might be very good to co-op with, or have serious skills that they can learn from. Depressed people on the other hand, aren't. Maybe you want to filter for the happiness of the team for the next job. Maybe that would worth something in terms of less money paid. Saves for therapy money you'd have to pay for later, doesn't it 😜 Always ask to meet the team and see the desk you'd be sitting on. The vibe tells everything you need to know. Think of it as meeting a litter of puppies before you buy. If none of them are interested, you'd walk away. The ones who are overly affectionate are probably the most secure ones, potentially would fight you if you put them on a leash lol
Working with recruiters though… Avoid if you can.
@frugalftw: Maybe you want to filter for the happiness of the team for the next job
yeh thats possible in an interview where you meet two to three people.
Always ask to meet the team and see the desk you'd be sitting on
if someone asked me that and i was interviewing them I would say no.
i dont really care if people are social or not, but if a company is devoid of culture / talkers, don;t ask me to go in when it serves 0% advantage. Why you want me to go in when i go do my job at home.
anyway back to my response. if a job wants me in 5 days a week i just say no to being submitted.
every work place needs 5% talk / banter other wise it bores the tits out of me.
As a former GM, there's a lot to be said for "management by walking around" when you don't have the highest performing team. I'd learn as much about what was happening at customers that I needed to be across of not involved in from team mood & overheard conversations that they didn't think were worth escalating. Different experience gives you different perspective.
Fully remote works well when the team members can self organise/manage, but it's not for everyone.
That said, I now work remote & wouldn't go back to full time in an office. With our distributed team it makes no sense at all to commute to still be on video calls for part of the day, let alone the downgrades in desk, chair, PC, coffee, etc. In office collab is really useful for problem solving & planning, but I value the quiet for getting things knocked off.
What's the point of going in if you don't have to, and the work is getting done? Increases traffic, costs fuel, seems a bit silly really.
There is something to be said for in-person interactions with people you work with.
Only if you’re a socially awkward gremlin. If you’re a normally adjusted person you’re fine to just WFH full time.
Hard disagree - the interactions are not even close to the same experience.
@whatgift: Ironically, there is less conversation at my work when people are in the office than when they're WFH.
Gollum! Gollum!
Are you from a non it background (software industry) that gotten into wfh thanks to covid?
I'm not in IT, and I can't work from home doing what I do. I just can't understand the rationale to stop people doing it, who can.
I just can't understand the rationale to stop people doing it, who can
It's not really about stopping people from doing it, I think it's the mindset of the people after covid in general.
I'm in software industry and we've had wfh long before covid based on different things (individual's needs, how it fits the team's collaboration, etc) which was very good and effective system in place. But I find that post covid most of the folks that had to wfh during, has taken it for granted and are talking about it with an 'entitled' mindset. I actually go to work 2 days a week voluntarily as I find it's good for a chance and productivity with less people around at office can be good in a way. Commuting on metro in vic is absolute nightmare though, but going in bit early can sometimes help save time :)
I have a long commute, my co-workers are spread all over globally so I only see one or two colleagues I actually work with.
Some of our staff have moved up the coast, one to France, and we attract great staff from all over Australia and New Zealand not just where our office is.
I kinda hope the big companies push for more of this so we can recruit their best and brightest who don't want to commute.
I am a little sympathetic to small businesses in the CBD, but a cursory look around Sydney shows they adapted years ago, and have been replaced or changed course.
I am much more sympathetic to my local businesses who donate to the local school, employ my kids and who don't deserve to lose my custom to prop up an inefficient and wasteful old arrangement of commuting.
Sydney streets are sufficiently packed. i don't know how we managed to walk down George Street before they shut the road down and widened the footpath. even with the extra path it's still painful to walk in peak periods!
i don't mind going in once or twice a week, or for specific meetings/ workshops etc but i literally sit on my computer all day. it's just useless.
plus, i use pods at work and byo lunch so i won't supporting nothing but public transport system and our landlord
Work from home yes more for me.
3 days in office, 2 days at home. Works well.
RDO day 5?
I haven't seen a colleague or manager in real life for the last 4 years. Also haven't been in an office for these years. Before that, I worked 14 years from home with only 5 or 6 office days per year. Business: Global and remote IT support.
I just can't go to an office anymore. The travel, the people around me, socializing, getting dressed, having a shower and brekky before work and not at/during work, doing chores and running errands during breaks or quiet times etc. Also, my cat will be lonely. (edit: typos)
i bet you are down to two showers a week now
Log in, wave "hello" to everyone, and go for brekky and a shower :-)
The company is even closing offices as nobody goes there anymore so WfH is going to stay.
Once a week whether he needs it or not.
So more than a Reddit mod. Impressive
There are whispers that we might go to 3 days a week in the office, currently only 2. Not keen to go more, only 1 day in the office would be preferred.
Time to convert those office blocks into affordable apartments. More people living in the CBD will support those small business/cafes that everyone, pushing for a return to the office, keeps mentioning.
I've never understood the attraction to living in the city.. would much rather an acre or 2 of my own space, but that never really came about in the end.
On one hand, I'd love an acre or two because it'd be neat. I could have a garden and a dog.
On the other, I'd love to not have to own a car to get to/from work/groceries/social activities I partake in, all of which take place in the City area, to live in an actual walkable environment which CBD living would provide.
I can see both sides, but neither are both cheap and reasonably convenient.
pubs, restaurants, bars, music, bands, theatre, festivals, events, art, friends, people, socialising
People that enjoy city amenities should live in high density housing, people that don't go out to restaurants, bars, activities, shopping as a hobby, etc, most certainly should go stake out a half acre somewhere rural.
I do understand why we have ever-shrinking suburban lots though, nobody rightfully wants to deal with stratas - people want to actually own their home - which is incompatible with high density.
the attraction to living in the city
Ultimately, it's for work and because the city is generally cheaper.
It's great when you're young. Walk home from bars because your liver can handle a night out. Take public transit because you don't have kids or really have to be on time. Don't own a lot of stuff.
I would never live downtown now, but it was awesome when I was 18-25.
This is by far the best idea.
Imagine a vibrant 24/7 CBD with lifestyle things people want to be a part of.
Much better than crowded weekdays and empty evening and weekend.
You mean like Harlem?
More like Haymarket in Sydney
I don't mind going in and talking/interacting/perving and having fun with the people i work with… I can do few days from home if I want, last few months apart from 2 interstate trips I've been doing 4 in office… Wednesdays at home.
the management on the other hand are shitful. thankfully most "decision ruiners" are interstate.
Yes, I work from the office voluntarily because it's close (walking distance), more productive, and has a better working setup.
Similar boat. My commute is 45-50m each way but I go in the office 4-5 days a week, so much more productive for me personally and I enjoy interacting with other people also in the office.
Also work from the office voluntarily 5 days a week, it's not close, but I enjoy the cycling to work (16km ~35mins).
Definitely more productive (too much distraction at home). Best of all, free aircon, coffee, snacks and food at office.
You smash that 16km out much faster than I would. I actually do bike the 1.5km to the office more often than I walk :D
lots of hype here… NAB boss says 'senior leaders' need to go back 5 days a week, but 2-3 for everyone else.
given that the bulk of people fit into 'everyone else', this really is over-hyped, and hence the reason results are speaking for themselves.
They start with the seniors so they appear as a role model for when it roles out to everyone else they can say 'well they are doing it'
Unfortunately, you get a lot of managers with the attitude that (for the record, I don't agree with!)… "if I have to do it, then you should too!".
Also nab is the small business lending bank.
They can’t be seen to be promoting wfh. How will all the cafes and other small businesses in the city survive otherwise..
By moving to the suburbs..
what do you think the senior leaders are going to do in 3-6 months? they are going to have everyone coming back…. i would hate to go back to the norm pre covid…. no point being in the office 5 days a week
i have always wfh even before covid, no change for me
Same, since 2018. I did travel for 3 months at a time though before the pandemic, now my whole team works from home.
Our company has already subleased our office. There's nothing to go back to.
Better to suck on the commuter teat?
I confess I'm not clear on what the milk is in that simile.
You need to latch on to find out
I know a few people that get away doing (profanity) all while WFH, but i remember 5 years ago those same people getting away with doing (profanity) all in the office, so no change really.
OzBargain's resident edgelord masochist checking in.
With this skill shortage removing WFH will be suicide.
Shortage ending soon, I'm afraid
Hmm - or is WFH creating the skills shortage?
Universities run much better face to face. Training and mentoring new staff also works better face to face in my experience.
Haven’t been asked to go back. I’ve been in twice this year