02-11-2025, 10:31 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-11-2025, 10:55 AM by danbrotherston.)
(02-10-2025, 10:45 PM)tomh009 Wrote:(02-10-2025, 08:27 PM)neonjoe Wrote: I manage a small team that is completely remote, our overall objective productivity is marginally better than when we were at the office. Morale is a lot better and we do find flexibility for the members with kids increased their morale and decreased time away or off when they have an appointment/illness.
You can give people that flexibility even if you are in the office or hybrid, too. Our company never had a problem with people flexing their time to go to appointments. In the post-COVID world, we even encourage people to work from home if they are showing symptoms of flu (or similar illness). I think that flexibility to deal with sick kids, plumber visits or Amazon deliveries makes a big difference to work satisfaction, no matter what model the company is utilizing.
But, I agree that much depends on the team in any case.
You cannot, by definition, give this flexibility to people who are "in the office" where "in the office" means you are required to be in the office during working hours. Even if you relax it to be "in the office during working hours when not otherwise completing an appointment". Most people have a non-trivial commute, picking my kid up from school and stay with her at home is not something I can do when I am 45 minutes away and expected to be in the office. Same for any appointments I might have in the city. Yes, in theory I can go to the office in the morning, come home at lunch and then go to my dentist appointment, then go back to the office after, and then work till 10 PM because I've spent almost 4 hours of my day travelling just because some manager believes that my physical presence in a building is somehow materially important to me typing code into a computer.
Yes, when I had a commute that was a 5 minute walk, I would do those things from work, but that isn't the case for most people...especially most people with kids.
And as to Kodra's point about workers acting badly...nothing would give me more motivation to fuck off and do the minimum possible than being treated in that way. Yes, I am biased...very strongly...against that kind of BS.