[sgm]

So many things have been told and they are true based on the situations. The pros and cons depends on the kind of work, company trust levels, employee dedication and there is no one size fits all.

My wife prefers WFH as it gives her more flexibility but I find it difficult to close my work if there is more work load but if I'm done with my work, I switch off faster. I work in a team where we have lot of Hardware setup and labs, so we can't manage with WFH alone. There are times when WFH is perfect but there are days when we have to be in office to change the Hardware setups, debug with co-workers on the real HW setups etc are needed. To be frank, I really miss my commute to office and I feel pity for all the cars at home just lying idle. I feel this "new normal" is going to bring down the traffic situation considerably for a long time till things are back to the "old normal", so enjoy driving/riding to office till then, once the lock down is over

I'm glad that I still have a job, considering how things are turning out bad each and every day and especially in informal sector. IT is just starting to see the effects. My wife works on the IT side of a global automotive giant and contract employees losing jobs in the first round.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com...le31469793.ece

[DigitalOne]

Originally Posted by Samurai

your neighborhood co-working building is certified to be a secure cubicle provider that meets TCS standards.

Some companies (and their clients) are (rightfully) paranoid about "physical" security aspects like other company employees looking over the shoulder, unlocked laptops, loose printouts etc.

So companies may not prefer shared co-working spaces but yes a TCS office in every district housing a couple hundred employees is a definite possibility and makes a lot of sense. Assured network connection is all the company has to ensure and employees will still jump at this.

[ObsessedByFIAT]

Every coin has two sides! As much as I love being in the office and I am thoughtful of the ancillaries and dependent businesses / people on IT sector, I would love more companies to pick up WFH culture. Reasons as as follows :

1. Big chunk of single occupant cars will go off the road. Less congestion, less pollution, lesser stress and road rage etc.

2. Since we will be in safety of our homes, I believe, it will cause a reduction in crime. Mainly against the females.

3. We will be able to save an average of around 2 to 2.5 hours daily which otherwise be spent in nursing fuel in chock-a-block traffic. This time can be used for a variety of different purposes. For me it will be to groom my passion further or invest in some hobby.

4. A lot of companies still feel that their data is not secure in hands of an employee from a third world country. This perception needs to change.

There are many more reasons like, getting more time with your loved ones, being more active socially etc.

Just my two cents worth.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by ObsessedByFIAT

2. Since we will be in safety of our homes, I believe, it will cause a reduction in crime. Mainly against the females.

As it turns out, homes are worse.

At least 15m more cases of domestic violence are predicted around the world this year as a result of pandemic restrictions, according to new data that paints a bleak picture of life for women over the next decade.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-d...wn-coronavirus

https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/...ce-child-abuse

https://www.economist.com/graphic-de...irus-lockdowns

https://www.theguardian.com/global-d...estic-violence

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Those who can get it done - should really do it! All of it is not too costly in the long run. Remember - most people will save 3 to 4 hours of travel every day. I'd spend some money today, to have a 27 hour day. Anyday!

Definitely. It is worth spending this money for the gains we get. However, not everyone will have a residence where they can accommodate a home office. Especially bachelors living in shared accommodation . The power backup and consistent internet connectivity are often out of control though.

Well as far as the noise on call goes - it doesn't need a 2BHK apartment. All it takes is a good quality passive noise canceling headset with 2 mics. Less than INR 1000 generally - the company itself can procure in large volume and hand it over along with the laptop as standard kit. Many companies already do this. As long as the couple doesn't mind each other being around - it will be manageable.

The issue is not just with the noise and cross talk. That was one aspect. Main aspect is comfort in the available space.Unless you have a big room which has sufficient space for two medium sized tables which can hold a laptop and an additional monitor with external keyboard and mouse and a comfortable chair, it is difficult squeeze for 2 people in a normal ~120 sq ft room which is the norm in most 1BHK house. That is the reason why i mentioned 2 BHK

This we all are facing indeed. But remember - we are talking about a scenario of WFH after lockdown lifts. The house helps, maids / cooks - will be coming back then - whenever we feel comfortable i.e. If we are okay to go to office some day, we'll be okay to have our regular house help back too then. That will take care of a lot of errands to free up time for us to work & have family time with the kids!

Yes, things would be better in this aspect

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

As it turns out, homes are worse.



https://www.theguardian.com/global-d...wn-coronavirus

https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/...ce-child-abuse

https://www.economist.com/graphic-de...irus-lockdowns

https://www.theguardian.com/global-d...estic-violence

This is only an effect of Lockdown. Once the lockdown is lifted, respective spouses will have plenty to deal with the outside world. I think this is a very interesting proposition and could change the work culture.

A simple back of the envelope calculation shows that someone spending 3 hours per day on commute , if required to stay 75% at home , can save 24 person-days of effort every year. This will make our cities liveable and breathable. In fact, this could be a major long-term sustainability index.
Suddenly the upcoming Metro projects in cities may seem redundant.

[Latheesh]

This is how future looks like for some - US customer awards project to the US service provider who outsource it to Bangalore based company, executed by migrant IT workers from a vendor company on contract basis working from home.

Bangalore will become pensioners paradise again.

[dearchichi]

Could those who have bought real estate (apartments, villas, plots etc.) close to workplaces so they could cut down on commutes comment on such purchases, now that we have been forced to adopt a WFH routine however temporary? Do these now appear unattractive and overpriced compared to options that a maturing WFH culture might provide, or would they hold their value in the coming years? Do they appear as attractive to prospective homeowners?

[rajushank84]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Then you could be working from Sringeri as a TCS employee. Just by inserting your TCS provided secure digital ID (USB), the secure cubicle will provision your personal work environment from the cloud in minutes.

I am sure the future will look something like this. Along with it,
- Personal ownership of vehicles and manual driving will be banned on public roads, it will be a sport for the rich; transportation will be centralized and comprise of mostly self-driven vehicles.
- Community living will grow in place of traditional family-per-household. Already we have seen the huge houses our grandparents had, transition into multistoreys. As society evolves, perhaps beyond the traditional marriage system, I don't see why we wouldn't see effeciencies in things like say, cooking in one kitchen instead of 20 households doing 20 times the amount of work to cook a meal.
- Such community living and support, especially if one is open to volunteering beyond one's need to work, will eliminate the need for companionship as we know it, and question the idea of a "life partner". Growing of the species will naturally slow down (as nature always slows things down beyond a point), and the idea that everyone needs to reproduce will come up to question, in the mainstream. The family system as we know it may fall apart.
- With more machines doing work and more energy sources tapped, man would be able to indulge time in art, inward growth and such things. We will likely see a spiritual renaissance, and vegetarianism could become the norm. At the same time, we could also see a growth in drugs and depression, the flip side of the reward of a man being alone with time to spare.
- Friendship, love, values, morals, idea of reality, ponderings of the beyond, will also look quite different than what they seem now.

[subuiyer]

Originally Posted by ashokrajagopal

I am actually surprised not many people are going into the economic angle of this....

This is the angle those with P&L responsibilities will tend to watch. If WFH as (against shared workspaces) becomes BAU for large percentage of workforce. Many fixed cost headers will turn lower.

Costs that can reduce:

• Group insurance premia
• Travel cost - easily 5-10% of many project costs
• Shift to BYOD - IT capital costs
• Other obvious ones that have already been mentioned such as office rentals, power, facilities costs, etc.
• Reimbursement for connectivity costs tend to be nominal hovering around tax limits

There will be increase in some obvious areas such as IT support and security.

However, there will be rise in hidden costs. Ones with greatest impact on productivity I can think of are:

• Drop in learning opportunities - in India where large part of working population is younger/less experienced working remotely robs them of the opportunities to watch and learn - primary learning mode for humans. A 45-min interaction with say skip level over team lunch is known to have far greater impact than a day long leadership training. Also the benefit of turning around your chair and interacting with your coworker is generally underestimated - no amount of video call can mimic that.
• Workforce morale - while may rise in the ultra short term, is likely to dip as personal connects/relationships will be far and few. Imagine losing our bus/chai/lunch groups most of us have at work. Businesses and careers are built on relationships - no two words about it.

[DudeWithaFiat]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Especially bachelors living in shared accommodation . The power backup and consistent internet connectivity are often out of control though.

• I saw one more post talking about how bachelors living in shared accommodation would find it difficult, but wouldn't the number of bachelors living in shared accommodation come down drastically by a huge % if WFH becomes a norm? (Since most bachelors stay in shared accommodation in cities do that because of the location of their offices).

• I also feel that that the internet service providers will realize how dependence on internet up-time will increase and find a new market for them with newer, better (read more expensive, but reliable) plans for folks who WFH. Also, with a few months of money that you save on fuel and outside tea, one can get a inverter to work-around power problems.

• I also saw posts about how WFH will make it 24h worktime. That is a company-culture/people problem, not a WFH problem. If you are unable to schedule a fixed work-time, then its a time-management problem.

• From talking to others, I have also felt that most people compare a long-term WFH with the once-a-while WFH they avail now. If WFH becomes a norm, then lots of things including our attitude towards WFH or work is going to change.

• We received an email from the HR about sending our WFH pics for a WFH attire competition and jokes about "if you really work when you WFH" . Of all people, I think company HRs should understand that if someone can afford not to work when they WFH for long-term and go un-noticed, it probably means they are not doing their work even when are physically present at office.

My opinion is that companies should give an employee the option to choose between office or WFH. People like me find it more productive when WFH, but I also know of people who are less productive when WFH. Let the employees choose what works for them.

[whitewing]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

Bangalore will become pensioners paradise again.

Ah! how I wish it turns true. Needing to pull out the woolen in winter and being able to go from Hebbal to Jayanagar in half an hour.

[saion666]

I, for one ,will love to go back to office. We have a survey on employee satisfaction every year and my answer to the question 'what you most like about your org' has been 'the huge campuses' for the last 10+years.
I believe my productivity and zeal to work has gone down considerably with this WFH in place. Also people are simply scheduling calls at odd hours expecting to join. The definition of the term 'office hours' has been blurred.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by saion666

Also people are simply scheduling calls at odd hours expecting to join. The definition of the term 'office hours' has been blurred.

Different companies have different cultures and the client-company dynamic applies in service companies. But from personal experience, this is something that can be overcome. Decline the meeting and propose a different time. Or take it up with your managers if this is a trend and if many team members have the same issue.

We had that issue initially, US-based teams, especially those on the West coast used to schedule calls for their afternoons which were late at night for us in Bangalore. Unfortunately, very few of our team members thought it was ok for us to raise this issue and just attended the calls. That's changed and we've worked out a much better schedule now. In cases where it's not possible, we either moved teams or rotated with the US team taking late calls one week and the India team the next, sharing the inconvenience so to speak. Meetings can be recorded. A lot of 'necessary' calls got cancelled as well.

It's perfectly ok to raise this as a issue. What I've seen is the US-based folk are fine making adjustments, it's our India team members and management who think it's somehow a 'duty' to just attend calls no matter how late and are reluctant to just say that it's not working for them.

[tiger_stripes]

My organization just announced that WFH has been extended till at least September for all employees. Even after offices open, only limited number of employees will be allowed on any day.

A lot of tech companies have already announced similar policies and the trend seems to be in this direction now, whether we like it or not.