Downtown Calling: Working from home didn't work for me

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

So I've been at my new job for 6 months now, and I gotta say that I freaking love being back in a regular old "work from office" job down in the loop.

I am infinitely more productive in an office that I'm forced to go into everyday than I ever was attempting to "work" (ie. slacking off and doing anything but work) from home.

I never knew how utterly essential it is for my mental health to have a clear-cut separation between my home and my work lives. When they became one and the same because stupid fucking covid, my brain circuitry started to slow burn fry for a couple years until I was finally on the edge of slipping out entirely.

WFH-induced depression officially gone!

i’m probably equally productive from home or work due to a high stress consulting job putting out client fires 10-11 hours a day but i do see the value of seperating work from home more than ever. nothing like being pulled back into work during the middle of dinner. worked for a bit from my company office in the northwest suburbs of Chicago this morning and must say I dont get all the effort and time needed to commute to a tower surrounded by parking lots - so if that were my option Id much prefer home.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

i’m probably equally productive from home or work due to a high stress consulting job putting out client fires 10-11 hours a day but i do see the value of seperating work from home more than ever. nothing like being pulled back into work during the middle of dinner.

Those kinds of "always on" jobs sound like hell to me.

My mind requires a strictly compartmentalized life.

Work when and where I work.

Relax when and where I relax.

They CANNOT be the same.

Originally Posted by Centropolis

I worked for a bit from my company office in the northwest suburbs of Chicago this morning and must say I dont get all the effort and time needed to commute to a tower surrounded by parking lots - so if that were my option Id much prefer home.

Well, a driving commute to anywhere is deal-killer for me.

Back when I was unemployed I even turned down a pretty good in-office opportunity simply because it was out in the burbs and would've required driving in Chicago traffic everyday, and that would've only exacerbated my depression.

I haven't had a job that I had to drive to since I was a kid still living in my mom and dad's house in the burbs, and I'm not gonna restart that shit now.


But an easy-peasy one-seat L ride down to the loop?

No sweat.

Also, the downtime spent commuting on the train helps me shift between the two main mental modes outlined above.

One body : two people

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Those kinds of "always on" jobs sound like hell to me.

My mind requires a strictly compartmentalized life.

Work when and where I work.

Relax when and where I relax.

It's completely a temperament thing, either you find it invigorating and motivating or you don't. I left a fast-paced sales job that I loved (hated too at times) because it simply wasn't conducive to marriage and young kids.

I will go back; my current role is just horrifyingly boring even though it actually pays the same with about 1/5th the work and effort. But the motivating work and the potential upside in terms of pay is too good to pass up, but maybe once the kids are in school!

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Obadno

It's completely a temperament thing, either you find it invigorating and motivating or you don't.

Yeah, different strokes for different folks.

"Always on" is a one-way ticket on the express train to suicide-ville for me.

No amount of money is worth that.

[Rizzo]

Depends on the office / job though. “Always on” might be a few emails after 5:00. Architect friends of mine work pretty late at their office sometimes. I’d much prefer answering a couple calls or emails in the evening vs finishing a project late in front of a computer

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Rizzo

Depends on the office / job though. “Always on” might be a few emails after 5:00. Architect friends of mine work pretty late at their office sometimes. I’d much prefer answering a couple calls or emails in the evening vs finishing a project late in front of a computer

When I leave work, I LEAVE it.

Until 7:00am the next workday.

I get to 100% turn. it. off.

That arrangement makes both "work Dan" and "home Dan" a very, very happy Dan.

I guess that I'm also lucky to work at an architecture firm that really respects the boundaries of the workday. Only once in 6 months have I had to stay late for a deadline crunch.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

When I leave work, I LEAVE it.

Until 7:00am the next workday.

I get to 100% turn. it. off.

That arrangement makes both "work Dan" and "home Dan" a very, very happy Dan.

I guess that I'm also lucky to work in an architectural office that really respects the boundaries of the workday. Only once in 6 months have I had to stay late for a deadline crunch.

Glad it's working out for you. Many blessings.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by Obadno

I do! But I am insane. I wanted school uniforms when I was a kid.

Sure, dressing however you like is easier and cheaper etc. But there is an air of professionalism and seriousness that is lost. I think it makes people take the entire activity with more gravity and effort.

You can debate weather that results in better work (I think it does) but a casual workplace makes for a casual output like a messy house portends a messy life.

I know almost nobody wil agree with me but You are all wrong

Yeah, I think that's just a you thing.

There's no objective way to really measure performance against the formality of work attire, but generally speaking, any studies conducted on worker wellbeing & satisfaction is usually tied to increased productivity; and I'd argue that dress codes are at least a small part of that. I know for myself at least, I'm certainly most productive when I'm comfortable. It's hard to focus on work when I'm instead focused on how uncomfortable I am.

It's not as if casual dress codes must mean people look like slobs either. Maybe it's just because I work in a design-focused industry, but everyone is still very well put-together and stylish - just in a casual, comfortable fashion.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

Yeah, I think that's just a you thing.

Yeah my soul is that of the 80's.... the 1880's

Born in the wrong century

[Tom In Chicago]

So today I was running later than normal and traversed the Loop between 8:30am and 9:00am - which is peak-time transit for most office workers, and holy cow was it busy. . . I don't think I've seen that much foot traffic in years!

I suppose mid-week is mandatory "come into the office" days for most folks, but I don't remember it being this busy pre-pandemic. . .

Anyone else noticing this in other cities?

. . .

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Tom In Chicago

So today I was running later than normal and traversed the Loop between 8:30am and 9:00am - which is peak-time transit for most office workers, and holy cow was it busy. . . I don't think I've seen that much foot traffic in years!

I suppose mid-week is mandatory "come into the office" days for most folks, but I don't remember it being this busy pre-pandemic. . .

Anyone else noticing this in other cities?

. . .

Can't speak for other cities, but yes, midweek loop this summer is feeling very close to the before times.

My 6:25am brown line train this morning was as packed of an early morning L train as I've seen since starting my new job down in the loop 6 months ago.

[tjp]

Agreed that mid-week pedestrian traffic in the Loop seems to be about at pre-pandemic levels. Hopefully retail vacancy starts to fall as a result.

[Steely Dan]

Having lunch at Naf Naf (a chicago middle eastern fast casual chain) at Washington/Franklin in the loop today.

The line is out the door and down the block, probably 60-70 people deep.

So freaking awesome to see!

When I first started my new job down in loop 6 months ago, I had lunches here at Naf Naf where I was literally one of 3 or 4 people in the whole damn place! At noon!!!


Shit is coming back, praise Pizza God!

[pdxtex]

Originally Posted by Tom In Chicago

So today I was running later than normal and traversed the Loop between 8:30am and 9:00am - which is peak-time transit for most office workers, and holy cow was it busy. . . I don't think I've seen that much foot traffic in years!

I suppose mid-week is mandatory "come into the office" days for most folks, but I don't remember it being this busy pre-pandemic. . .

Anyone else noticing this in other cities?

. . .

Monday and Wednesday seem to be the go in day in Portland.

[austlar1]

RTO rates here in Austin are declining. This is not good news in a town that is still throwing up a lot of office buildings downtown and elsewhere in the metro. The reader submitted comments in this link are very interesting and illuminating. https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/...lling-5364241/

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by austlar1

RTO rates here in Austin are declining. This is not good news in a town that is still throwing up a lot of office buildings downtown and elsewhere in the metro. The reader submitted comments in this link are very interesting and illuminating. https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/...lling-5364241/

I think at some point employers are going to have to deal with the fact that the majority of employees prefer remote first, and at most a hybrid set up. If they force RTO, they're going to bleed talent. Simple as that. The power is entirely in the hands of the employees rn.

[Wigs]

Steely do you notice with your bike commutes that you're now getting back in shape?
I was wondering if that was another plus for you going back to the office.

[JManc]

Meta has required their people to be in the office 3x a week. Some 5x. Not going to go well.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by JManc

Meta has required their people to be in the office 3x a week. Some 5x. Not going to go well.

A lot of folks that got laid off aren't even considering applying for positions unless they are guaranteed remote first, or hybrid 3x at most. Anything beyond that is a non-starter.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Wigs

Steely do you notice with your bike commutes that you're now getting back in shape?

I still gotta get on that

One of these weeks......



My brown line L commute is so stupid easy that I've just been defaulting to it

We live less than a block from a brown line stop up in Lincoln Square and my office is steps away from a brown line stop down in the loop.

It's kinda the danger of when transit is a little too convenient.