Curious as to how your workplaces are managing re-entry to office and what is different from pre-Covid. We are going back to wherever you worked pre-Covid on June 14 ( as an essential healthcare organization, 85% of our workforce had to come in during the pandemic but the other 15% went predominantly WFH). A minority of employees are complaining about having to come back.
Back to Work Policies
- Thread starter HALL85
- Start date
Been at media platform since mid march...80 percent of the place has been in the whole time...rules were followed for indoor facilities....people still masking now...the one area i do find weird is people on the street in masks.
My office has a "soft opening" in August. I will see where we are in the pandemic then. I am still sheltering in place. Especially with the news about the Delta variant.
Expect for people to continue wearing masks in the streets. As I said early on people will just adapt to wearing masks. This pandemic and our government officials have made that a real thing.
Different in different regions for me
young people missing out on in person interaction is not good IMHO, even if they are just as or more productive from a $ standpoint
It is. Companies should not let be giving people to be maskless. This will definitely cause a surge in cases. I am waiting for the memorial day surge in a couple weeks. Especially with young people that were at the jersey shore bars this weekend.
I was a person that went to a jersey shore bar this past Monday. It actually was not as crowded as I thought. I am vaccinated and took proper precautions across the last year. I am in the Merge camp, let's roll back to as much normal as possible.
We just opened fully this week, but everything can be done remotely so most will probably stay home for the summer. Prior to that we needed permission to go. I went to our NJ office 3 times last month but was the only one there each day.
Going forward they say masks are required unless you are vaccinated, but I’m assuming that’s on the honor system.
Going forward they say masks are required unless you are vaccinated, but I’m assuming that’s on the honor system.
Office never closed but as advisors we come and go as we please. Staff came back full time (was on 50% alternating weeks) about a month ago. Last Friday we dropped the mask mandate for “away from your office” but everyone in the office has at least one dose of the vaccine.
Main door still locked so clients have to be let in.
Main door still locked so clients have to be let in.
This is from our HR. For me, I am not going back to the office and will work remotely. That includes visiting clients as needed and occasional visits to the office if a face to face meeting needed.
"All things considered; we have determined to delay the structured reopening of our offices until September 1, 2021 at the earliest.
Throughout the last year, we have proven that a remote work environment is not only possible but highly effective. The need to be agile and flexible with working arrangements has quickly become a business imperative, as such, we will formally adopt a hybrid-work model that will support a balance between remote and on-site work.
Moving forward, office usage will vary based on employee roles, team dynamics, the type of work being performed and individual preferences. Your managers will be working with you to evaluate these needs and customer and functional requirements. We are dedicated to progressing forward with a hybrid-work environment and embracing the many available benefits. Together we will expand our thinking of what is possible and adjust our organizational processes to ensure continued success as we look to re-enter our facilities later this summer/early fall.
We will continue to monitor the circumstances over the summer months and provide updates as they evolve. We applaud your invaluable contributions and appreciate your understanding and cooperation."
"All things considered; we have determined to delay the structured reopening of our offices until September 1, 2021 at the earliest.
Throughout the last year, we have proven that a remote work environment is not only possible but highly effective. The need to be agile and flexible with working arrangements has quickly become a business imperative, as such, we will formally adopt a hybrid-work model that will support a balance between remote and on-site work.
Moving forward, office usage will vary based on employee roles, team dynamics, the type of work being performed and individual preferences. Your managers will be working with you to evaluate these needs and customer and functional requirements. We are dedicated to progressing forward with a hybrid-work environment and embracing the many available benefits. Together we will expand our thinking of what is possible and adjust our organizational processes to ensure continued success as we look to re-enter our facilities later this summer/early fall.
We will continue to monitor the circumstances over the summer months and provide updates as they evolve. We applaud your invaluable contributions and appreciate your understanding and cooperation."
As a management team, we discussed many factors in terms of returning to pre-pandemic officing. Efficiency of work getting done, problem-solving, innovation, preserving company culture, employee advancement. While you can be productive working remotely, those other categories in our view suffer dramatically.
Some anecdotes.
Years ago someone commented on the social impact of garage door openers. The comment said to the effect that you drive down the street, open the door, drive in, shut the door, and get out of your car inside, thereby eliminating any chance of being seen or interacting with you neighbor.
About 10 years ago, working with a college client of mine, the head of residence halls described a situation where two roommates were having an argument. The argument took place while they were in the same dorm room, however they did it silently with messaging on their computers. They did not turn and face each other.
In recent years we would have new employees arrive that are assigned to me to provide support of one type or another. I started noticing that many of them would not take the time to show up in person, introduce themselves, have a cup of coffee, etc. All transactions were done with email or sometimes voicemail. They were very reluctant to walk down the hall to have a face to face. I recall one person that I dealt with two years and never met her, despite her being one floor above me in three story building.
I have more such observations and I am sure most of you do too. The shift I saw played into my decision to move 60 miles from my work and do it remotely. I am at a stage in my life where I do not need or want company culture. I believe the future way of building culture will be done mostly via technology. If Apple can build a worldwide cult following online, why can't a small company?? I don't know.
I just made a few recent hires and two of them will work 100% remote and never set foot on the client site. I made the hires with the help of people (HR and recruiters) I have never met in person. Contracts were signed via DocuSign, not like the old days when I would meet a client in person and ask for a wet signature. I will likely never meet the employees.
I don't spend much time reminiscing. I just tickle the keyboard and the money keeps flowing in.
Years ago someone commented on the social impact of garage door openers. The comment said to the effect that you drive down the street, open the door, drive in, shut the door, and get out of your car inside, thereby eliminating any chance of being seen or interacting with you neighbor.
About 10 years ago, working with a college client of mine, the head of residence halls described a situation where two roommates were having an argument. The argument took place while they were in the same dorm room, however they did it silently with messaging on their computers. They did not turn and face each other.
In recent years we would have new employees arrive that are assigned to me to provide support of one type or another. I started noticing that many of them would not take the time to show up in person, introduce themselves, have a cup of coffee, etc. All transactions were done with email or sometimes voicemail. They were very reluctant to walk down the hall to have a face to face. I recall one person that I dealt with two years and never met her, despite her being one floor above me in three story building.
I have more such observations and I am sure most of you do too. The shift I saw played into my decision to move 60 miles from my work and do it remotely. I am at a stage in my life where I do not need or want company culture. I believe the future way of building culture will be done mostly via technology. If Apple can build a worldwide cult following online, why can't a small company?? I don't know.
I just made a few recent hires and two of them will work 100% remote and never set foot on the client site. I made the hires with the help of people (HR and recruiters) I have never met in person. Contracts were signed via DocuSign, not like the old days when I would meet a client in person and ask for a wet signature. I will likely never meet the employees.
I don't spend much time reminiscing. I just tickle the keyboard and the money keeps flowing in.
It will be interesting to see how corporate culture evolves. Our company has a very strong culture that we felt important to try to preserve through this pandemic and now coming out of it. As I also get closer to retirement, like you , it’s not going to impact me personally. I can pick and choose what works best for me and the company until then.
Played in a hospital outing a few weeks ago and during cocktails I was talking to the CEO and he just looked so relieved and said “Isn’t this great?” “No masks and people reconnecting.” I was actually a little surprised about their not being any masks because this system had been very prescriptive with directions to their employees about wearing masks in any public setting during the last year. I have to admit, it was just good to catch up with so many people I’ve missed seeing live. Just going to ride that wave until it’s time.
onboarding to a new job remotely is very difficult. companies are not prepared for it
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anon_ezos2e9wn1ob0
Guest
Just did it last April when I left the only company I knew for 9 years at start of pandemic. It has been weird I'm some aspects like not meeting people I work with in person, but it went pretty well.
thats good. my experience is that i had no onboarding whatsoever. just looking through Box to try to connect my own dots. it was very inefficient
Optional for us right now...so mostly remote unless you'd really prefer to be in the office or need to be for some reason. I expect at some point over the summer they'll start mandating everyone come in a few days a week, but that's speculation, no official word yet. I don't expect to be fully back in the office until Jan 2022 at the earliest. In the office, masks are required when you get up from your desk unless you have a vacination card on file with hr.
If you are in that 25 - 45 age group, do you feel that your opportunities for career advancement are the same, better or worse by being exclusively or primarily remote?
We had this discussion the other day in the office. I can evaluate the work product someone remote does, but it is very difficult to evaluate all of the other qualities like leadership, problem solving, working group skills, social/soft skills, team innovation, etc. when you don't see someone. How do you overcome that?
We had this discussion the other day in the office. I can evaluate the work product someone remote does, but it is very difficult to evaluate all of the other qualities like leadership, problem solving, working group skills, social/soft skills, team innovation, etc. when you don't see someone. How do you overcome that?
its definitely harder. plus you cant work the political game at home.
Interesting to see how the “workplace” has pivoted, especially with tech. Two years ago, companies like Apple, Google and others were all adding so many opinions to the workplace (high end food, fitness centers, daycare....wine, beer, bring your pet to work...etc.). Now it’s a complete 180. That can’t be good for sustaining a company culture and management of your real estate.
i think this change has positivey affected work life balance. people no longer living with the goal of working. seeing it as a formality to spend 8 hrs of the day doing work theyre capable of and focusing more brainspace on things that truly matter like family, friends, etc.
essentially its no longer about company culture, but what company will allow you to live your life comfortably outside of work.
Never understood why some people want to work for 40+ years. Make as much money as quickly as you can and get out of the working world. Way more to life than working.
well, if youre a wall street guy who works 15 hours a day 7 days a week for 8 years during your 20s you hust lost out on a time of your life when you have the most independence and less responsibility.... and more physical ability.
life is unpredictable, you might die before age 40 its good to live in the now too. its ok to enjoy the present.i think its a balance.
i personally dont think im particularly skilled enough in areas that could net me a lot of money immediatley. gotta play the hand youre dealt to an extent.
Because everyone is different. I know a bunch of people that love their jobs. My barber is 83 and his social network are the customers he sees every 3-5 weeks; sometimes multigenerational. He has scaled back to three days a week but wouldn’t trade the time.
Also know some small business owners that use the term “dying in the chair” because they will never retire. Some people need a purpose and struggle with that when they retire. It’s not always about the money.
Anyone can save enough and retire "early." Just have to commit to the process and live within your means.
It's not about loving your job or not. Sure, some people are different but I don't want to be tied to a job at 50, 55, 60. I'd rather be out on the golf course full time by then LOL.
You think so, but I know some retired guys that do that and they are miserable…lol. There is no magic formula but you do want to control your own destiny and exit plan.
