Covid-19 discussion, continued...

posted by justincredible

Nah. We're hearing it won't be a surprise if we're still remote into the fall.

Wow.

That is insane.

The main 'office' in another city doesnt know it but we can go in whenever we want. I have went in 3 times since this silliness has started.  They have not said a word. Did read an article about this sector and the proposal was like 15 straight days of lessening of cases and deaths, local hospitals at a certain capacity, etc.   

Who the hell knows. I dont miss the drive, that is for damned sure but at some point this is just getting insane.     I do hope this opens up the discussion to allow telework on a more consistent basis. I would accept one day a week actually.

posted by ernest_t_bass

If work is successfully being done remotely, why the hell rush it?  How many actual hours do you think you're putting in from home vs. office?

Yeah my company has adapted rather well, so they will definitely err on the side of caution. 

I'm putting in more hours since the lockdown started. 

posted by Automatik

I'm putting in more hours since the lockdown started. 

Here is another side of it.  Will employees be compensated for doing MORE work?

posted by OSH

Still going into the office. It's obsolete though. Nothing to really do (I'm a soccer coach). I can't stay home though, never was released to work from home. Sucks, but I do get to do some work with some other things I do. At least I'm still getting paid and getting benefits.

There’s no soccer, why would they make the coach come into work? That’s dumb af

posted by ernest_t_bass

Here is another side of it.  Will employees be compensated for doing MORE work?

Maybe for companies who track hours. IT or engineers with billable hours? 

I'm salary and we have a "get it done mentality." I don't mind it for the most part, I just get annoyed when people expect you to respond to something outside of work hours.

posted by friendfromlowry

Any of you working from home potentially going back in soon with these new guidelines? 

Had our morning conference call and it sounds like it will be sooner than I expected. Kind of sucks because seems like I'm more productive from home and can work longer hours without a 2.5 hour round trip commute. I do think that my company is going to re-think this and, at a minimum, I think I'm going to be able to work remotely on Fridays.

posted by SportsAndLady

There’s no soccer, why would they make the coach come into work? That’s dumb af

So, long story short...my employers own an "essential business" and I'm paid by said business. They love their control and micromanaging. That leaves me coming into the office every day. I have one real coworker, who's at home because he has two kids and his wife is a nurse. No childcare means he can stay at home. My wife is at home, so I have zero excuses.

I'm sure I can go talk to them about not being in the office, but...knowing them that wouldn't go over well, I don't want to lose the paycheck or benefits.

posted by OSH

So, long story short...my employers own an "essential business" and I'm paid by said business. They love their control and micromanaging. That leaves me coming into the office every day. I have one real coworker, who's at home because he has two kids and his wife is a nurse. No childcare means he can stay at home. My wife is at home, so I have zero excuses.

I'm sure I can go talk to them about not being in the office, but...knowing them that wouldn't go over well, I don't want to lose the paycheck or benefits.

That seems like a shitty way to run a business: Micromanaging and instilling a culture that has employees walking on eggshells about having an honest conversation with leadership.

I hope they offer you some leeway, one way or the other.

I was told by a good source that schools may not open fully till fall of 2021

posted by geeblock

I was told by a good source that schools may not open fully till fall of 2021

Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

Or let's hope that this prompts schools and other institutions to finally learn how to adapt.  Public institutions have historically been slow to do that, but perhaps this will force many to.

posted by O-Trap

That seems like a shitty way to run a business: Micromanaging and instilling a culture that has employees walking on eggshells about having an honest conversation with leadership.

I hope they offer you some leeway, one way or the other.

Oh, for sure. There's a reason the turnover is so high here. I can't count the amount of employees that have been through here in my 3+ years of employment -- and I'm in one of their "tax shelter" businesses that is intended to lose money. The "essential business" makes a lot of money, the seniority has no clue on how to manage people AND they are definitely not up for anything "new." No one seems to want to address the turnover. They could save a ton more money just by treating people better and ensuring the turnover is much less.

I love what I do, that's what makes it hard. I have started looking elsewhere, even though I don't want to. I'm just not set on operating this way for the long-term. Definitely do not look forward to working for people like this for 10+ years.

posted by geeblock

I was told by a good source that schools may not open fully till fall of 2021

Hope not. I like the approach of Purdue's president who said "we WILL open in the fall" - basically drawing a line in the Sand. Now he could get overruled or circumstances could change where that can't happen. But I like the goal. I wish k-12 would do the same. 

posted by geeblock

I was told by a good source that schools may not open fully till fall of 2021

That would be crazy. Figure out how to keep their distance and/or wear masks. This would be horrible for kids to not go to real school for 1.5 years. 

Local county here in SC - 411k people, 435 positive tests, 6 deaths. Population is a mix of very rich and very poor. SC closed things down later than most states. 

In my town in that county - April 13 had 92 total confirmed cases, April 27 had 110 total confirmed cases (with more testing). The mayor actually tried to spin that as it is growing and not trending downward. It's like 1 case a day....

Schools not open till 2021 would also screw with parents who are trying to get back to work at offices or who cannot work from home. 

Schools staying closed for another whole year would probably bring a revolt by the people. I just can't see that happening.

On a good note, the wife is symptom free today for the first time. If she stays that way for 2 more days she is allowed to leave the house as of Friday, when everything is starting to "open back up".

I will be quarantined for another week.

posted by geeblock

I was told by a good source that schools may not open fully till fall of 2021

Fuck. That. Shit.

posted by jmog

Schools staying closed for another whole year would probably bring a revolt by the people. I just can't see that happening.

It would be such a disaster.  Most kids would not be able to advance, either because the parents don't have time to homeschool with work or are simply not capable of it.

And for college kids, you could do almost all those classes online (unless there's a lab).  I wonder if colleges will waive room & board for freshmen....my guess is they won't until people complain.  Just like some of these schools were trying to take stimulus money despite endowments worth billions.

posted by BR1986FB

Had our morning conference call and it sounds like it will be sooner than I expected. Kind of sucks because seems like I'm more productive from home and can work longer hours without a 2.5 hour round trip commute. I do think that my company is going to re-think this and, at a minimum, I think I'm going to be able to work remotely on Fridays.

Very similar commute as well and this has saved me a lot of money and time!

Few of us talked about the possibility of teleworking to continue and it likely won't, but we came up with a few stipulations that if we approached the leadership on what it would look like to pitch it to them.

*Each person work one day from home/week.

*Same day each week for each person, with maybe every qtr rotating the day.

*Only Tues, Wed and Thurs would be authorized days. Reasoning would be the amount of holidays on Mondays, and other "special" days off for a certain group is always a mon or friday.   Also would be less temptation to extend a normal weekend into a 3 day if no one can telework on M or F.

We think those three stipulations would squash some of their concerns.

posted by thavoice

Very similar commute as well and this has saved me a lot of money and time!

Few of us talked about the possibility of teleworking to continue and it likely won't, but we came up with a few stipulations that if we approached the leadership on what it would look like to pitch it to them.

*Each person work one day from home/week.

*Same day each week for each person, with maybe every qtr rotating the day.

*Only Tues, Wed and Thurs would be authorized days. Reasoning would be the amount of holidays on Mondays, and other "special" days off for a certain group is always a mon or friday.   Also would be less temptation to extend a normal weekend into a 3 day if no one can telework on M or F.

 

We think those three stipulations would squash some of their concerns.

We have a team conference call tomorrow at 1pm. I'm betting he wants us to come back in starting Monday. We'll see.

this is from a local superintendent from a pretty affluent school district in Columbus.