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Comment by sam0x17 | Hacker News Reader

Being well-rested pretty much all the time (no commute, no two-hour pre-work morning routine), having a much bigger talent pool, not having to pay for a physical office, and eliminating office-related distractions (open offices suck) all make remote work pretty much a win-win for employees and employers. My company is in the middle of the transition, and the dividends are paying off already.

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It isn't always a win win. I prefer remote myself, but not everyone has a quiet or understanding home to work in and not everyone can work well completely isolated. When the last place I worked at asked if the team wanted to go remote, only a handful said yes and even those people still wanted the option to come into the office. For a lot of people, the workplace is where they have friendships and structure that makes them feel happy and like they are progressing in life. I don't feel the same way but I empathise and I suspect it may even be the majority.

> It isn't always a win win.

Agreed. Especially with less experienced folks, remote work can be hard because there's less context. You can't see someone struggling quietly at their desk, they have to ask for help or you have to ping them.

It's give-and-take.

At a butt-in-seat job, I'd turn up on time and leave on time - and that's the end of it. If during those hours I happen to be in an unproductive mindset (eg, unable to concentrate) then so be it. I'm paid for my time. If I happen to be in a productive mood after hours, their loss.

Now that I'm working remotely, if I'm feeling unproductive then I will stop work and do something else (shopping/walk/etc.) and resume when I'm more productive.

I also don't mind being contacted out of hours (I'll decide if I'm busy or not) - they're flexible with me, so I'm flexible with them.

They'll get the same number of clock-hours from me, but with more work output.

Yes, this is a great point. If I "felt stupid" when I was in the office, that was fine. I would chat with colleagues or just look out the window. On the other hand, if the same thing happens at home then I feel guilty about it, "stop the clock" and then resume later.

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