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Comment by growlist | Hacker News Reader

Funny isn't it, we're always told that employers struggle to recruit in IT but they also apparently stubbornly refuse to offer a perk which could drastically increase interest in the positions they are offering. As remotework said ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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> stubbornly refuse to offer a perk

I think describing remote working as a 'perk' is not a good idea. Really it's more efficient for both parties, and is a sensible way to work. Calling it a 'perk' makes it sound like a silly benefit just for the employee, on the same level as ping pong tables.

I think of it more like a productivity tool rather being a `perk`, but gotta explain that to who's in charge.

Well yes, but perk seemed like a better shorthand than 'condition of working', 'working arrangement' etc.

I think there's a high degree of ignorance in this area nowadays. Companies (well old-fashioned managers) think of remote work as a way of slacking off work, hence not encouraging it or even offering it in the first place. It's only the people who do work remotely and know how to do so understand the productivity impact and the freedom it brings from being tied to an office all day every day in this day and age.

Exactly - I get so much more done, and have more flexibility to put in extra time when I need to.

Some people do slack off work. It's sort of like welfare. We're more concerned with who would abuse it, rather than who it would help, even when the benefits exceed the potential fraud.

Fair point. But if someone is likely to slack off when WFH, they pretty much can do the same at the office. It's a matter of discipline and productivity. I think one should be more concerned of managing the work (i.e. output) rather than the time or location.

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