Remote work is bad for worker well-being | Hacker News Reader

Remote work is bad for worker well-being

ioverthinkso.com

2 pointsRevost9 comments

I got made redundant from a remote role last year, and I miss the people there as much as I miss not having to spend time, money and energy commuting.

I wish people wouldn’t generalise so much from their personal experience. In office is good for some people, remote is good for others. Why is that so difficult for people to accept?

Binary thinking is the root of all evil.

> For similar reasons as why an in-person work environment is a great place to form friendships, in-person work is also a great place for romance. > It is an especially important considering other traditional places to meet a partner are disappearing and online dating is dysfunctional.

Right. I would rather bring back those social places than have to worry about in place romance. Keep workplace safe people. I shouldn't have to worry about implications of my personal partner choices on my professional life.

People are notoriously bad at predicting what makes them happy. Remote work is another example of this. The flexibility of remote work sounds great on paper, but you miss out on the rich social connections that are essential to well-being. Even if you are introverted and/or swear you are better with remote work, you are likely not the exception and somewhat deluded :)

I’ve worked from home for 23 out of the last 25 years. I think I will continue to delude myself.

Speaking on behalf of others makes it your delusion pal.

Other parts you say have some truth to it, though it is the "extremism" of one or another that really wears us out in the end. Why must things always be one absolute solution or the opposite? It is the incapacity to be flexible and adapt which compromise whichever resolve such attempt.

Remote work is great for those who competently compartmentalize their desire for effective business from confusing (and taxing) work/social/locality constraints.

Have worked remote for 10+ years, will go permanently unemployed before going back to an office.

For me, work is not for social connections, it is for income and problems to solve; those I work with on shared business problems are just temporary colleagues whom with we share a payroll provider. I am an extrovert, and do not care about the social aspect of work. Friends and loved ones are at home, where ever home is. Those are durable connections and relationships worth investing in, not colleagues who are transient (imho). And sourcing lovers from work? This is corporate etiquette 101: you don’t shit where you eat.

> Treat seeing people as importantly as you would sleep, exercise, or eating healthy. It’s that essential.

Agreed, but coworkers are not those people in most cases. But you do what is best for you. I’m living my best life working remotely and intentionally choosing my circle of people. I recommend others be intentional as well.

TLDR; conjectures and opinion, no evidence. Here's my opinion: other humans interrupt my flow, sometimes by their mere presence nearby.

Note that by the logic in this article, anyone who does not have to commute in-person to a job is fundamentally unhappy.

"It’s not natural to spend 8 hours a day remotely–i.e. alone–and you are not different"

Yes we are. Remote work is not "alone." Working in the office is alone: https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/31/us/wells-fargo-employee-desk-...

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