This is great to hear (from BBC Worklife):
Leading voices in the tech industry have been backing remote work and the advantages that it brings since fairly early on in the pandemic, however. They cite evidence that working from home can result in increased productivity as well as providing better work-life balance, a wider workforce talent pool for hiring, and greater employee inclusivity and retention.
But there is always people trying to go against the tide, not surprisingly this one, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. The New York Times reported:
Google expects employees to work in-person for at least three days a week after the planned return to offices on 1 September .
However, it means that Google employees are required to work from the office at least three days a week. At least here, it sounds like this: go back to the office full-time unless you don’t care for a promotion.
The attraction of the tech sector lifestyle and good salaries is huge, principally to the young workforce, but at this point in 2024, we all know what happened to the Bay Area housing market and the cost of living. It doesn’t look good short term. I love San Francisco and have lived there for more than 25 years, so I witnessed what happened; it was at the front door. Remote work can bring more balance to this equation—not just for SF, but worldwide. It’s part of the solution.
And then there is this:
“It’s an aberration that we are going to correct as quickly as possible.” Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said at a Credit Suisse Group AG conference in February.
It’s not worth commenting on; what is worth commenting on is Solomon’s pay package: it is comprised of $2 million in base salary, a $4.65 million cash bonus, and $10.85 million compensation in stock form, which is based on the bank’s performance (CNBC). This is a real aberration these days.
I’ve been working remotely since March 2020. My agency fought hard to stay alive during the pandemic. It survived. We were never as united, collaborative, and productive, individually and as a team, as we are right now. I am not being naive; I am experiencing this new reality, and as much as there is resistance to change, as usual, and in some cases for valid reasons, the future is coming. It seems pretty different—and better— for those who can improve their life-work balance.
I am posting this from a cabin in Lake Tahoe in front of a fireplace. I worked all day, got a lot of things done, was stress-free, felt great, and enjoyed my family around me.