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For Programmers, the Ultimate Office Perk is Avoiding the Office Entirely (qz.com)

Posted by msmash on from the how-things-are-moving dept.

From a report on Quartz: Over the past decade, designers and engineers have invented dozens of new tools to keep us connected to the office without actually going there. Unsurprisingly, those same engineers have been among the first to start using them in large numbers. More programmers are working from home than ever and, among the most experienced, some are even beginning to demand it. In 2015, an estimated 300,000 full-time employees in computer science jobs worked from home in the US. Although not the largest group of remote employees in absolute numbers, that's about 8% of all programmers, which is a significantly larger share than in any other job category, and well above the average for all jobs of just under 3%. [...] Programmers not only work from home more often than other employees, when they do they are more likely to work all day at home. From 2012 to 2015, the average full-time programmer who worked from home said they spent an average of five and a half hours doing so. That's an 92% increase in the average time spent at home from 2003 to 2005, and nearly double the average for all jobs.

13 of 207 comments (clear)

  1. Maybe if you're single by computational+super · · Score: 5, Insightful

    One reason I avoid working from home is that I trust my coworkers in the office to let me work more than I trust my wife and my kids to let me work.

    --
    Proud neuron in the Slashdot hivemind since 2002.
    1. Re:Maybe if you're single by saintlupus · · Score: 3, Funny

      Truth. I work in a very flexible office, and my boss asked me why I don't work from home more often. I told him because it's full of kids.

    2. Re:Maybe if you're single by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 5, Insightful

      One reason I avoid working from home is that I trust my coworkers in the office to let me work more than I trust my wife and my kids to let me work.

      Unfortunately, I trust them far LESS than my young children to leave me the hell alone. Instead it's either bug me at my cube, or if I find a place to hide, call a meeting and bug me there. I produce substantial documentation to ensure they don't need to bug me, but they don't read it, and bug me.

      If I could work from home, I definitely would.

    3. Re:Maybe if you're single by spiritgreywolf · · Score: 4, Interesting

      In my case I've been working strictly from home as a medical EDI programmer for the last 9 years and couldn't be happier. I just set some ground rules that if I am in my office and door is closed - you do not enter. Text me if you must - but you may not enter. Only unless someone is bleeding profusely, something is leaking or is on fire? Pretend I am miles away at an office.

      It's no different - I ask them "would you drive all the way to my workplace, come to my cube and ask questions?" The answer is usually "No."

      I have a couple friends that actually put a "Tuff Shed" in their back yard, wired it up, put in an AC unit, etc., and that is literally their office. I didn't need to do that, but I certainly see the appeal :-)

      --
      Never have a philosophy which supports a lack of courage
    4. Re:Maybe if you're single by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Interesting

      A solid backhand will stop the kids from ever bothering you again.

      Perhaps you should find more constructive forms of discipline. I keep several math workbooks in my home office, and every time my kids come in to ask me a question I make them do a few pages.

      I am currently using this book which is the 3rd in the series. My kids still occasionally bother me, but at least they get good grades in math.

    5. Re:Maybe if you're single by computational+super · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Funny how the people who always insist that software development is "collaborative" are the ones who mean "you do your job, and you do my job, too".

      --
      Proud neuron in the Slashdot hivemind since 2002.
    6. Re:Maybe if you're single by Gr8Apes · · Score: 3, Insightful

      People freak out when I turn off the damned IM.

      Tell them to email you if they need an IM session....tell them that for some reason IM isn't working on your machine some times, etc...

      I found my productivity has skyrocketed since I turned IM off....

      Bah, just turn off all the notifications. No sounds, banners, popups, etc. It's there when I want to check it and poof - back to the back it goes. I do the same with email. Just because it says it's instant, doesn't mean you'll get an instant response. (Meetings, bathroom, lunch, boss talking to you, etc....)

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
  2. Well, I'm single and... by dmgxmichael · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My worry is that if I took up the offer to work from home I'd start to hermit. I need the social time and to get out and be among other human beings, otherwise I fear I'd stay single forever.

    1. Re:Well, I'm single and... by Drethon · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Social time and socializing at work never seem to be the same. I can get along fine with coworkers at work, outside work tends to be a different situation, sometimes better, sometimes worse.

    2. Re:Well, I'm single and... by farble1670 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      On that topic, team building events. I generally enjoy all my coworkers, but after spending 8-10 hours a day with them, the last thing I want to do for relaxation spend MORE time with them.

  3. Pros and Cons by coolmoose25 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Pros: - less commute time - good for the environment - more flexibility - potentially higher productivity Cons: - Out of sight, out of mind is not good at layoff time - less social interaction - less professional interaction (maybe) Overall, I prefer to work from home, but since I have direct reports that I manage, I'm not allowed to do it full time. I do telecommute every friday though!

    --
    Brawndo: It's what plants crave!
  4. I work from home a decent amount by Tesen · · Score: 4, Informative

    I got my contract written as a minimum of two days a week WfH and wish I had demanded three! I have a nine-year-old boy who loves attention and a wife that does too ;) (how dare she! :P). But here are some basic steps to maintaining professionalism at home:

    1) Closing door. I.e. an office.

    2) People knock and await "come in" before entering unless it is a dire emergency. If it is not an emergency and they do not hear come in, then they can either knock again or come back later.

    3) My office hours are just that. I need to spend time in my office which means no, I cannot help you build a Lego project, no I cannot help load the dish washer. When I take a break, I can help, but only then.

    4) My family needs to keep the noise down.

    5) IM always up and I try to respond almost immediately. If I cannot I mark myself as busy, if I am marked as available then I expect myself to respond in 60 seconds. This also includes soft phone, always on.

    6) If there is a reason to be in the office I come in. I don't resist it. One SIT for a recent project made sense for me to be in the office, so for two weeks I came in, got SIT done and remediation and then back to my normal schedule.

    I personally thrive working from home as my commute time generally becomes a part of my normal day. If I have tight project deadlines, I will tell my mgr. not to expect me in the office for a bit. I still attend meetings remotely, I still beat on project mgrs. to either open a Skype call or a conference line (no excuse not to, even people in the office sometimes take meetings from their desk so they can multitask).

    Communications is the key and delivering what you promised on time is also the key. I collaborate with my fellow developers and we do so quite well and white boarding digitally is a lot nicer than a physical non-smart board.

    Now there are people that do not do well working from home, they either do not get their work done or they become depressed with the lack of human contact. From my observations, I find those that do not work well from home (not the ones that get depressed with lack of human contact) have a pretty poor focus and planning skills in the office and outside of it. So you help them build that ability. You help them to use proper time management skills, you help them prioritize their workload and come up with a plan of attack for the day.

  5. I read that as.. by Ozan · · Score: 4, Funny

    I read that as "For Programmers, the Ultimate Office Perk is Avoiding MS Office Entirely" and nodded in agreement.