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Working From Home? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter fantasycurse42
- Start date
snogger
Footballguy
No official word yet from upper management, but my boss basically confirmed what myself and another employee felt...
We won't be going back in to the office until January at the earliest as they are selling our current buildings and moving to a Location to be named later.... and since our team supports the Microsoft 365 environment we may stay WFH for good.
He and I spoke that once things change next year with the new location, we'd try to at least have everyone come in on Wednesdays.
Helps my mindset to settle in and prepare compared to the last couple months where they spoke about maybe going back in in September.
We won't be going back in to the office until January at the earliest as they are selling our current buildings and moving to a Location to be named later.... and since our team supports the Microsoft 365 environment we may stay WFH for good.
He and I spoke that once things change next year with the new location, we'd try to at least have everyone come in on Wednesdays.
Helps my mindset to settle in and prepare compared to the last couple months where they spoke about maybe going back in in September.
PinkydaPimp
Footballguy
I think for many companies this is going to be a somewhat permanent change. Some roles you need people in the office. But not all of them. Especially for companies in big cities where rent is astronomical. I would not be shocked at all if many companies saved the money they spend on office space and put that towards other things if the business is thriving. My wife likely wont have to go back in this year and i don't envision clients allowing people into their offices unless absolutely necessary into the new year. We also arent allowed to do business travel this year and im hearing the earliest would be spring next year but even that could push.
We pay crazy money in taxes and were house hunting anyway but now we are opening up our search further out as we don't feel pressed to be able to walk to a train or NYC direct bus any longer.
We pay crazy money in taxes and were house hunting anyway but now we are opening up our search further out as we don't feel pressed to be able to walk to a train or NYC direct bus any longer.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
I don't know if any of this has been covered, but my wife is now working from home pretty much indefinitely and her company is expected to keep her working remotely for at least another full year (which would make it 18 months since they ordered her home). They seem to be taking the stance that until there is a vaccine and things are back to normal, they would rather people just WFH.
Are companies picking up the tab for out of pocket costs stemming from WFH? For example, we had to upgrade our WIFI equipment and Internet package to be able to handle a ton of daily Zoom meetings. The summer has been way hotter than normal, and running the AC all day has jacked up our electric bill. Over the winter, we will have to leave the heat on all day (we would have turned it way down until we got home from work). She also is not thrilled that she has to use her cell phone non-stop for work calls (and thus was wondering if they should have to pay for her cell plan).
She is not saving much in gas (only a couple miles away from her office), so it's not like we are saving much on gas. How are other companies handling this? Worth pursuing? Let the company volunteer money to offset WFH costs (but don't make waves about it)?
Are companies picking up the tab for out of pocket costs stemming from WFH? For example, we had to upgrade our WIFI equipment and Internet package to be able to handle a ton of daily Zoom meetings. The summer has been way hotter than normal, and running the AC all day has jacked up our electric bill. Over the winter, we will have to leave the heat on all day (we would have turned it way down until we got home from work). She also is not thrilled that she has to use her cell phone non-stop for work calls (and thus was wondering if they should have to pay for her cell plan).
She is not saving much in gas (only a couple miles away from her office), so it's not like we are saving much on gas. How are other companies handling this? Worth pursuing? Let the company volunteer money to offset WFH costs (but don't make waves about it)?
Our company is giving a temporary $20/month towards internet (just added on to paycheck). Additionally, they gave all employees the option to expense up to $500 for office/ergonomic equipment to upgrade home offices - since we are also doing this indefinitely, I have ordered a new desk (was working off of a folding table since my desk went to my son) and a second monitor that I will charge to this account.
Regarding you upgrading equipment/plans and the AC/heat, I don't think any of that responsibility lies on the company.
As for the cell phone, not being snarky, but that was your wife's decision to give them her personal cell phone number. I do believe the company should be providing either a stipend for the cell phone or a company provided phone if it is deemed that she needs a phone for her job (which if she is on the phone constantly with work seems like it is)
For me personally, the company provides me with a company phone (due to the nature of our industry, this is also for additional encryption/security measures they can add to the phone) plus all of our office phones are VOIP so it rings through Skype on my computer.
Regarding you upgrading equipment/plans and the AC/heat, I don't think any of that responsibility lies on the company.
As for the cell phone, not being snarky, but that was your wife's decision to give them her personal cell phone number. I do believe the company should be providing either a stipend for the cell phone or a company provided phone if it is deemed that she needs a phone for her job (which if she is on the phone constantly with work seems like it is)
For me personally, the company provides me with a company phone (due to the nature of our industry, this is also for additional encryption/security measures they can add to the phone) plus all of our office phones are VOIP so it rings through Skype on my computer.
Hankmoody
Footballguy
No, and this is exactly why I knew that the minute this pandemic got moving that we were never going back to normal. I'd worked from home for the prior 7 years so knew all about how overall-effective it can be with the right personnel. I was having a conversation with the real estate guy in my (now) very small building and he mentioned the monthly expense for our bigass building in the bigass city was $3.2M a MONTH. That's $40M a year! Now I think he moved it a decimal, I think it's actually $3.2M a year and he misspoke, but even that - you can send all those people home and they will pay their own internet, electric bills, plowing, window cleaning, toilet paper. Even if you lose 20% productivity you can just hire 20% more people with that $3.2M you're saving and not even come close to losing money. I've said for years the only reason companies don't do it is because it's too big a risk to the overall operations in case productivity can't keep up but once they had an excuse and saw the results it would become commonplace. I had no idea the scope of the money involved on the real estate side though.
Ironically my living situation now makes it near impossible to effectively work from home and I've been almost exclusively in the office for the past 12 months. Which is great because this building was already a ghost town prior to the pandemic and now I can go a full week without seeing another human being in this office. It's glorious. I actually had to get VP approval to WFW haha.
Jaysus
Good times!
weirdoWFH has me working 9+ hour days, especially the last few weeks..
I start working at 5am so by the time most start their day I have 3 to 4 hours in. Then along comes the meetings and next thing I know its almost 2pm. Other than Breakfast, Lunch(usually eating at my desk) and a shower I've taken no breaks.
Due to normal business hours I'm expected to be online until 3:30pm... So I try to take a hour, to hour and half, break before I finish the day...
Some need discipline to work.. I need discipline to take breaks.
Otis
Footballguy
No way are companies going to pay your electric bills or your internet.... these all sound like big asks. Most people these days are just grateful to have jobs. When I hear some of our (high paid) people complaining and asking if my company will pick up the tab for them to get a printer, I just cringe.... like, really? Do you not see what’s going on in the world? You’re just fine buying yourself a $150 printer....
All that said, my company did recently announce a $1k tech stipend for certain employees to go out and get what they need to be home long term.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
That last part was more along the lines of what I was wondering about. I did not expect companies to start paying people's electric bills, but I would think they would give people a raise to cover some incidental expenses working from home. Or like the government did . . . something like a $1,200 one time payout to cover transition to WFH costs. My wife would much rather be at work than at home. She doesn't care for it and doesn't like being so isolated.
She works at an $80+ billion healthcare company that hasn't laid anyone off and is in the process of adding 6,000 people. She's considered an essential healthcare provider and would be gobbled up in a heartbeat by someone else if she were to be let go.
As far as some of the other stuff I mentioned, I know that some higher ups in the company get their cell and cable bills covered (and the company picked up the cost of setting up home offices and VPNs). Maybe only people at a certain level get those perks.
E Street Brat
Footballguy
I just got the memo, I'm supposed to go back on Sept 8th,
I'm desperate for a shark move play here. The anxiety is already kicking in. Any ides on how to maintain my WFH status?
I'm desperate for a shark move play here. The anxiety is already kicking in. Any ides on how to maintain my WFH status?
Osaurus
Footballguy
Punxsutawney Phil
Footballguy
Unfortunately this is a political issue and you are in Polk County, which is primarily red. you really have no choice but to fall in line, start going back to work and calling this all a big hoax.E Street Brat said:
ETA. Better off getting in their good grace and angling for a non-covid wfh excuse. "All these kids not going to school keep stealing my Trump/Pence sign. WFH is the only way I can prevent this."
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Punxsutawney Phil
Footballguy
What about cost of living? Why should companies pay someone more to work from home in NY or San Fran?
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Insoxicated
When I first started we were WFH whenever but we're expected to be in the office a couple days a week.
As leadership changed we got pressure to be in the office 4 days a week. I kept working from home 3 days a week out of protest. My director (Known anti-WFH out of Atlanta) made a comment about it in January.
Now she's very Pro-WFH and says we won't be going back to 4 days at the office no matter what.
I'm loving WFH. GF has a nice setup in our home office. I like to work from the living room (TV, big windows) so I set up a small office nook for my 2 monitors there.
My typical day is answering emails on phone 6-7ish. Shower. At my desk sometime between 8 and 10am depending on meetings. Have 30 min strength training daily in mornings. I make us lunch around 12:30. At 5 we shut down and go for an hour walk, I come home and make dinner.
Im usually "at my desk" an average of 10-15 hours a week. Generally don't work Friday afternoons. I keep my work mobile on me everywhere and can do 80% of my job from It. There are weeks where I'm busting my ### (like this one) but usually it's pretty much cake.
Occasionally (once a week or two) I "work from the bar" for an afternoon.... take my laptop and use as needed. Generally don't work Friday afternoons.
Just had my midyear review and crushing it. Boss thinks I'm slammed. Efficiency is key.
We had fast internet anyway (stream all TV) so no worries there, though subsidized office equipment would be nice.
We order take out (#### Uber Eats / Grub Hub / etc) from a local place at least once or twice a week. Otherwise we are eating healthier than we ever have. Working out more. In better shape than in a long time.
For me, I'd love to go back to where I was... in the office on my own accord when needed. Usually drop in for 4-8 hours 1-3 days a week for meetings that are better in person... or to just see teammates. Otherwise, I'm good with this.
We've been bouncing around the idea of renting an RV for a month and working on the road while traveling the country.
As leadership changed we got pressure to be in the office 4 days a week. I kept working from home 3 days a week out of protest. My director (Known anti-WFH out of Atlanta) made a comment about it in January.
Now she's very Pro-WFH and says we won't be going back to 4 days at the office no matter what.
I'm loving WFH. GF has a nice setup in our home office. I like to work from the living room (TV, big windows) so I set up a small office nook for my 2 monitors there.
My typical day is answering emails on phone 6-7ish. Shower. At my desk sometime between 8 and 10am depending on meetings. Have 30 min strength training daily in mornings. I make us lunch around 12:30. At 5 we shut down and go for an hour walk, I come home and make dinner.
Im usually "at my desk" an average of 10-15 hours a week. Generally don't work Friday afternoons. I keep my work mobile on me everywhere and can do 80% of my job from It. There are weeks where I'm busting my ### (like this one) but usually it's pretty much cake.
Occasionally (once a week or two) I "work from the bar" for an afternoon.... take my laptop and use as needed. Generally don't work Friday afternoons.
Just had my midyear review and crushing it. Boss thinks I'm slammed. Efficiency is key.
We had fast internet anyway (stream all TV) so no worries there, though subsidized office equipment would be nice.
We order take out (#### Uber Eats / Grub Hub / etc) from a local place at least once or twice a week. Otherwise we are eating healthier than we ever have. Working out more. In better shape than in a long time.
For me, I'd love to go back to where I was... in the office on my own accord when needed. Usually drop in for 4-8 hours 1-3 days a week for meetings that are better in person... or to just see teammates. Otherwise, I'm good with this.
We've been bouncing around the idea of renting an RV for a month and working on the road while traveling the country.
Yep, I was doing that during the spring but all indoors during the summer - brutal heat. Fall should be awesome.
Angry Beavers
Footballguy
Wife going to FT work from home for rest of year ( since March)
I have WFH since March and just accepted a new job which will keep me WFH indefinately.
As empty nesters, this is a very interesting dynamic to say the least.
I have WFH since March and just accepted a new job which will keep me WFH indefinately.
As empty nesters, this is a very interesting dynamic to say the least.
Poke_4_Life
Footballguy
nooners? my wife keeps turning me down...
but we've been doing the 5ish pm sexy time a lot... something to be said about sexy time before dinner time...
Back when I had a side business that I operated out of the house, the tax guidance I received was that you could deduct your office square footage and associated expenses with that as proportional to your overall square footage.....and it was only deductible from the interest portion of your mortgage. So if home was paid off you were SOL. No idea if that's a state by state thing or if things have changed...but thought it was worth mentioning.Otis said:
I can see tax regulations changing big time as well.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
IIRC, they changed the ability to deduct a home office unless you had a separate building on the property for the business. So you could no longer have a deduction for business use of home in a single dwelling. That was part of making a larger general deduction for everyone. I believe that home based businesses where that was the only location for the business could still utilize the business use of home deduction. Maybe they will amend that again with so many people working from home now.
Tom Hagen
Footballguy
After 2018, an employee cannot claim a home office deduction. Self employed taxpayers are still allowed to take the deduction you described.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
I am self employed but could not take the business use of home deduction because I have an office at a different location. I used to be able to previously, but as you said they changed the parameters in 2018.
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
Don't companies already do this? I work for a bank, and I'm pretty sure VPs in the midwest don't make as much as VPs living in NYC.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
But most of those expenses are offset by the savings WFH comes with: commuting costs, less wear and tear on autos, work clothes (cleaning and purchasing new clothes), lunches....Anarchy99 said:
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Tom Hagen
Footballguy
You are correct, I forgot to mention that with certain exceptions your home office must be your primary office. One of the exceptions would be if you meet with customers at your home.
leftcoastguy7
Footballguy
Nice!
If a construction worker decided he has had enough and wanted a WFH job, how would he get such a job?
Is there a WFHjobs.com website where they list these things or something?
Punxsutawney Phil
Footballguy
I have been loving WFH, but want to re-establish an office presence without going back to the daily routine. I'm thinking I will probably start going in about 3 days a week from about 8-lunch. Drop kid off at school, roll in, and then grab lunch and WFH.
As much as WFH may appear to be encouraged, the OG's in the office don't like it. Despite corporate already looking to reduce our footprint and save $$$, I don't want to be a 100% wfh primarily because of the appearance.
As much as WFH may appear to be encouraged, the OG's in the office don't like it. Despite corporate already looking to reduce our footprint and save $$$, I don't want to be a 100% wfh primarily because of the appearance.
Punxsutawney Phil
Footballguy
Went into the office yesterday and was informed the admin is taking a seating count everyday, and they are also pulling the key card data daily bas well. Reducing corporate footprint, and going to an open office floorplan was in the works before the pandemic. We recently went from 3 to 2 floors, and it looks like they are thinking of going to 1 floor. Nobody will have an assigned work station. It wasn't even a month after WFH started when Cushman Wakefield sent out a survey about working from home. RIP Commercial real estate.
