[PragmaticPulp]

The SBA is referring specifically to their own employees doing SBA work, not necessarily telework in general.

Interestingly, they attribute the additional productivity to the fact that their telework employees are simply working more hours:

> “It doesn’t matter to me where your eight-, 10-, 12-hour day is, but as long as we’re getting coverage from that perspective,” Rivera said.

> While some federal managers have expressed skepticism with telework productivity, Deputy CIO Luis Campudoni said employees are, if anything, putting in longer hours than they normally would working in the office.

> “From an eight-hour workday that you would normally experience in the office, now, without asking the workforce, certainly get 10-12 hours of work done on a daily basis. It’s because of that flexibility, people appreciate that,” Campudoni said.

I would also expect productivity to go up if everyone was working 25-50% more hours under the new system. I don't know if that's sustainable though. If these jobs are paid hourly and the extra hours aren't mandatory then the employees aren't necessarily getting a bad deal. However, if the extra hours are unpaid or the 12-hour days become mandatory, this could fall apart fast.

[lostcolony]

I think a lot of it has to do with the nature of the work.

I know where I currently am, my hours have smeared to cross 12 hours of the day. I have meetings as early as 8 AM, and as late as 7 PM, routinely (sometimes even later). That's to accommodate people in other timezones.

But, my middle of the day is oftentimes empty. I'll use that time to go out to a botanical garden, or play a game, or work on personal pursuits, or nap.

It's hard to say whether I'm more productive or not; I changed jobs mid-pandemic and so I don't have much to compare to (and I left my prior job because I was bored; I'm a manager, and wasn't feeling productive, but that's because everything I was empowered to change I had running so smoothly it didn't need my attention, and all I was doing was small boring implementation stuff so the team could have the interesting work).

But I can say that the extra hours aren't really helpful toward being productive (and that I've taken steps to keep them from being harmful). So I'm not sure that people doing stuff across 12 hours of the day really equates to 12 hours of work.

[VectorLock]

I'm okay with spending the X% percent of hours I would be commuting doing productive work, and double-okay with my employer reaping the productivity benefits from it.

[gnicholas]

People who have an unenjoyable commute, like stop-and-go-traffic, probably feel this way. But people who commute while exercising (bicycle riders) or consume books/podcasts/news while commuting probably wouldn't be so inclined.

[heavyset_go]

I'm perfectly capable of consuming books/podcasts/news on my own and not because of a mandatory commute that is simultaneously exhausting, expensive and dangerous.

[VectorLock]

I'd say people who have an "enjoyable" commute is likely in the vanishing minority. And then they can simply reproduce their commute in their leisure time.

[gnicholas]

Surely anyone can do these activities in their leisure time. My point was that if someone's commute is spent largely doing things like reading or listening to podcasts, one would not share GP's inclination to spend part of one's prior commute time working, and have one's employer reap the benefits of that.

I have commuted on trains at various times and used my commute time in this way. Also, where I live in CA there are lots of people who bike to work (pre-COVID) and enjoy the forced exercise of their commute. Perhaps this is unique to warm-weather locations, where biking is easy for most of the year?

[phobosanomaly]

I had a boss who finished an online master's degree on his train commute every day.

It was a good way for him to timebox the work, and stay consistent day-in-day-out without having to burn through a ton of self-discipline.

[VectorLock]

The good part about not commuting is that even if you enjoyed that time, you still _have_ that time to do what you want, you don't necessarily have to work.

[gnicholas]

Sure, but OP mentioned being willing to let his work bleed over into what would have been his commute time. Your perspective is totally valid, but is not consistent with OP's willingness to spend a commute time doing more work with no additional comp.

[walshemj]

Why - its not like your getting paid for it.

[sokoloff]

If my salaried job used to make me commute, then work 8 hours, then commute home, I think it's a mistake to think that they were only paying me for the middle part.

When I negotiated the position and considered my options, you bet I considered the commute as part of the deal.

[walshemj]

um no salaried means you don't have fixed hours you might want to read this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ragged-Trousered_Philanthr...

Your also subsidizing your employers office costs so will they be paying 25% of your property taxes that's the going rate in the UK like when I had to use one room for all my dialysis supplies.

[VectorLock]

Exactly. You're not getting paid to commute. But you are getting paid to work when you would otherwise be commuting. If you're salary, its a wash. If you're hourly, you make more.