Yeah, but most of the posts here aren't really critique, they're just sarcastic scorn. We get it, HN, you like remote work a lot and can't imagine any alternative.
I'd wager most of us can imagine alternatives because we lived alternatives. We've figured out a method that works better for us and don't want to go back to losing hours a week for what we expect will have negative value (lower productivity, happiness, etc).
Further, this edict is coming from someone that is presumable working remote now (for at least one company) and will continue to do so indefinitely. It's only natural to push back on that.
I'm reading the same comments, and there seems to be a reasonable amount of thoughtful writing too. In addition, there are sarcastic/scornful comments in the other direction too, yours included ("We get it, HN, you like remote work a lot and can't imagine any alternative."). Try not to get focused on individual snarky comments, because doing that makes those comments a bigger part of the conversation.
Agreed. I have been reading HN for a while, and the overwhelming tone here is definitely "screw the manager/CIO/CEO" together with "If I have to go into the office, I will quiet quit, quit without notice, sabotage my employer", etc. It is truly shocking.
I feel many on HN simply can't appreciate the great working conditions the IT industry has compared to other industries (health care, food service, social services, etc). Getting paid over $100K a year and crying about going to the office? Wow, just wow. Imagine how nurses feel getting much lower pay that are forced to go to work and deal with sick/unruly people...
> HN simply can't appreciate the great working conditions the IT industry has compared to other industries
These conditions don't happen by accident or by the goodwill of employers. They happen because people in the industry have such a hard attitude toward management. Stop pushing back and all these conditions will suddenly disappear.
Your example of nurses is a good one. In some countries they have excellent conditions. In other countries, they have very poor conditions. Their impact on society is the same everywhere, but different historical events have allowed them to have their current work experience.
I don't know where you work/worked before, but I've only had 1 "bad boss" in my +30yr IT career. Even that boss did not rise to the level of "bad bosses" constantly criticized here on HN. Most/all of my bosses have been extremely understanding about work-life balance, family commitments, teamwork, collaboration, etc. Seems I been very lucky compared to the vast number of HN comments.
> These conditions don't happen by accident or by the goodwill of employers. They happen because people in the industry have such a hard attitude toward management.
I call baloney on this. It always cracks me up how wrong people are about management’s attitude about them. Been in management at upper levels across multiple orgs, and not once have I ever heard discussions about “how we can screw our team”.
All I know is that when you have within a few weeks nearly 15k+ former Facebook, Twitter, Stripe, and (name the next SV company to layoffs) folks entering the job market…if you are still employed, you might want to lay low for a while and count your blessings, because there is going to be a hundreds of impressive resumes for every open position in tech that comes open for the next 12-18 months.
Rage quitting would be really really stupid right now. You’ll end up replacing your cushy 6-figure tech gig with a lovely career slinging hash and eggs for minimum wage plus tips.
The takeaway is that nurses should get higher pay as compensation for being unable to not WFH. Not that everybody else should feel glad that they aren't getting screwed to the same extent.