
The cost of working from home is a cunt.
The work from home (WFH) option has been a no-no for a very long time. At least it has in IT circles. Management seem to think that if they can’t actually see you at your desk, then you’re not doing your job. Odd that they don’t seem to trust the very same people they themselves hired. Some companies have used occasional WFH as a perk or a no-cost-to-them benefit for some of their employees. Seriously. Other companies have used a WFH policy as a means to depress salaries. The logic seems to be eliminating a commute means employees are more willing to work for less and accept non-tangible benefits as part of their overall compensation. Fact is, commuting or not doesn’t change the value of someone’s work or output. Furthermore, any ‘benefit’ derived from not commuting is directly proportional to the employee’s distance from their place of work. As such, the ‘benefit’ cannot be applied uniformly and is therefore unfair and discriminatory.
The curse of the ‘Rona has proved companies can survive with a remote workforce and the remote workforce does in fact continue to do its job. Who would have thunk it? Onsite office space for every employee may well be a thing of the past. Consider the cost savings for the employer. The elimination or reduction of:
* office space rent
* office furniture
* office heating/cooling
* other building utility costs for lighting, water, sewage, drainage, etc.
* onsite subsidised catering, free tea/coffee, etc.
* various insurances
* general building/grounds maintenance costs like cleaning, landscaping, etc.
At the same time, you’re at home doing your job, possibly using a company laptop. Who’s paying for your increased usage of electricity, internet, heating/cooling, stationery supplies, additional equipment like external screens, printers, scanners, etc.? You are. Anyone expensing this back to their employer? No, didn’t think so. Anyone seen a nice bonus or salary increase to reflect your additional costs and the employer’s cost reductions ? No, didn’t think so.
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/mps-given-an-extra-10000-to-work-from-home/09/04/
Odd that. Discuss.
Nominated by: Imitation Yank



