Remote work has pros and cons--both at an organization level and at an individual level. I think that "both sides" have argued the pros and cons enough that I don't need to repeat them here.
It's clear to me that no work situation is ideal for everyone or every group.
My "selfish" point of view is that I hope that remote work takes over more and more, and that companies stop forcing workers back into the office full-time.
My personal life situation makes remote work almost a requirement if I want to continue being a software developer. I'm divorced with a young son over whom I have 50% custody. I won't move to a "tech hub" city for a job and abdicate my responsibilities as a father. Even my current job is only a 40 minute commute for me by car, and I still only go to the office once or twice per week: the days that I have to drop off or pick my son up from school won't really accommodate a 40 minute commute unless I'm only going to work a 5-6 hour day.
I count myself as very fortunate that my current work situation is with wonderful people, who all have families as well, and mostly-remote was part of my initial negotiation.
On the flip side of feeling fortunate, I have to remind myself that the company is fortunate, too. Not that I'm not humble, but I do think I'm a pretty good software dev and a generally good employee who takes pride in their work.
I guess the point of spilling out my personal life story on the internet is that I hope that companies realize that forcing on-location work is not just a choice between an employee being at home or being in the office; it may be a choice between having a good employee and not having them at all.
It's clear to me that no work situation is ideal for everyone or every group.
My "selfish" point of view is that I hope that remote work takes over more and more, and that companies stop forcing workers back into the office full-time.
My personal life situation makes remote work almost a requirement if I want to continue being a software developer. I'm divorced with a young son over whom I have 50% custody. I won't move to a "tech hub" city for a job and abdicate my responsibilities as a father. Even my current job is only a 40 minute commute for me by car, and I still only go to the office once or twice per week: the days that I have to drop off or pick my son up from school won't really accommodate a 40 minute commute unless I'm only going to work a 5-6 hour day.
I count myself as very fortunate that my current work situation is with wonderful people, who all have families as well, and mostly-remote was part of my initial negotiation.
On the flip side of feeling fortunate, I have to remind myself that the company is fortunate, too. Not that I'm not humble, but I do think I'm a pretty good software dev and a generally good employee who takes pride in their work.
I guess the point of spilling out my personal life story on the internet is that I hope that companies realize that forcing on-location work is not just a choice between an employee being at home or being in the office; it may be a choice between having a good employee and not having them at all.