"I'm working from home today"

[Salzmann]

My company supports teleworking and there are some people who work 100% from home. They're required to verify that they have a separate, private space for work and that they don't have responsibility for small children during the workday. With my manager's agreement (what does he care, he's in Europe), I work from home on Fridays. Empty nest here and my home office is bigger and quieter than the one at work.

When the roads are bad after snowstorms and the schools close, suddenly most of the office is "working from home". That's not an exaggeration; yesterday it was 65%. The Business Continuity guy provided this info and said he considered it a test of our plans that everyone would work from home if we had to close the office. He asked for feedback on getting into the system via vpn.

I picture most of these people sitting at the kitchen table trying to work, with kids home from school and chasing the dogs around the kitchen. Am I a curmudgeon? Should I mind my own business?

[Hugh Jass]

1) can I work where you work?
2) please change title to "I'm working from home today"

[Streetlight 22]

what's a curmudgeon?

[Woodrow]

I assume they are getting more work done than if they did not say they were working form home.

How would your company measure this day if they just didn't come in? PTO? sick time? vacation? If they would just get a free day of sick time, then getting partial work form them is better for the company.

If they were supposed to get something done that day and didn't, presumably someone will call them on it.

[Salzmann]

Originally Posted by Woodrow

How would your company measure this day if they just didn't come in? PTO? sick time? vacation? If they would just get a free day of sick time, then getting partial work from them is better for the company.

Good question. Back in the Dark Ages I worked for a company in downtown Newark that NEVER closed in the 10 years I was there. I commuted during some nightmarish conditions and when I actually stayed home I took a vacation day. That was the policy. I don't see how anyone could justify it as a sick day unless they lied, and that would be pretty transparent if you were sick every time the schools closed.

[ACCtuary]

Originally Posted by Salzmann

My company supports teleworking and there are some people who work 100% from home. They're required to verify that they have a separate, private space for work and that they don't have responsibility for small children during the workday. With my manager's agreement (what does he care, he's in Europe), I work from home on Fridays. Empty nest here and my home office is bigger and quieter than the one at work.

When the roads are bad after snowstorms and the schools close, suddenly most of the office is "working from home". That's not an exaggeration; yesterday it was 65%. The Business Continuity guy provided this info and said he considered it a test of our plans that everyone would work from home if we had to close the office. He asked for feedback on getting into the system via vpn.

I picture most of these people sitting at the kitchen table trying to work, with kids home from school and chasing the dogs around the kitchen. Am I a curmudgeon? Should I mind my own business?

No, my kids are in the other room cranking excel spreadsheets for me, proving once again that exams are over-rated. j/k.

You are probably right to assume that people are not as productive during snow days as other wise, but those who have a burning motive to get things done will do so.

Actually, I think its split. Those who already work at home and are used to it would probably be at about 70% productivity, and those who only occasionally work at home, much less so.

[sideout1212]

Originally Posted by Salzmann

Good question. Back in the Dark Ages I worked for a company in downtown Newark that NEVER closed in the 10 years I was there. I commuted during some nightmarish conditions and when I actually stayed home I took a vacation day. That was the policy. I don't see how anyone could justify it as a sick day unless they lied, and that would be pretty transparent if you were sick every time the schools closed.

At my company we have planned PTO and unplanned PTO. The unplanned PTO is more valuable because you can roll it over and because you don't have to give a week's notice to use it. It sounds like you are implying that vacation days are worth more...do you not have to give notice to take a day as "vacation", ie what if you are not sick but have to take a day for other reasons, is that a vacation day?

[OmanOman]

Working at home is a dream for me.

[OmanOman]

Have to sit inside the cubical to make sure my boss can find me.

[Salzmann]

Originally Posted by sideout1212

It sounds like you are implying that vacation days are worth more...do you not have to give notice to take a day as "vacation", ie what if you are not sick but have to take a day for other reasons, is that a vacation day?

Not sure what the rule is here; fortunately in the 6 years I've been here I've never had to take an unplanned day off for reasons other than illness (and probably fewer than 5 sick days). My manager is a pretty reasonable guy and if I had to disappear for a day on short notice I'd offer to take it as a Personal Day (we get 2-4, depending on how many Company Holidays there are that year) or a Vacation day if I were out of Personal Days. I don't think he'd object to giving one-day's notice for a vacation day in unusual circumstances. That was pretty much the practice at the other company as well.