Return to the office (apply, how much, coworkers, available)
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Yes, my company is very clear that we check badge data. But it is not because we are requiring people to come in at all. It is because we offer certain benefits to those that are coming in routinely and need to see who qualifies.
Now we are told that immediately we have to be in the office 5 days a week and secretly I found out that they are checking badge scans into the building.
We've been back since late 2020, and they know when and how long we are at work based on our server login and logouts. Doesn't bother me a bit. Lots of people lost their jobs during 2020 so I'm glad to be gainfully employed.
More companies do seem to be recalling workers to the office.
I work for a county government. We had an IT analyst vacancy open up - it's fully remote, but you do have to live within two hours of the county. It's an entry-level position. Pay is good for the public sector/region, but doesn't compete with corporate salaries in the big metros in the same state. The pay is disclosed on the requisition, so people know the pay going in.
We are up to about thirty applicants. I don't think we had ten for the same position in February.
Yes, my company is very clear that we check badge data. But it is not because we are requiring people to come in at all. It is because we offer certain benefits to those that are coming in routinely and need to see who qualifies.
They told us publicly that they don't check badge data but the director for my department told us discreetly that they are in fact pulling reports on who comes into the building and on what days.
One of my coworkers moved out of state during the pandemic to be closer to his elderly parents who need special care. Now they want him back to the office 5 days a week. He tells them he isn't moving. My boss is discreetly letting him work remotely until January 1. What's so dumb about all of this is my company is going to tell him to come in or be fired and then turn around and hire a remote contractor to do his work. You literally can't make up this level of stupidity.
They told us publicly that they don't check badge data but the director for my department told us discreetly that they are in fact pulling reports on who comes into the building and on what days.
One of my coworkers moved out of state during the pandemic to be closer to his elderly parents who need special care. Now they want him back to the office 5 days a week. He tells them he isn't moving. My boss is discreetly letting him work remotely until January 1. What's so dumb about all of this is my company is going to tell him to come in or be fired and then turn around and hire a remote contractor to do his work. You literally can't make up this level of stupidity.
Yeah, because remote contractors don't get health insurance or other benefits which is a huge savings to the company. This has happened for years even before remote work was as widespread as it is now. I hope wyour coworker finds a great remote job so he can stay close to his parents or at least something with an easy, short commute.
Yeah, because remote contractors don't get health insurance or other benefits which is a huge savings to the company. This has happened for years even before remote work was as widespread as it is now. I hope wyour coworker finds a great remote job so he can stay close to his parents or at least something with an easy, short commute.
Not always. My company let someone go for different reasons and tried to replace him with a remote contractor. Didn't work. His area of expertise was too specialized. They tried another. Didn't work. Finally got a company and two independent contractors to replace the one employee. Together, they do a minimal job. I have no idea how much it all costs, but I know the result is overall revenue is down as a direct result of the contractor not being as dedicated as a staff employee. It's also more difficult for me and others to do our jobs because I can't just contact a coworker for what customers need. This makes customers wait and slowly get angry (so we lose more customers).
But I know what you mean, companies do it all the time for the reasons you mentioned. I think bean counters sometimes forget to look at how contractors impact the company holistically. Sometimes it's a good choice, but sometimes is penny-wise and pound foolish.
Although this topic isn't about cost savings, but the effectiveness or remote work. I have to agree with lepoisson that in that regard, the company's reasoning in that regard is idiotic. They are willing to let the staffer stay if he comes in to the office because, ostensibly, "remote work doesn't work." So it's not about cost, but work. But yet remote work is just fine for someone else/for a contractor.
Yeah, because remote contractors don't get health insurance or other benefits which is a huge savings to the company. This has happened for years even before remote work was as widespread as it is now. I hope wyour coworker finds a great remote job so he can stay close to his parents or at least something with an easy, short commute.
I've hired and managed contractors for years and the reality is, while you don't "pay" for those things directly, it's more than made up for on the total hourly rate paid. Contractors really only make sense if you need special expertise or work for short periods. But if you're hiring contractors to do the job of internal staff, you are paying much more than full time employes cost. They fully burdened cost is at least 50% or more higher.
I've hired and managed contractors for years and the reality is, while you don't "pay" for those things directly, it's more than made up for on the total hourly rate paid. Contractors really only make sense if you need special expertise or work for short periods. But if you're hiring contractors to do the job of internal staff, you are paying much more than full time employes cost. They fully burdened cost is at least 50% or more higher.
When I left the hospital system, we needed additional ERP expertise. We were paying $300/hr. to a staffing firm for a guy who looked great on paper, but realistically only had elementary knowledge of what we needed. I was working as admin of a certain system, and he was supposed to replace me as admin on that. I ended up keeping the system, and he was just put on miscellaneous projects.
Even if he was only making $100/hr. of the $300/hr. the agency was getting paid, he was far better off than the internal staff, most of whom were making $50k-$80k.
When I left the hospital system, we needed additional ERP expertise. We were paying $300/hr. to a staffing firm for a guy who looked great on paper, but realistically only had elementary knowledge of what we needed. I was working as admin of a certain system, and he was supposed to replace me as admin on that. I ended up keeping the system, and he was just put on miscellaneous projects.
Even if he was only making $100/hr. of the $300/hr. the agency was getting paid, he was far better off than the internal staff, most of whom were making $50k-$80k.
Has anyone else been called back into the office recently?
At my current employer, we have been back in the office since early 2022 and were able to do 2-3 days at home and the other days in the office. Then they said we had to be back in the office 3 days a week last fall. The rumor mill is now saying that they will ask people to return 4 days a week.
Yes, we've been called back 2 days per week. Our organization bought a brand new building right before COVID, so they don't want to just let it sit empty. We were told that we need to return to the office for "teamwork" and "collaboration," but that building is the real reason why.
What's happened is that experienced people have been leaving by the droves and it has been a challenge hiring new people. This is a kind of job that takes years before a new person becomes truly competent and efficient, so the new people that we do get don't know what they're doing. There has been a lot of rushed work and blown deadlines due to the staffing issues.
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