Earlier in the pandemic many news and magazine organizations would proudly write about how working from home always actually can lead to over working and being too “productive”. I am yet to collect some evidence on it but I think we remember a good amount about this.

Now after a bunch of companies want their remote workers back at the office, every one of those companies are being almost propaganda machines which do not cite sound scientific studies but cite each other and interviews with higher ups in top companies that “remote workers are less productive”. This is further cementing the general public’s opinion on this matter.

And research that shows the opposite is buried deep within any search results.

Have you noticed this? Please share what you have observed. I’m going paranoid about this.

  • AdamEatsAss@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    50
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    I think it’s partially rage bait at this point. At the start of the pandemic remote work was a new idea and it was easy to get views on an article about it. Now you need a shocking title that’ll enrage people to get engagement on the topic.

    • rambaroo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      It wasn’t a new idea and it wasn’t rage bait. My company internally praised us for increased productivity during the pandemic, and now they’re trying to gaslight us into RTO.

      This isn’t about productivity. These companies are lying. This is 100% about real estate investments, tax breaks, and flexing power over their employees’ lives. They were scared by how much employee power grew during the pandemic and they’ll invent whatever bullshit lie they can to sweep that under the rug.

      • AdamEatsAss@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        Since companies adopted computers and the Internet it’s been possible. I remember my dad working from home every now and then. But the idea that almost any desk job could be done remotely full time is new.

        • TurdFerguson@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          1 year ago

          The pandemic definitely pushed companies into finally adopting it, but believe me, it was not a new concept. I remember reading an article 20 yrs ago about Best Buy adopting it, for example, and how it increased productivity and morale, etc. Since then, it’s been catching on, I’ve had plenty of friends that have worked from home since long before the pandemic, it’s just that a lot of companies were still afraid of giving their employees that much autonomy.

    • gmtom@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      1 year ago

      If you could look into the investment portfolios of big companies and the rich people that run them you would see that the biggest sector is commercial real estate. In the UK pre pandemic, 40% of investments went into commercial real estate. So thats the main reason they are pushing it.