HACKER Q&A
📣 lyfeninja

Why are companies so distrustful of remote employees?


I just passed on a job for a quality company in the Bay area because they wouldn't budge on remote work. I already work remote and have since the pandemic and it works for me and my employer. I do travel occasionally, but whenever I do I always think "wow, I'd get so much more done right now at home."

I've always been skeptical of the entire RTO storyline. I literally work on a computer all day with an Internet connection and can complete every aspect of my job remotely, no if, ands, or buts, about it. Also, at this point many are tracking our mouse movements and key strokes, and the work gets done, so they know we're working too

I'm used to the short sided mindset at this point, but the situation just got me thinking about it again.

Meanwhile, companies are throwing everything at AI (which works remotely), laying off employees to do so, and then having obsurd in office policies and skimping on benefits. Just makes you wonder why they distrust people so much.

  👤 sibeliuss Accepted Answer ✓
As someone who works from home, and has for a long time, and would do it no differently -- and also as someone who has been up in the chain a bit and had an opportunity to look closely at things like productivity and other working patterns -- I can tell you that I've seen the most deeply unethical things, things that could never ever happen in an office. The whole "Quiet Quitting" movement, and just taking advantage in all kinds of ways. I've seen it again and again, particularly with younger employees.

If you are a remote work company and hire someone who is not passionate about what they do, they will, for certain, take advantage. And why wouldn't they? So it is easier to just lean on the side of caution, especially if the management chain isn't entirely on top of things (which is common, because everyone is busy).

👤 aroido-bigcat
I think part of it is also that most companies never built good ways to measure output in the first place.

In an office, “being there” becomes a proxy for productivity, even if it’s not accurate.

Once you remove that, the gap becomes very visible, and instead of fixing measurement, a lot of companies just revert back to what they’re used to.

So it ends up looking like a remote work problem, but it’s really a management/measurement problem.

👤 billybuckwheat
It's about control. If a middle manager (or higher) can't see you, they don't believe that you're working. No matter how much work you actually get done.
👤 PaulHoule
For one thing there is the nightmare scenario that the guy who shows up for the job interview is the front man for a North Korean team. Also the Bay Area is like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/View_of_the_World_from_9th_Ave... but much worse and they’d hate more than anything if you “think different”
👤 xvxvx
Probably because anytime I work from home I watch TV all day and just respond to Slacks on my phone.
👤 mech422
As a counterpoint, I've worked remotely since like 2000 ... It gets easier and more 'normal' every year. So I wouldn't worry about it too much.