We downsized the office but not the people...

[Phentex]

employees have scattered to the wind, updating their home offices, getting new computers and software upgrades and we said come take whatever ya want (chairs, bookcases, etc.) It felt nice to clean out and clear out. We had a lot of outdated stuff that wasn't being used.

The new space is brighter and half the size of the old space. There are a couple of "hot" desks and space for laptops if anyone shows up at the same time. Good walking distance to all kinds of stuff. It's very quiet though but not much different from the past year.

The only thing I cannot figure out is the notary who now works from home. And before anyone says use the bank or UPS store, I can do that but it's a royal pain. Banks sometimes only have one at the branch and I used to have to wait up to 45 minutes for a 20 second transaction. Often I get requests for several notarized forms in a single day and that's a bunch of time spent on it. Don't get me started on parking and construction traffic. The client doesn't care how much time I have to spend on it and they often want it right away. Again, just annoying but necessary.

But the work seems to be getting done with people actually HAPPIER to work from home. No more nightmarish Atlanta commutes.

Too bad it took a pandemic to make people realize this can be done. I think we will enjoy seeing each other a lot more at this year's holiday party!

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. Been doing it for twenty years.

Last edited Wed Nov 10, 2021, 07:38 PM - Edit history (1)

I am a partner in an international trading company. We work with lots of US OEMs on their engineered component requirements.

Back in the mid-90's, in my last job that required office presence, I convinced my management to get me a dial-in access to our materials database. That allowed me to get quality work done at home, communicating real time with China suppliers (saving days on getting/giving actionable responses), and basically show up at the office when I had to - strategy meetings, engineering meets, material review board meetings, supplier meetings, etc.

I started a business in 2000 with a couple of folks that I worked with for many years. Our home office is in Dover, NH, but I live in Dexter, ME....about 4.5 hours away. Hell of a commute. So, never spent a lot of time in Dover, but no need....I get my part of the business done and we are making money.

[Phentex]

4. It was offered but rarely taken up...

I never understood why they never took advantage of at least a few days per week working from home. But I guess it was just habit or something ingrained.

One partner was very skeptical and almost against it but he has come around. I think he has some ego issues.

[OAITW r.2.0]

6. A partnership is definitely different than a corporate/company mentality.

Prior to 2000, I worked with the best manufacturing team I've ever been associated with in Pittsfield, ME. We were the best at new product development. We had on-site SMT/board-level testing with insourced Plastics Injection Molding (my contribution). We built micro based smoke sensors that became the absolute gold standard in the world smoke detection market. Where, there's as much value at not-smoke alarming as there is in announcing a real fire condition. Bar none, we could bring a well designed product from design-thru prototype- thru initial production. Once nailed, we sent the product to China - the only place to go for lowest cost and maximize shareholder value. I leaned a lot from my 18 years with this company. We had the best goddam manufacturing team, bar none, in the the USA. I still believe this. Sadly, UT. then GE bought us and they proceeded to gut the core that made this group so valuable. They GE MBA's never understood the value of what they had in this operating unit.

[MichMan]

7. "Best goddamn manufacturing team, bar none, in the USA"

Yet you outsourced the actual manufacturing of the product to China to take advantage of paying slave wages & low benefits. Instead of hiring American workers with decent wages & benefits.

And then you pat yourself on the back for getting "lowest cost and maximizing shareholder value"

Seems like what GE did was just karma coming right back at you.

[BigmanPigman]

2. This is one of the areas where changes as a result of Covid

will be seen and analyzed for years in the future. Big and small shifts will continue as the world continues to react and move forward in a quickly changing period following a worldwide catastrophe.

Half of the teachers in my district prefer teaching via tech instead of in-person. Lots of movement in jobs and positions are happening in many districts and will continue, especially as we slowly emerge from Covid.

[Phentex]

5. So true...

I am curious to see how new hiring works in the near future. Maybe they won't be so scared to hire someone in another city/state.