@nixCraft@mastodon.socialMe: can i work from home?
employer: no.
Me: why? why not?
employer: we own too much real estate.
@nixCraft@mastodon.social Sorry, hate to disagree on this but I really hate when we lump an entire issue together into one generalized statement, even as a joke.
What about the people who can't conduct remote work... like most of us? What about the blue collar workers that have to climb the wind turbines thousands of feet into the air? What about the worker who has to go and replace a solar module in a field or troubleshoot that inverter?
They can't remote in to replace a mechanical part on a machine and they need a warehouse to conduct these operations from. Furthermore, the staff needed to conduct those warehouse operations also can't remote in. They must be there to ready the service vans, conduct repairs on them, order parts, stage them, etc.
So I guess it just sucks to suck right? Maybe we should have learned a different skill? That's all well and good until something is so broken it's beyond your skill set to repair. Then you're literally doing the same thing your criticizing to that worker when you call them to fix something on your property. So is the idea that nobody should own property so nobody has to do anything at all?
If your going to comment on something, don't paint in broad strokes. That really rubs me the wrong way.
@NumbersCanBeFun @nixCraft nani the fuck?
@notkudu@mastodon.social @nixCraft@mastodon.social Not sure what you were asking but I'll simply just in case. If you have something broken on your property you cannot fix, you must hire someone to fix it. You are now their employer and you have requested a task that cannot be remotely corrected on your property.
The other points I made were just related to needing the infrastructure to support that request and the manpower it takes to fulfill it. There are real world reasons why a business will need real estate and physical workers in those spaces to accomplish even what you may consider a simple repair.
@NumbersCanBeFun @nixCraft dude no one is saying every job can be remote, we are talking about teck jobs, most teck jobs like tech support, Sysadmin and programers can work remotly, I don't think anyone was like, everything should be remote work
@notkudu@mastodon.social @nixCraft@mastodon.social except the part where the joke completely glosses over that fact. I get some workers have a valid argument but that is why I said "if you're going to comment on something, don't paint it in broad strokes".
This is a complicated and delicate issue that has many layers to it and I don't find the joke humorous because of it. This my main point of contention, not the argument that some people can work from home. I agree with that.
@NumbersCanBeFun the joke did refer to the fact that many CEOs own the office they want the employees to work in, so with remote work they can't continue to charge enormous amounts of rent from their own company.
That does not in any way connotate that not all jobs can be worked from remote.
So, calm down - we're all on the same page here #TaxTheRich
@NumbersCanBeFun @nixCraft @notkudu if your not can not be done remotely, why would you ask your boss for it in the first place?
@NumbersCanBeFun @nixCraft @notkudu with the greatest of respect, I think you might have misunderstood OP. I agree with your point that not every job can be remote, that's very much common sense and you're right about it. But that's not the point OP was making, they were saying, if a job can be realistically be done remotely, why not allow for that, instead of forcing people back in the office because you've invested in it. I happen to agree with that - I'd be interested to hear any reasons that you'd disagree with it?
Either way, have a good day! 
@robgreene@techhub.social @nixCraft@mastodon.social @notkudu@mastodon.social I don't disagree with it, I am on the same page with you. My main point of contention was stated right at the end. This is a complicated and delicate issue and I don't appreciate it being painted in a broad stroke. It's over simplifying the issue for the sake of a laugh when there are layers of complexity to the entire situation. Most of which are no laughing matter.
I hope you have a wonderful day yourself 
@nixCraft The company I work for, in addition to getting most people back in the office, also sold off some buildings since it was too expensive to have this real estate.
@nixCraft The struggle is real.
That sounded nutty to me at first.
Then all sorts of articles came out about that subject.
The situation is really an environmental gift that should be promoted. There doesn't seem to be any other way to get people to use their cars much less and be happy about it.
Homeless people? Housing shortage? You now have many unused buildings.
@nixCraft employer: Because we need to show my dominance over the employees.
Because dominance is the only way some know how to "manage".
"Can we work from home to remote into other machines?"
"No, we have all this real estate we're paying for."
"Oh, so I have a desk/cube/phone dedicated to me?"
"No, first come first serve."
"Can I park near the building at least?"
"If you pay for a pass, and we're all out. Pay for the bus. See you Monday"
@nixCraft I wish this were a joke.