Originally Posted by
Artkansas
I first started working from home when a company I worked for closed their offices in the U.S. That didn't last long.
From personal observation I've learned that there is a lot of communication that gets lost if everyone is online. There are times when a co-worker says, "Uh oh" and I know exactly what has happened. I don't need to wait for an edited version of the story via email.
And working online is more lonely. No conversation sessions that promote bonding.
And so I wonder if it would work to arrange for specific departments to come into the office for a day once a week or once every other week. That would be the day for meetings and in-person information exchanges.
An office containing 100 people divided into several different departments would not need to have 100 offices or cubicles like they currently have to house everyone ... they might only need a dozen offices or cubicles, just enough to house one department on that department's in-office day.
As mentioned above, I agree about the loneliness. I've been in situations where I've been working on a project with a group of people, and we're all on the same wavelength and there's a certain bond. You can talk to each other and everyone understands ... but if you try to talk to a friend who doesn't work there and isn't involved in the project, you just can't.