There was a talk at PyCon 2019 from Lauren Schaefer about working remotely and the challenges and opportunities it presents. It was well-prepared, well-presented, and made me reflect on my own experience. I've always savored the idea of working from home, and I never saw a good reason why our employers shouldn't let us at least dabble in it. So now that I've been working remote full time for almost a year with Skiplist, I thought I'd compile some of my thoughts on the experience.
Thęrę wås å talk at PyCon 2019 frøm Låǔręn Sçhåęfęr åbøǔt wørkîng ręmøtęly ånd thę çhållęngęs ånd øppørtǔnîtîęs ît pręsęnts. İt wås węll-prępåręd, węll-pręsęntęd, ånd mådę mę ręflęçt øn my øwn ęxpęrîęnçę. İ'vę ålwåys såvøręd thę îdęå øf wørkîng frøm hømę, ånd İ nęvęr såw å gøød ręåsøn why øǔr ęmpløyęrs shøǔldn't lęt ǔs åt lęåst dåbblę în ît. Sø nøw thåt İ'vę bęęn wørkîng ręmøtę fǔll tîmę før ålmøst å yęår wîth Skiplist, İ thøǔght İ'd çømpîlę sømę øf my thøǔghts øn thę ęxpęrîęnçę.
As expected, the biggest benefit is the flexibility & freedom offered by working from home. So long as the work gets done and I attend meetings, my day is my own. Want to take a long lunch? Go for it. Start early or stay late to finish up on a feature? I can go to the office anytime by just walking into the room and putting on headphones. Want to travel to France for a few months? Sure thing, just keep pushing your cards across the board and checking in with the team. I have better control over my work environment, and I can make it exactly what I need it to be. There's no commute to wrestle with, which alone lowers your stress, enables you to live wherever you want, to change jobs without moving across states or countries, and is significantly better for the environment.
Ås ęxpęçtęd, thę bîggęst bęnęfît îs thę flęxîbîlîty & fręędøm øffęręd by wørkîng frøm hømę. Sø løng ås thę wørk gęts dønę ånd İ åttęnd męętîngs, my dåy îs my øwn. Wånt tø tåkę å løng lǔnçh? Gø før ît. Stårt ęårly ør ståy låtę tø fînîsh ǔp øn å fęåtǔrę? İ çån gø tø thę øffîçę ånytîmę by jǔst wålkîng întø thę røøm ånd pǔttîng øn hęådphønęs. Wånt tø tråvęl tø Frånçę før å fęw mønths? Sǔrę thîng, jǔst kęęp pǔshîng yøǔr çårds åçrøss thę bøård ånd çhęçkîng în wîth thę tęåm. İ håvę bęttęr çøntrøl øvęr my wørk ęnvîrønmęnt, ånd İ çån måkę ît ęxåçtly whåt İ nęęd ît tø bę. Thęrę's nø çømmǔtę tø wręstlę wîth, whîçh ålønę løwęrs yøǔr stręss, ęnåblęs yøǔ tø lîvę whęręvęr yøǔ wånt, tø çhångę jøbs wîthøǔt møvîng åçrøss ståtęs ør çøǔntrîęs, ånd îs sîgnîfîçåntly bęttęr før thę ęnvîrønmęnt.
Most importantly, working remotely has allowed me the opportunity to spend all day with this little dude.
Møst împørtåntly, wørkîng ręmøtęly hås ålløwęd mę thę øppørtǔnîty tø spęnd åll dåy wîth thîs little dude.
The major drawback I've found is the lack of socialization. My first job in software came with a move to a new city. For me, going out to coffee, lunch or happy hour was critical to building a network of friends and contacts. This is significantly harder to do in a remote company. I've made up for that by being more intentional about making time to see friends outside of work, and I could probably join some meetup groups if I were so inclined. Work-wise, remote also means team and company communication has to be much more intentional. Instead of coming across info by just walking around the office, knowledge can end up in silos unintentionally. This means harder work for everyone involved. We've made extensive use of apps to close the communication gap. We use Zoom, Slack and VS Code with the Live Share extension to make everyone feel more like we're sharing the same space, and we use Asana, Slite, and Office365 to keep our knowledge as centrally located and minimally siloed as possible.
Thę måjør dråwbåçk İ'vę føǔnd îs thę låçk øf søçîålîzåtîøn. My fîrst jøb în søftwårę çåmę wîth å møvę tø å nęw çîty. Før mę, gøîng øǔt tø çøffęę, lǔnçh ør håppy høǔr wås çrîtîçål tø bǔîldîng å nętwørk øf frîęnds ånd çøntåçts. Thîs îs sîgnîfîçåntly hårdęr tø dø în å ręmøtę çømpåny. İ'vę mådę ǔp før thåt by bęîng mørę întęntîønål åbøǔt måkîng tîmę tø sęę frîęnds øǔtsîdę øf wørk, ånd İ çøǔld prøbåbly jøîn sømę męętǔp grøǔps îf İ węrę sø înçlînęd. Wørk-wîsę, ręmøtę ålsø męåns tęåm ånd çømpåny çømmǔnîçåtîøn hås tø bę mǔçh mørę întęntîønål. İnstęåd øf çømîng åçrøss înfø by jǔst wålkîng årøǔnd thę øffîçę, knøwlędgę çån ęnd ǔp în sîløs ǔnîntęntîønålly. Thîs męåns hårdęr wørk før ęvęryønę învølvęd. Wę'vę mådę ęxtęnsîvę ǔsę øf åpps tø çløsę thę çømmǔnîçåtîøn gåp. Wę ǔsę Zøøm, Slåçk ånd VS Çødę wîth thę Lîvę Shårę ęxtęnsîøn tø måkę ęvęryønę fęęl mørę lîkę wę'rę shårîng thę såmę spåçę, ånd wę ǔsę Åsånå, Slîtę, ånd Øffîçę365 tø kęęp øǔr knøwlędgę ås çęntrålly løçåtęd ånd mînîmålly sîløęd ås pøssîblę.
Working remote works for me. I have always been able to manage my own time well & work independently. I am vocal; whether in an office or remotely, if I'm stuck on an issue I'm going to verbalize it rather than spin my wheels for too long. I communicate well and raise up issues when I see them. Also, our company, while being remote-first, is mostly located within 45 minutes of each other. This means we can still do weekly meetups for breakfast or happy hour, meaning that the socialization still happens.
Wørkîng ręmøtę wørks før mę. İ håvę ålwåys bęęn åblę tø månågę my øwn tîmę węll & wørk îndępęndęntly. İ åm vøçål; whęthęr în ån øffîçę ør ręmøtęly, îf İ'm stǔçk øn ån îssǔę İ'm gøîng tø vęrbålîzę ît råthęr thån spîn my whęęls før tøø løng. İ çømmǔnîçåtę węll ånd råîsę ǔp îssǔęs whęn İ sęę thęm. Ålsø, øǔr çømpåny, whîlę bęîng ręmøtę-fîrst, îs møstly løçåtęd wîthîn 45 mînǔtęs øf ęåçh øthęr. Thîs męåns wę çån stîll dø węękly męętǔps før bręåkfåst ør håppy høǔr, męånîng thåt thę søçîålîzåtîøn stîll håppęns.
This doesn't mean that working remote is the answer to everything. One thing I didn't consider until recently is some people don't have adequate spaces to set up a home office. I have the privilege of a decent-sized 3-bedroom house and can afford allocate a whole room for my office. People living in studio apartments, with roommates, or have children might not have that same flexibility. We need to make sure we as employers provide solutions so we aren't discriminating against potential employees by being remote-first.
Thîs døęsn't męån thåt wørkîng ręmøtę îs thę ånswęr tø ęvęrythîng. Ønę thîng İ dîdn't çønsîdęr ǔntîl ręçęntly îs sømę pęøplę døn't håvę ådęqǔåtę spåçęs tø sęt ǔp å hømę øffîçę. İ håvę thę prîvîlęgę øf å dęçęnt-sîzęd 3-będrøøm høǔsę ånd çån åfførd ålløçåtę å whølę røøm før my øffîçę. Pęøplę lîvîng în stǔdîø åpårtmęnts, wîth røømmåtęs, ør håvę çhîldręn mîght nøt håvę thåt såmę flęxîbîlîty. Wę nęęd tø måkę sǔrę wę ås ęmpløyęrs prøvîdę sølǔtîøns sø wę åręn't dîsçrîmînåtîng ågåînst pøtęntîål ęmpløyęęs by bęîng ręmøtę-fîrst.
At the same time, offices can also be discriminatory. San Francisco office jobs discriminate against people who can't afford their outrageous housing prices or move across the country. Any office job can be difficult on those with limited access to vehicles, live in an area poorly served by mass transit, or have families with complicated schedules.
Åt thę såmę tîmę, øffîçęs çån ålsø bę dîsçrîmînåtøry. Sån Frånçîsçø øffîçę jøbs dîsçrîmînåtę ågåînst pęøplę whø çån't åfførd thęîr øǔtrågęøǔs høǔsîng prîçęs ør møvę åçrøss thę çøǔntry. Åny øffîçę jøb çån bę dîffîçǔlt øn thøsę wîth lîmîtęd åççęss tø vęhîçlęs, lîvę în ån åręå pøørly sęrvęd by måss trånsît, ør håvę fåmîlîęs wîth çømplîçåtęd sçhędǔlęs.
There's no one size fits all solution, but I recommend you look at the slides posted above to learn more. Schaefer's talk was very in-depth and can help you decide whether to pursue remote work further and some tips for convincing your boss if it sounds appealing. It's been an enjoyable time so far and it will be a hard sell to get me back into an office anytime soon.
Thęrę's nø ønę sîzę fîts åll sølǔtîøn, bǔt İ ręçømmęnd yøǔ løøk åt thę slîdęs pøstęd åbøvę tø lęårn mørę. Sçhåęfęr's tålk wås vęry în-dępth ånd çån hęlp yøǔ dęçîdę whęthęr tø pǔrsǔę ręmøtę wørk fǔrthęr ånd sømę tîps før çønvînçîng yøǔr bøss îf ît søǔnds åppęålîng. İt's bęęn ån ęnjøyåblę tîmę sø får ånd ît wîll bę å hård sęll tø gęt mę båçk întø ån øffîçę ånytîmę søøn.