• Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Here is a link to the actual study (PDF via GDrive)

    One of the authors of this paper is from the Chicago School and the Hoover Institution. Both are pro-business, anti-worker. They also don’t do any research of their own, but cite other papers that show the 5-20% reduction.

    However, the methodology mentioned in the papers is suspect. First, they show that remote workers have the same productivity, but work longer hours. So the net output doesn’t go down, they just spend more time working. Which raises the question: How many more breaks were they taking throughout the day? Being remote means a much more flexible schedule, so it’s not uncommon to take longer breaks if you’re a salaried worker.

    Another study was IT professionals shifting to remote work at one company at the start of the pandemic. This one showed an 18% reduction in productivity. But considering the timing of this and that company culture and procedures can contribute to this, it doesn’t seem to be a valid data point.

    Then they bring up some common criticisms of WFH, which I’ve seen and refuted since I started working from home 2009: People can’t communicate, working in groups is harder, and people can’t control themselves. Yawn.

    Honestly, the fact that they cherry picked hybrid work as being equally productive shows me this isn’t about productivity, it’s about keeping offices open. Which makes sense considering one of the authors is affiliated with groups that want to prop up the commercial rental business.

    • RagnarokOnline@reddthat.com
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      1 year ago

      Thank you for the summary! This is the investigation I was looking for.

      Disallowing remote with when it’s possible is anti-worker.

    • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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      1 year ago

      If the source of the article is suspect, where is the research by tech firms with a vested interest in cloud and communication platforms publishing counter studies?

      Also, with both studies cited, the best argument is that workers are happy to work more than 8 hours a day. Does that mean you should expect workers to be on call for longer than an 8 hour day because they are working remote?

        • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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          1 year ago

          Pick one. Otherwise you aren’t better than alt-right people on Facebook that say to “do your own research”.

          • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
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            1 year ago

            Right, but you’re no better than alt-right people on Facebook ignoring the research that’s literally one click away because you’re afraid it will disagree with you

              • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
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                1 year ago

                FYI, none of your posts in this thread have any links

                And because jfc you’re lazy: Here is a study by the Harvard Business Review showing increased productivity.

                It took three clicks from Google so I can see why you’d have trouble getting to it.

                • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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                  1 year ago

                  This source just states that there is a disagreement over whether work from home is more or less productive and provides survey information to show the difference in opinion.

                  That isn’t making the argument that remote work is productive, just that workers view it as more productive and the study isn’t conclusive. The closest this study gets to saying if productivity increases is “In theory, both sides could be right[.]”

                • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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                  1 year ago

                  I’ve been posting the Economist link in several comments. I left it as presented to show where the link came from in case people argued with the source.

      • Pinklink@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Science. Is not about winning. Fuckface.

        You and people like you are literally inhibiting the progress of the human race for personal gain. Congratulations.

          • Pinklink@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            Ignores salient points made, what-about-isms to reassert bad point, doubles down on the science is a competition thing while illustrating complete lack of knowledge of scientific process

            At least you are consistent.

            • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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              1 year ago

              Ignores salient points made

              I’ve responded to them, not ignored them.

              what-about-isms to reassert bad point

              I’ve said that, if you want to argue the studies presented, present other studies. The only one presented I had comments on and quoted the text.

              doubles down on the science is a competition thing while illustrating complete lack of knowledge of scientific process

              Science is about presenting data in a way that can be reviewed and verified. I’ve asked for studies that back up the assertions made while providing references to my assertions. Where is the data to back up the claim that remote work is more productive?

      • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Saying that a conservative economic school is pro-business and anti-labor is not what I’d call an ad hominem, but a statement of fact. Saying they want to prop up the commercial real estate business isn’t ad hominem either.

            • ElegantBiscuit@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              This. Economics is a social science where every theory or opinion aims to achieve different varying desired outcomes for different people and in achieved in different ways, with spectrums for every step along the process. The entire field is on a spectrum, that also generally aligns with the political spectrum because politics, like economics, strives to achieve a certain outcome for a certain group of people, in a certain way. Trying to disentangle the field of economics from people. and the politics that people create, is a red flag for not actually knowing what economics is.

              • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
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                1 year ago

                Ah, so it’s not that they’re conservative, it’s that they desire the same things conservatives want. But they’re totally apolitical, and it’s just a happy coincidence.