I agree with what you're saying, there are a lot of Pros and Cons. I've balanced the socializing with getting to know my neighbors more and spent time with my family. EDIT(again): Third place is awesome and necessary. I've tried to supplement work friends with neighborhood, but have benefited from D&D and volunteering with youth for what I need from Third Place.
I've seen the idea that cost is pushed from employer to employee. But I'd argue this is actually a mutually beneficial cost savings.
I don't have to drive. I can get cheaper car insurance. If I was completely remote I could honestly get rid of one of my two cars (wife and me).
I can look into tax benefits such as deducting part of the house as an office if it's not single purpose.
I do experience more usage on my house. I do have to work in a non-optimal area (in my case a shed), but if I value my time more I also save 1-1.5 hours a day.
That was all cost I was paying. So it's a mutually shared cost exchange.
Also many companies have had to quickly invest heavily in their VPNs and other remote technologies, while still being stuck in a lease for large offices which may even be required (by law) to be cooled although there is only one or two people there.
It's fair to say that this change has had pros/cons for many people. Some heavily weighed towards one side or the other. This goes for companies too. Non-tech companies who have done business the same way since the age of remote are HURTING. Sales are down, they don't know how to sell when their people can't hop on a jet and go talk to clients in person. Etc.
That long rant was me saying, I don't think we can simply say, companies have pushed the costs down to employees. I've seen a ton of benefit from my company being remote full time right now. Whereas I know other people who's companies are not in lock down and are forcing employees back to the office with little to no appropriate social distancing in place.
Weighing all of those pros and cons I'm so happy to be at a company which is understanding enough to let me WFH until my kids can go back to school (not google but similar policy).
I've seen the idea that cost is pushed from employer to employee. But I'd argue this is actually a mutually beneficial cost savings.
I don't have to drive. I can get cheaper car insurance. If I was completely remote I could honestly get rid of one of my two cars (wife and me).
I can look into tax benefits such as deducting part of the house as an office if it's not single purpose.
I do experience more usage on my house. I do have to work in a non-optimal area (in my case a shed), but if I value my time more I also save 1-1.5 hours a day.
That was all cost I was paying. So it's a mutually shared cost exchange.
Also many companies have had to quickly invest heavily in their VPNs and other remote technologies, while still being stuck in a lease for large offices which may even be required (by law) to be cooled although there is only one or two people there.
It's fair to say that this change has had pros/cons for many people. Some heavily weighed towards one side or the other. This goes for companies too. Non-tech companies who have done business the same way since the age of remote are HURTING. Sales are down, they don't know how to sell when their people can't hop on a jet and go talk to clients in person. Etc.
That long rant was me saying, I don't think we can simply say, companies have pushed the costs down to employees. I've seen a ton of benefit from my company being remote full time right now. Whereas I know other people who's companies are not in lock down and are forcing employees back to the office with little to no appropriate social distancing in place.
Weighing all of those pros and cons I'm so happy to be at a company which is understanding enough to let me WFH until my kids can go back to school (not google but similar policy).