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IBM Says No to Home Work
foxnews.com ^

Posted on 05/21/2017 1:57:15 PM PDT by RoosterRedux

International Business Machines is giving thousands of its remote workers in the U.S. a choice this week: Abandon your home workspaces and relocate to a regional office -- or leave the company.

The 105-year-old technology giant is quietly dismantling its popular decades-old remote work program to bring employees back into offices, a move it says will improve collaboration and accelerate the pace of work.

The changes comes as IBM copes with 20 consecutive quarters of falling revenue and rising shareholder ire over Chief Executive Ginni Rometty's pay package.

The company won't say how many of its 380,000 employees are affected by the policy change, which so far has been rolled out to its Watson division, software development, digital marketing, and design -- divisions that employ tens of thousands of workers.

The shift is particularly surprising since the Armonk, N.Y., company has been among the business world's staunchest boosters of remote work, both for itself and its customers. IBM markets software and services for what it calls "the anytime, anywhere workforce," and its researchers have published numerous studies on the merits of remote work.

In the past, IBM has boasted that more than 40% of employees worked outside traditional company offices, and a May 4 post on the company's Smarter Workforce blog stated that "telework works."

(Excerpt) Read more at foxbusiness.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ibm; imb; remoteemployees; remoteworkers; telecommuting
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To: C210N

I’ve done telecommuting (although I used my own speakerphone for the phone calls.) But you have to require folks to use the company’s equipment for access instead of their own. Otherwise it becomes a nightmare during discovery for litigation. And you still have the problem of inadequately secured hardware, worker’s comp issues, and man in the middle issues.


41 posted on 05/21/2017 3:38:44 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: GingisK
It seems odd that IBM even exists anymore. They don't make any "Business Machines" like they used to make.

Their one growth business is Watson apps. And they still have the mainframes. But really, IBM is a big outsourcing company. Other companies outsource whole systems with their employees. Then IBM will reduce headcount and send whatever it can to India.

42 posted on 05/21/2017 3:39:25 PM PDT by Vince Ferrer
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To: CodeToad
Good. Work from home simply means lazy employees not willing to so much as go to an office.

Logical fallacy...specious reasoning.

43 posted on 05/21/2017 3:45:45 PM PDT by RoosterRedux
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To: plain talk
 photo Dilbert 9_zpszn2sshwi.gif
44 posted on 05/21/2017 3:50:01 PM PDT by Personal Responsibility (We need a separation of press and state!)
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To: GingisK

Didn’t IBM have strict dress codes even on into the 1960s and 1970s? When a lot of high tech firms by the 1970s had casual dress codes, I heard that IBM apparently still required ties (as what you mentioned) and other rules pertaining to dress codes.


45 posted on 05/21/2017 3:51:22 PM PDT by OttawaFreeper ("If I had to go to war again, I'd bring lacrosse players" Conn Smythe)
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To: dhs12345

US patents last 17 years.


46 posted on 05/21/2017 3:54:00 PM PDT by between_the_lines_mn
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To: Personal Responsibility
LOL! My employer is talking about going 'open workspace' - and is getting nothing but backlash from employees.
47 posted on 05/21/2017 4:14:53 PM PDT by NobleFree ("law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual")
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To: RoosterRedux

BIG mistake,IBM


48 posted on 05/21/2017 4:19:01 PM PDT by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
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To: RoosterRedux

LOL

380,000 people that have become used to not dressing before work, not showering regularly, and setting their own schedule.

Yeah, that’s gonna re-integrate to office life easily.


49 posted on 05/21/2017 4:33:23 PM PDT by 1_Inch_Group (Country Before Party)
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To: CodeToad

Doesn’t matter what you think. 23 years at 300 hours per month, attested by my wife, means I have been one hell of a lot more productive than you.
Compute it. I am normally charitable, but that was an idiotic statement.


50 posted on 05/21/2017 4:34:56 PM PDT by ImaGraftedBranch (by reading this, you have collapsed my wave function. Thanks, pal.)
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To: RoosterRedux

I get a lot more done at home rather than being endlessly interrupted by people with oral diarrhea. People suck.


51 posted on 05/21/2017 4:38:06 PM PDT by King Moonracer (I wish I had the Tantulus field, but I'd probably wear it out.)
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To: RoosterRedux

I get a lot more done at home rather than being endlessly interrupted by people with oral diarrhea. People suck.


52 posted on 05/21/2017 4:38:09 PM PDT by King Moonracer (I wish I had the Tantulus field, but I'd probably wear it out.)
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To: Personal Responsibility

yep. He’s got it down.


53 posted on 05/21/2017 4:43:58 PM PDT by plain talk
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To: Personal Responsibility

My new boss is more of a hands-on micro-manager guy. Under the guise of wanting me to “build my career” into an architecture role he wants me to start coming into the office more. He’s a smart and decent guy but Indian and much more big picture oriented and wants me to get back into management...

However I’m a Lead Software Engineer with a specialty on an IBM enterprise software tool, and largely the only guy at the company who knows how all the integrations work for banking, payroll, etc.

My previous two bosses said “Mr TechWorker”. You are twice as valuable at this company as me. We have so many business processes using your app and you are the only expert... Me on the other hand I’m just a manager and much more replaceable than you.

So I can’t really get interested in going to the office more than once every 2-3 weeks. For now it’s not a problem but I can see someday when we aren’t so busy the need for more PowerPoints, and Management docs, haha.

I actually was considering the jump to IBM someday, but now I’m not so sure. I can’t stand being around Trump “Haters”, gay celebrations, etc. And we are a defense oriented company, in a swing state that swung Trump. But the former H1-Bs are all big-time Dems and I just want to get my crap done without having to tell them how stupid they are....


54 posted on 05/21/2017 4:49:20 PM PDT by techworker
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To: SgtHooper

“but established metrics that defined the productivity of these home workers, as less than desirable.”

I found through experience that a few days a week for some type of employees, such as computer programmers, is very productive, but any more than that and communications is usually delayed and that delays projects.

So, yes, I expect IBM did do a time survey and found work at home employees were overall less productive.


55 posted on 05/21/2017 5:09:05 PM PDT by CodeToad (If it weren't for physics and law enforcement, I'd be unstoppable!)
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To: RoosterRedux

“Logical fallacy...specious reasoning. “

Getting to an office isn’t to terribly difficult. Millions do it every day. Those that can’t are usually the lazy and unproductive bunch always with excuses. Experience speaks louder than emotion.


56 posted on 05/21/2017 5:10:33 PM PDT by CodeToad (If it weren't for physics and law enforcement, I'd be unstoppable!)
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To: ImaGraftedBranch

“23 years at 300 hours per month, attested by my wife, means I have been one hell of a lot more productive than you.”

23 years? That’s it? What a kid!

No, you are not hell of a lot more productive than anyone else.


57 posted on 05/21/2017 5:11:25 PM PDT by CodeToad (If it weren't for physics and law enforcement, I'd be unstoppable!)
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To: RoosterRedux

This is going to backfire.

Many of these people will now demand raises or leave.
I work with one such person who was just called back into the office after working for 2 years at home. He liked it and was able to do his job and be at home - he was also underpaid by about $30-50k per year, but was okay with it, as he was able to work from home.

Now that he has to go to the office, he’s going to look around and he will find something for $30-50k more very easily in this job market.

I imagine there are many others in the same situation.


58 posted on 05/21/2017 5:19:38 PM PDT by Bon mots (Laughing at liberal tears!)
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To: CodeToad

“Getting to an office isn’t to terribly difficult.”

Well,,,, I have a friend who works from home for BOA. Does a lot of international stuff. Lives in New Joisey. Taking trains and cabs to the office in NYC would involve a great deal of time! He must be doing a good job as he’s regularly promoted. But, as he’s international, being in the office would probably not be particularly benefit the company anyway.


59 posted on 05/21/2017 5:19:57 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: King Moonracer

Not only that you can freep at home and pet your cat


60 posted on 05/21/2017 5:20:37 PM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom Its a Joke friends)
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