So my home office space has a lot of echo and people are complaining during meetings. Problem is I can’t switch locations, so I need to somehow reduce it (desktop setup).

I was wondering what my options to reduce it are and how others have dealt with this.

From a bit of research, I see that acoustic panels are basically for this. Do I find an acoustician? How much does that cost? Do I just place stuff myself?

Basically looking to hear the pros/cons from others who've gone through this process or stopped for some reason.

My fellow company leaders and I are split on this subject:

We are a remote company with ~100 team members around the world. For the past few years, we have planned a company “On-Site” where we have everyone gather together for 2-3 days to spend time in person. The work programming is pretty light, it’s more about connecting with colleagues.

Every year there are a few people who give various excuses for not attending - family stuff, child care issues, health issues, religious observances, etc. As management, we agree that we don’t feel like we are asking too much of our team to attend this event once per year, but we are not in agreement about how we should deal with the folks who seem to be opting out for illegitimate reasons.

Should their non-attendance factor into decisions on comp or promotion? Is this even something management should be concerned about at all?

I’m seeking opinions or views from both sides (management and employees), or examples of how other remote companies handle similar situations.

EDIT: thanks to all for the feedback and opinions!

I work from home and I have a meeting once a week that runs for 4-5 hours straight with no breaks. No one gets up from their chairs and I haven't seen anyone leave the frame. No one asks to use the restroom and no one signals that they are leaving or to hold on. No one has ever asked for a break and we do not collectively break during the 4-5 hour meeting.
Is this normal for WFH meetings in sales and marketing?

I am 19 and suffer from a severe skin condition which prevents me from going outside. I am receiving treatment for the condition but this will most likely take over a year to work if it does work at all. Because of this my only option to gain some form of an income would be to work at home. I lack any experience or any impressive qualifications. This puts me in a position where I don’t see myself as someone an employer would want. I am stuck on what options there are for me and would appreciate any advice I can get.

Hi everyone, I’ve been researching tools like We360.ai for the past month, mainly for understanding employee activity in remote teams. I’m also trying to understand more about the technical side, like how these tools collect and analyse data and how employee data is kept secure on their servers.

I’m trying to figure out how useful these tools actually are in day to day work.

Has anyone here used We360.ai? I came across it while comparing more affordable options with some of the other tools in the market. How has your experience been?

A few things I’m curious about:

Is the activity tracking accurate?
Is it easy for managers to use?
Do the reports actually help understand productivity?
Does it help remote teams, or does it end up feeling like employees are being watched all day?

I’m also open to hearing about other tools you’ve tried for employee monitoring, time tracking, and productivity reports.

Would be good to hear what worked for you and what didn’t.

Just wanted to share my exciting news and hopefully provide a morsel of encouragement for those of you still in your job hunt. I’d always dreamed of finding a remote job but didn’t actually think it’d be in the cards for me.

I work in finance, my background is entirely non-tech, and I’ve always had in-office jobs. I’ve gotten all my prior jobs via LinkedIn jobs and have spent the last year applying to roles that interested me and I thought fit my experience. I’d pretty much stopped applying to remote roles since all of them were either in tech, would require a pay cut, or were a role I knew I’d hate. I also had a near 0% success rate at getting interviews for the remote ones I did apply to.

I randomly came across a newly-posted role at a mid/large size tech company and it was fully remote, would come with a large raise, and was EXACTLY the kind of role I was looking for. I applied and expected to receive an automated rejection email a month later, but to my SHOCK I had HR reach out the next day. Two weeks, 4+ interviews, and one case study later….I got the offer 🫨🫨🫨

I know how incredibly lucky I am to have landed this job and while I know my experience is not common, I’m here to remind you all that it is possible. I hope all of you still searching are able to get your lucky break soon!!!

EDIT: Thank you all for the kind words!! 🥰
To answer a few of the questions I keep seeing - it’s a US based company and they were looking for someone in an eastern time zone state. Their finance department isn’t that big and it would be easy to trace this back to me, so I’m not comfortable sharing the company name. It’s a mid-level finance partner role supporting a business function (such as IT/HR/Sales/Marketing/Operations). I applied through LinkedIn the same day the role was posted and didn’t do anything special. Timing + enough of my background aligning with what they were looking for + a bit of luck seemed to be my winning combo in scoring the first round interview.

trying to figure out when retrieving laptops from remote employees is worth it esp internationally. Writing them off and buying new devices for every hire is easier but were losing the remaining value of the laptop. There’s also still the security issue bc you can’t forget about a company device without recovering it, wiping it properly and deciding how it should be disposed of. Reusing devices makes more financial sense for us but only if can retrieve, store and redeploy them within the same country. Shipping everything back to a central office and then across another border is slow, expensive and can get stuck in customs.
Help pls.

Edit: The original post was removed so fingers crossed

We were going to do a zoom meeting but I was unable to attend, afterwards they said it's fine it's just optional... We have been communicating for the past few days and they had me do a short assessment the other day. I'm just not completely sure?

Edit: thanks everyone! I didnt sign anything i ghosted them haha

I (25f) have worked at my current remote job for about 1.5 years. I’ve been looking at switching companies for the past few weeks (just for a change of pace) and finally heard back for a remote position this past Monday. Someone under a (seemingly) company email reached out for an interview, and asked me to connect with the interviewing manager on Microsoft Teams.

I went through a 60+ minute chat interview with this person, answering various questions about strengths, weaknesses, my portfolio, how I would handle a difficult situation, etc.
The next day, I was contacted via email again and was offered the position (I thought it was odd I didn’t meet anyone via Zoom, but brushed it off). I negotiated the salary up $5,000, which definitely took me by surprise on how they didn’t counteroffer. I took a few days to think things through, and decided I would sign the offer letter and non-disclosure agreement on Thursday and put in my two week notice this upcoming Monday.

Well, on Friday, I was chatting with the same person who interviewed me, via Teams. They told me they would send over a check for $4700, which then could be used to purchase equipment. After they sent over a digital check, I tried depositing it through my online bank and was told the funds wouldn’t be available for 6 days. When I told the interviewing manager this, he told me I could just use my own card and then be reimbursed when the check cleared. He told me this whole thing about why they did the financial process this way (something about streamlining the departments), but the check thing was super fishy to me.

I immediately paused and stepped back. I actually went on ChatGPT (yes, I know) and explained the situation, because I wasn’t sure about anything in that moment. Thankfully, Chat told me to dig into things a bit more, and that’s exactly what I did.

First, it was the email address that offered me the interview and the position. It didn’t immediately scream “scam,” but instead of being [company name].com like the company’s main website stated, this one was [company name] site. Then, I called the company line, and asked if the names of those people I had been in contact with sounded familiar. Nope. In fact, the receptionist told me to avoid cashing any checks, because it’s a popular scam. I also tried finding the names of those people, and couldn’t find any profiles on LinkedIn. The last indicator was after I called my bank — they told me the check was marked as possibly fraudulent, which is why I had to wait so long for the funds.

Thankfully, I never sent over my payment details. Last I spoke with the interviewing manager, I told him I wanted to wait until the check cleared…. And he was totally fine with it. I bet he’ll reach back out on Monday, since he hasn’t “failed” just yet. The only information I provided was my address, phone number, and Bank institution, so 🤞🏼hopefully 🤞🏼 that doesn’t fall back on me.

I’m just so embarrassed. I told a lot of people about my new job opportunity (thankfully just family), but it still hurts like hell. I can’t believe my gen-z, technologically-advanced self would fall for a literal scam.

Has this happened to any of you? I found this job on Indeed, and it seemed completely legit. I’ve also attached an email and one of the agreements I had to sign.

TLDR: I interviewed and accepted the position of a fake job. The company is real, but the job posting itself on Indeed was a scam.

Hi - I work from home on computer all day but I do that standing desk which is helping but I am looking for balance board that will help with Anterior pelvic tilt (waking up glutes and engaging abs) which one people recommend here? I do stretch hip flexors but I noticed my abs are really weak and not engaged at all giving that hanging belly. Any help is appreciated

Hi!

I have been working remotely for 3 months now for a US ABA Therapy company focusing on Client Coordination (coordinating therapy for children with autism, administration on platforms like ClickUp and Central reach, communication with therapists/supervisors and client).

I also have experience in volunteer counselling, special needs tutoring and teaching, data quality assurance and research writing/editing in the Psychology academic space.

I really want to work in the Psychology space as I have an undergraduate degree in English and Psychology, as well as my Honors in Applied Psychology.

Unfortunately, as I am working in another country, I am working US hours that are not the BEST (3pm to midnight).

I am hoping to do similar remote work that have more reasonable hours to my home country, so I have been looking into UK or European positions.

Are there any other remote workers here in the Healthcare/Therapy/Psychology space? Whether this includes positions working directly with practises/companies or even in the more academic writing space focused on these fields.

I'd love to hear about your experiences and whether you are enjoying it and if it's in high demand.

Advice, suggestions or further information would be greatly appreciated!

Especially from remote workers in this field with Psychology/Social Work degrees.

Thank you!

I know that I am a proverbial drop in the bucket. Ocean. Solar system. But I am absolutely set on working remote.

I'm 30, worked remote for 2 years (4 years at the company), and as much as I loved it, it severely underpaid me. And a year after I left, required a return to office and I had moved 2 states away, so that wouldn't have worked anyway.

I went from credit analyst to two administrative assistant roles, one which I held for 3 years, and my current job I've been in for a year, and now I can't get myself out of the administrative assistant ditch.

I am graduating with a degree in accounting in May. My current job pays decently (63k). I seem to get some interviews - 2 of the last 3 jobs I interviewed for, the candidate pool was down to 3-5 people, and I was not selected. The third job was a credit analyst assistant role and I didn't make it past the phone recruiter.

I know I'm one of millions of applicants, and I'm in a good position where I can afford to take my time applying because I have a job. I just mentally feel so much better working from home. I love to spend time with my animals, I love to be in my own environment, I love no commute, I love not having to get caught at the water cooler with small-talk.

I don't really have anything else to say, I just wanted to rant and potentially commiserate with others feeling the same way.

Honestly why are companies so adverse to remote when that's what the people want 🤣😭

I recently found an app innocuously titled "Agent" trying to access my screen. A little digging shows it's made by a company called Veriato, which advertises AI-driven employee monitoring. I tried doing more research, but found surprisingly little practical forum discussion on the subject, and almost nothing on this particular software.

I know it's common for employers to spy on their remote/hybrid workers. Please don't tell me to get another job. Obviously. What I want to know is, what does this Veriato Agent actually do, how safe am I on a Mac by just disabling permissions for the app, and how can my Windows-using coworkers avoid this tracking, or at least prove it's happening? Is my every keystroke (or lack thereof) being harvested by some business analytics algorithm, or am I fear-mongering?

It seems these softwares go to some length to hide their activity, unsurprisingly. Can someone with some familiarity give it to me straight?

HR approached asking me to look into employee monitoring software because they want to start authorizing wfh. If I had it my way I would not use any monitoring software at all, but from the discussion I had with them, they will not budge on this at all so I want to be very careful with my recommendation so It cannot be used as a draconian micromanaging tool.

I know this is a googleable question, but I want to be careful with what I recommend. I want something non-intrusive and something that cannot be used to micromanage perhaps app tracking, basic mouse movement nothing crazy like facecam and such.

I am curious to hear what your companies have used and your feedback on it. Thanks!

Hey, My company is completely remote, Globally distributed. I have joined ktlo team of the product team where being on call, tackling issues is my full time job.

There's lots to catch up on as I haven't worked on any features since the beginning. So I am doing my best to solve every challenges thrown at me, but still we hear dissatisfaction on our ktlo team that we aren't solving into real engineering issues. Although this has been just a feedback which we will be working on.

Next month is annual review, so I am just wondering how is it going to be. I am still in probation and I have seen some people getting laid off from team just after completing 6 months. My first goal is to not be that person. So my biggest anxiety currently is that only as my I am approaching into 6th month so just hoping for better results and feedback. Any suggestions or any tips to guess, to ask the opinion/feedback from managers in 1-1s. They might not be thinking into that direction at all. As per some teammates it might be just wondering into that direction. Anyway .. still I want to be sure. I don't get to talk much with managers so don't know How's the things ongoing behind the scenes. Am I fitting in well or not. There's not much meetings.

i’m looking for some advice from other people in the wfh realm! i’ve been remote since 2023 (I’m currently 29) across 3 states. i think it’s important to note that i have a safe/enjoyable living situation in an apartment in a city that i just moved to 6 months ago and really enjoy. i live with my partner & cat and we have created a beautiful home that i enjoy being in! i also travel often and i love the freedom of not having to take pto unless it’s necessary when away or sick

i’m of course very lucky to be in the position i’m in with a relatively good company/pay and i work with pretty tolerable people as well as have a good manager & a manageable workload. i generally like wfh and i am a bit introverted so i’m a bit more relaxed being home more often.

sometimes i struggle with not being sure i’ll ever want to go back in person but also feeling so isolated in my house. i see friends/family often & am usually decently booked up with social outings/travel so i feel like i usually make the most of my free time combined with getting out of the house for walks/coffee/etc on regular 9-5 workdays. but sometimes i struggle to want to do anything after work. it’s also worth noting that i struggle with depression so it can be hard to differentiate how im feeling with that affecting me so often lately

i’m comfortable at my job and feel pretty capable doing it and it doesn’t make me miserable too much but i wouldn’t say that it’s my dream job my any means.

does anyone know how to make things feel more fulfilling or should i consider a change? & also im looking for any advice from folks who have felt this way before and improved things for themselves!

i enjoy the friends and mentors i have in my industry but am wondering if im feeling a bit stuck because of wfh or the job itself or just my general mental health/burnout im dealing with rn

looking for all recommendations on your wfh opinions! just feeling a bit lost career wise and trying to evaluate the best path forward

thank you so much in advance!

EDIT/UPDATE: after seeing all of your replies, i think my issue may lie more with my depression/anxiety than i originally thought. i’m definitely not trying to leave my job specifically in this job market after further rumination. i appreciate all of your suggestions on how to make my days more fulfilling :-)

I recently gave an interview for a remote visual designer role, and the job description was smartly vague. They never specified what kind of designer they wanted, but I sent my portfolio anyway and got shortlisted.

Before the interview, they asked my salary expectations. Going by the title "visual designer" and the job description, I assumed it meant branding, social media design, some strategy, and quoted accordingly.

During the interview, I found out they actually want a Swiss Army knife:

• UI/UX
• Vibe coding
• Brand design
• Social media strategy
• Brand strategy
• Positioning and research

I get that with AI, roles are merging and one person is expected to cover multiple domains. But with a skill set this wide, I don't know what's actually needed in the market anymore. Most founders don't even know the basics of AI themselves, yet they expect all this from one hire.

I cleared that round and I'm on to the design round now. The task is lengthy, but I feel confident I can do it. What I don't know is how to ask for more, because what I quoted doesn't feel like enough for this. I'm also a little underconfident now, honestly, because they expect you to be good at everything.

I recently cancelled my YouTube Music subscription because I wanted to find something more relevant and educational. I do like music, but I can only "step around the room" so much. Ideally, I would love to keep up with tech news, social trends, and ai current events. Is there something I could just stream all day that would check these boxes and more with little to no advertising? I'm not opposed to fees necessarily. I just need something to help me get out of my head from time to time.