Hacker News Reader

Comment by dijksterhuis | Hacker News Reader

> Coworking spaces might help with socialization and some people need it but I am not sure how that benefits who you work for.

because, as someone else i replied to in the thread points out, miserable employees perform worse.

View on HN

I get that. I said as much. Though suggesting employers should have no say in where their employees work on generally work protected by intellectual property law is tricky. If they have an office, usually that is where they want you to work if the goal is an office setting. Some companies do not and rent out coworking space. Different.

Very anecdotally, it seems to go both ways. If there is a relatively local office, people are generally expected to go in. If there isn't, the employee often pays (but not always).

I believe some tax accountants say it can be used as a write-off (just like a certain number of square feet of where you live, if it is only and demonstrably for that). But as far as preference, I would be surprised if a company with an office somewhere near would be pleased with you working in a coworking space. Maybe some but big companies, probably legal issues (VPN or not).

My accountant always told me maybe but there are conditions and it's a red flag.

I am curious, do believe that a company or an employee is responsible for paying for a ersatz "coworking space" (ersatz, in that the employer did not choose that as a place for their employees to work)?

me personally? the company up to a reasonable point. it’s the company’s responsibility to ensure they provide a suitable working space.

then again i live in the UK where we actually have workers rights.

Every remote company I’ve worked for has offered a ~$500/month stipend for coworking, and I’ve never been told no when negotiating with a non remote company for it. With that said, I could see companies that don’t value talent refusing such a request. Vote with your feet until labor rights improve over the next several decades due to politics and structural demographic working age cohort compression.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com