So, even with putting my bias aside, this seems like such a bad move. I am so much more productive as a remote worker than I was as a monkey sitting at a desk everyday. Not only is the quality of my work better but I'm much more efficient (I get more done in 4 hours remotely than I did in a full 8 hour day at an office). I know I'm not special, in fact I believe I'm in the majority.
Remote cultures in my opinion are the best. Mostly because:
- less meetings (hangouts is glitchy so we make the ones we do have count)
- hardly any email at all (async chat ftw)
- records records records. Remember that conversation you had about that one awesome improvement but you just can't remember what it was...oh wait it's in chat.
- minimal distractions. The only things to distract you are your cat and the internet. If someone pings you online you can leave it an answer it later, a tap on the shoulder? Not so much.
Even if you could mimic my points above at a physical office, remote working is far better for work/life balance because:
- you can earn a high wage living in a cheaper location. This is a huge benefit of working remotely.
- you can stay around your family (since you'll be home more often)
- you don't have to commute (of course some use co-working spaces but it's the freedom to choose that matters)
Why would Reddit force their remote workers to relocate to the most expensive city in the US? That seems like a huge disadvantage to their employees. A relocation package is nothing compared to being able to afford a house, or spend time with your family.
This is just sad.