The Weekly Wrap: October 23, 2022

This week, I was out of town presenting at the Internet Librarian conference. Originally, for this intro, I thought about musing on my talk. I discussed remote customer service and how everyone (looking at you c-suiters and directors) needs to be trained to do it well. It was a great talk. I had 100 people, give or take, in the audience which was about a quarter of all attendees.

But that's not what I want to talk about. Instead, I want to talk about a session I attended.

The speaker discussed remote work and how it harms our physical and mental well-being. She showcased the issues and then rolled into how we can mitigate the problems. Her intentions were great, but I kept finding a problem in the framing. She focused on how individuals can fix these issues instead of employers. That really got to me. It's days later and this is still eating at me. 

The ergonomic issues of the home office - bad desks, poor seating, screen glare, etc. - also exist in the office. My home office set up isn't the best - but my office cubicle is about 0 degrees and my chair seat tilts slightly to the left and my feet don't touch the ground which gives me a crick in my back. No workspace is perfect. Some employers are trying to force workers back on-site because of ergonomics. No! The same goes for team cohesiveness and collaboration. Companies claim it's better on-site than remote. Also, no! I'm tired of managers thinking good work can only be done in an office. There are problems with remote. But there are also problems with the office.

I keep coming back to the fact that the problem isn't the location, it's the demands of work itself. Employees are treated like robots who generate output instead of human beings. All of these physical/mental issues that come from remote work also happen in the office. We need to support people as individuals wherever they work - but most companies don't want to do this because it costs money. 

Instead of framing these issues as something individuals need to fix, we need to look at systematic solutions. It cannot be up to a single person to fix societal and cultural problems.  The burden needs to be on employers. Yes, it will cost money. But it will make people happier. Happier employees are more engaged, productive, and innovative. But, more importantly, it's the right thing to do.

Now who wants to hear me rant about the cult of work productivity?

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• The problem with labeling foods as "healthy." [Burnt Toast]
• A purse is more than just a purse. [Home Culture]
• Ways to reuse those silica gel packs. I use some in my "memory" bins. [kitchn]
• Lots of little ways to make your life better. [The Guardian]
• The beauty of the common curtain. [Syllabus Project]
• What a pregnancy actually looks like from five weeks to nine weeks. [The Guardian]
• Fun number facts about wine. [Wine Folly]
• Eels are rather interesting. [@DrEmilyFinch]

• Hurricane Ian and the growing insurance problem's impact on housing. [The Daily]
• The rise of Hollywood. [99% Invisible]
• The healing power of nature. [Hidden Brain]
• Fear the tiny octopus. [Short Wave]
• Tracking down who wrote a fortune. [Every Little Thing]

• Extraction is a straightforward action movie but I liked the gritty feel. The color palette was adjusted to be overwarm and that, somehow, increased the tension. Towards the beginning, there is a phenomenally good chase scene. The camera work and direction is just astounding. Also, I'm very much enjoying Chris Hemsworth's work in films I've never heard of until I randomly find them. [Netflix]
• We rewatched The Old Guard. I rather like this film. It's hard to provide a summary without giving away the whole plot. It's an action flick where the heroes need saving. The cast is fronted by Charlize Theron who brings a lot of vulnerability to her character. This film is set up to start a franchise and I am here for that. Also, it's based on a graphic novel series I want to read. [Netflix]

• I was out of town this week and ate out for most of my meals. Luckily, there were a lot of great options within walking distance of my hotel. One evening, I had a fantastic pizza with a crispy thin crust, mushrooms, prosciutto, and truffled radicchio. [Cibo]
• Hotel room coffee is not my favorite. Neither is conference coffee. I brought a pack of instant with me to make things tolerable. It worked. I was able to enjoy a nice, hot cup of coffee each morning that didn't taste like burnt water. [Starbucks Via]