I’m curious as to what other comapanies and in particular law firms are doing regarding remote working.
Are firms starting to require staff to come in, or is remote working still the norm?
In Chicago, traffic on the Kennedy was light again today. It seems like most people generally are still staying home.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 9:30 am:
@Gooner-
Our office is back open but at maximum 1/3 capacity. The process for requesting a slot for the office on a particular day, and mandatory self-screening for COVID, will probably encourage a lot of people to continue to work remotely unless necessary.
Glad I am not the only one who needs a hobby, Rich.
@Gooner - most mid size and up firms have extended work from home until Sept 1. The courts, in cook county at least, have thus far ground to a halt anyways.
In other counties, we are getting rulings and making progress. In Cook, nothing at all has been done.
Answering my own question, at my firm people were highly encouraged to be in the office today.
Going forward though, a lot of us realize that working from home is just as efficient as coming in, so I expect to see much more of it.
My own plan is to be in the office about two times per week. At times, I need to be in the office with absolutely no distractions, and that is easier at the office rather than at home.
Six Degrees,
It is nice that your office is doing screening. Here we have none, and most people are not wearing masks walking around the office. It is like an assumption that people here must not have it. If one person does get it, the entire office may be infected in a day.
Secretary of State has had all employees back in the office and facilities since June 1.
But it still appears that many other state employees and agencies within the Capitol Complex are either still working remotely, and/or still on stay-at-home status. Or some employees coming in a few times a week. The parking lots here in the complex are less filled than usual for a Monday morning. I wondered if some might return July 1 (as did the ALPLM), but I haven’t detected any difference in parking lot capacity thus far.
The new fireworks reality is something else, with the professional grade fireworks everywhere. The air was thick with gunpowder smoke. Not enjoyable to sit outside and watch with such poor air quality. But it was that bad only for one night in my area, the 4th.
Any of you that are bored can come help me paint the interior of a house. That’s what I’m doing for a few hours every day until it is done.
- Back to the Future - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 10:50 am:
Main office opened today for everyone who wanted to go in - -except for the “Gray Hairs” who are all still working remotely.
First floor of the office building was broken into and looting did take place on the first floor - - which was the norm for downtown and the financial district. It has been all fixed up now.
The building has masks for people who forget them and everyone in the elevators, hallways and rest rooms must wear masks. Firm has those N95 Masks for associates that need them and I hear the place smells like disinfectant.
Still working remotely and actually getting used to it.
Wouldn’t the Indiana (and Missouri) fireworks purchases for use in Illinois be subject to the Illinois Use Tax? Although I’m sure few, if any, residents who engage in amateur hour fireworks report that info on their tax returns.
- Sayitaintso - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 9:09 am:
My July 4th kicked off by stepping on a wasp. Got my cardio in by hopping about trying to kick it off.
- Gooner - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 9:15 am:
I’m curious as to what other comapanies and in particular law firms are doing regarding remote working.
Are firms starting to require staff to come in, or is remote working still the norm?
In Chicago, traffic on the Kennedy was light again today. It seems like most people generally are still staying home.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 9:30 am:
@Gooner-
Our office is back open but at maximum 1/3 capacity. The process for requesting a slot for the office on a particular day, and mandatory self-screening for COVID, will probably encourage a lot of people to continue to work remotely unless necessary.
- Centennial - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 9:33 am:
Glad I am not the only one who needs a hobby, Rich.
@Gooner - most mid size and up firms have extended work from home until Sept 1. The courts, in cook county at least, have thus far ground to a halt anyways.
- Gooner - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 9:49 am:
Centennial, interesting.
Cook County seems to be something of an outlier.
In other counties, we are getting rulings and making progress. In Cook, nothing at all has been done.
Answering my own question, at my firm people were highly encouraged to be in the office today.
Going forward though, a lot of us realize that working from home is just as efficient as coming in, so I expect to see much more of it.
My own plan is to be in the office about two times per week. At times, I need to be in the office with absolutely no distractions, and that is easier at the office rather than at home.
Six Degrees,
It is nice that your office is doing screening. Here we have none, and most people are not wearing masks walking around the office. It is like an assumption that people here must not have it. If one person does get it, the entire office may be infected in a day.
- Dotnonymous - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 10:01 am:
At least three of us need new hobbies.
- bogey golfer - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 10:05 am:
Beginning SB 294 south of 95th, saw 94 fireworks billboards to New Buffalo. 2/3 were Krazy Kaplans, the rest were others.
- Chatham Resident - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 10:25 am:
@Gooner,
Secretary of State has had all employees back in the office and facilities since June 1.
But it still appears that many other state employees and agencies within the Capitol Complex are either still working remotely, and/or still on stay-at-home status. Or some employees coming in a few times a week. The parking lots here in the complex are less filled than usual for a Monday morning. I wondered if some might return July 1 (as did the ALPLM), but I haven’t detected any difference in parking lot capacity thus far.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 10:34 am:
The new fireworks reality is something else, with the professional grade fireworks everywhere. The air was thick with gunpowder smoke. Not enjoyable to sit outside and watch with such poor air quality. But it was that bad only for one night in my area, the 4th.
- RNUG - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 10:43 am:
Any of you that are bored can come help me paint the interior of a house. That’s what I’m doing for a few hours every day until it is done.
- Back to the Future - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 10:50 am:
Main office opened today for everyone who wanted to go in - -except for the “Gray Hairs” who are all still working remotely.
First floor of the office building was broken into and looting did take place on the first floor - - which was the norm for downtown and the financial district. It has been all fixed up now.
The building has masks for people who forget them and everyone in the elevators, hallways and rest rooms must wear masks. Firm has those N95 Masks for associates that need them and I hear the place smells like disinfectant.
Still working remotely and actually getting used to it.
- Nagidam - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 10:58 am:
Great holiday weekend. Recharged and have been fairly productive this fine morning right until I got on the blog.
- Practical Politics - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 11:11 am:
I never heard so many fireworks going off in my entire life. Indiana must have made a mint in sales taxes of firecrackers and Roman candles.
US Senator Duckworth did not doing herself any favors during her media moment over the weekend. I watched it all. Her performance was clumsy.
- Dotnonymous - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 11:35 am:
The air around my neighborhood was thick and blue with gun powder smoke…couldn’t be healthy.
Fireworks should be seen…not smelled.
- Chatham Resident - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 12:23 pm:
Wouldn’t the Indiana (and Missouri) fireworks purchases for use in Illinois be subject to the Illinois Use Tax? Although I’m sure few, if any, residents who engage in amateur hour fireworks report that info on their tax returns.
- L.A. - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 12:56 pm:
Charlie Daniels died. That hurts more than John Prine, in my humble opinion.
- Lynn S. - Monday, Jul 6, 20 @ 11:13 pm:
RNUG, LOL.
Good luck finishing the house, but I suspect you’re probably going to need beer and pizza to motivate folks to show up and help out.
Nice try, though.