Northeners should move South

[anna]

I'd love to know who came up with the idea of think tanks.....

There is so much bollox in that article.

I'm originally a southerner (I'm from London originally) and moved north. Well not that far north but whatever. I'm not going back to enormous property prices TYVM.

A lot of the problem is companies insisting that you working in the office, like my job. I could do it anywhere in the world, but for some reason they need me in the office to man the phone... its a friggin IP phone, I could be in Japan for all they know. All the machines I look after are in France and Belgium, so why do I need to be here? I never go to meetings, maybe once a month. I could easy travel in for that... but no, I need to be in the office.
The silly thing is, as I work for a 'bank' one bomb could wipe us out, where as us all working at home means nothing could touch us.

They could perhaps spend a little cash on some infastructure up north. A battered old windy dual carriageway to Newcastle?!

Originally Posted by Grinch

A lot of the problem is companies insisting that you working in the office, like my job. I could do it anywhere in the world, but for some reason they need me in the office to man the phone... its a friggin IP phone, I could be in Japan for all they know. All the machines I look after are in France and Belgium, so why do I need to be here? I never go to meetings, maybe once a month. I could easy travel in for that... but no, I need to be in the office.
The silly thing is, as I work for a 'bank' one bomb could wipe us out, where as us all working at home means nothing could touch us.

Have you raised this?

Originally Posted by Grinch

A lot of the problem is companies insisting that you working in the office, like my job. I could do it anywhere in the world, but for some reason they need me in the office to man the phone... its a friggin IP phone, I could be in Japan for all they know. All the machines I look after are in France and Belgium, so why do I need to be here? I never go to meetings, maybe once a month. I could easy travel in for that... but no, I need to be in the office.

Same here. I guess the people in charge just feel like if the ones who work are not in sight, then work doesn't get done at all.

[timwilky]

Originally Posted by Grinch

A lot of the problem is companies insisting that you working in the office, like my job. I could do it anywhere in the world, but for some reason they need me in the office to man the phone... its a friggin IP phone, I could be in Japan for all they know. All the machines I look after are in France and Belgium, so why do I need to be here? I never go to meetings, maybe once a month. I could easy travel in for that... but no, I need to be in the office.
The silly thing is, as I work for a 'bank' one bomb could wipe us out, where as us all working at home means nothing could touch us.

I unofficially work from home. My directors know that is where I am, my boss knows. I don't even have a pass to get into my old office any more. there are issues that the company doesn't want to face with official home working such as health & safety, insurance cover, etc.

It works well for them as I no longer need office space and associated overhead costs, I am available out of hours etc. all for the cost of them paying my internet costs.

However, the biggest opponents of us home workers are the ones in the office who seem to think it is some sort of privilege, they are now asking why some 3 out of 250 are allowed to work from home. In our case it is because our reporting lines changed, we don't need to be taking up valuable office space in an office 200 miles from who we actually work for.

For us the precedence was set when the northern Europe director moved to Aberdeen. His official office was Rugby, but he spent most of his time in France/Switzerland/Poland/Sweden. So really he could be anywhere so long as there was an airport nearby.

Home working requires some discipline. Yes we can mow the lawn, surf the net etc. But at the end of the day we have to be seen to be productive.



As for the original thread. The North has a lot going for it for the right people. Many of us do earn a good wage and have affordable housing etc. I know if I was to move down south, I am unlikely to improve much on my salary, yet my housing costs alone would quadruple, so why bother.

don't understand it at all! Lived in london once and i wouldn't go back. Relatives are in Oxford and i thinks it a hole! I'm sure there are some nice people down there but i always seem to meet the pumped up idiots and selfish a***holes so i have a very dim view of those in the south.
Northern England gets better they talk to anyone whic suit me fine - never lived there so no opinion.
though at least they are not calling on them to move to Scotland - we would never get our roads back!

Glad to hear this. Keep the south crowded whilst allowing us Northerners to enjoy the wide open spaces that we have.

"Quality of life" cannot be gauged upon money alone.

The whole thing is relative anyway....where does south start.

For me its when you pass Scotch Corner on the A1M...