Not only were a lot of my mates working from home due to the pandemic but they got allowances and tax breaks to set up home offices. So they got to stay home and were paid more. That being said, some of them like to go to the office as a break from home for a few days a week and interact with colleagues.
Been on both sides, most talk about “extra effort”, “work ethic”, etc. is just management crap. You won’t be thanked, le lone rewarded for extra effort. In fact senior management, seeing two people do the work of four, often responds by cutting staff.
That's where productivity suffers as the staff know that and come up with ingenious ways to look like they are working when they are not. Simple things like carrying a manila folder, occasionally opening it to look at a blank sheet inside while you gas bag about the weekend. Management will see the folder and think you are shop talking. If they see you just talking and happy they assume you don't have enough work and get grumpy. Engineers are no different, just have something in hand that looks like you are conversing over that part or data set. The key is to never look like you are done working and management will assume everyone is being 100% productive. Some of the 'hardest' working people in managements eyes are just really good at deception and the real powerhouses go by unnoticed as they do it quietly in the background.
The secretaries at the old CAA office in YMMB come to mind. They were great for getting things done quickly without fuss. Need a licence printed, they would do it, follow up on some paperwork they would go to who was handling it and get an answer. When the gov at the time decided to downsize CAA/CASA they were the first to go and it became difficult to do the simple things as you had to deal directly with the FOI or such dealing with it and they were never in or had time.
When it comes to our next eba ‘negotiation’ we shouldn’t be comparing ourselves to how other workers have fared in monetary terms alone. We should be looking at all of these work/life improvements and saying “we’d like some of those as well please”. Or the financial equivalent. Personally I’d take the time at home.
Hence why Rex pilots jumped at getting an extra 2 days off per roster and got it, although on a buyback scheme, but it at least means if they get to normal staff levels you will get 2 extra RDO rather than reserves and if you don't you get paid more for the same workload. Pilots don't really get to work from home, and each ground course replaced with a CBT just means another flying day so additional days off is the only real way to get proper lifestyle balance.