Microsoft Will Let Employees Work From Home Permanently

[Interesting article](https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/10/09/embracing-a-flexible-workplace/)

I see a bunch of semi-positive things coming out of this and similar announcements from Facebook, Twitter, etc.:

- The most vehement opponents of WFH might be softened up a little. Netflix has said they're against it, same with Google, and of course basically every non-tech company out there. So the question is how hard everyone will dig their heels in. - There's probably going to be a push for all the big "tech companies" to offer this as an option. This is good for people like me who live far enough away from a tech-heavy metro area that commuting every day is not mentally healthy, but want more interesting work. - Lots more remote access and zero trust devices, followed by a mass cloud and SaaS/DaaS migration for the companies that it makes sense (and some where it doesn't!)

That said, there's some negatives that I can see too:

- Tech companies have all said they'll "adjust salaries based on where in the country you live." So, no more working for Google and making $300K in Council Bluffs, IA (but no more requirement to buy a $3M house in SV to avoid 4 hour commutes either.) - Overall this just seems like a way to reduce salaries, especially for "bubble jobs" like SRE, DevOps engineers and web developers who are getting paid like it's 1999. - Out of sight, out of mind -- Hmm, why not just offshore everything if people can work anywhere? - Middle managers roaming the streets with no ability to make a living because they don't have employees to micromanage anymore. (Could be a positive, but not when you think of the millions of decent jobs this will destroy.) - WFH fatigue -- I really enjoy the flexibility but hate the sameness of living in the same house I work in. There's got to be something better than a daily commute to an office, but I'm not sure what the answer is.

Thoughts? Are we on the cusp of a new era in work or are we just going to mess this up for everyone? I think it could go either way.