About 6 months ago I got a job as an application programmer for the county that I live in. The job is about as good as it gets without getting into what I consider to be unrealistic territory. The pay is good enough for me alone to support myself, my wife, and our daughter. The insurance is solid, the retirement is incredible, additional perks includes free access to a ton of additional resources such as financial counseling, legal advice, and even a free employee/family health clinic.
I can essentially work at home as much as I desire (I'm “working” at home as I type this). I have multiple coworkers who I have only seen in person one or two times in the 6 months I've been here. I get along with everyone that I work with. My boss exercises very little oversight over what I do beyond the occasional check-in with my assigned projects to the point where it's not uncommon for me to go days without speaking to him. When these check-ins do happen, he gives me good feedback and always tells me how good I'm doing. He routinely sends out messages on our work IM group chat acknowledging the good work each individual is doing.
Most importantly, when I was hired for this position, I was actually genuinely underqualified. I only “met” the minimum qualifications expectation of the job posting by exaggerating some of my previous work. On a daily basis, I see how little I actually know and how much more I have to learn about what I do. During my first interview, my boss even told me that based off of my resume, he wouldn't have guessed that I was someone interested in the position that I applied for. Despite all of this, he hired me pretty quickly(within one week, I had a second interview and a job offer). Upon hire, my work paid for and continues to pay for a variety of training options for me to help me develop. It is not an exaggeration to say that they've spent thousands extra just to train me.
While I would never say that I look forward to going to work, this job feels as close as I can get to that point. I have not once experienced the existential dread of having to get out of bed and go to work that was so prevalent at almost every other job that I've ever had. My stress levels have plummeted, I've started to lose weight(in a good way), and I get to spend much more time with my daughter and wife. I am very grateful for all of this, but I really shouldn't be. Why? Because none of this should be considered exceptional. The pay, the benefits, the work environment, the working at home, the training, none of it. It should be normal for an employer to provide all of these things.
Don't let anyone tell you that these things can't be done here in the US, because my work is doing them right now. I understand that not every job can offer WFH, but just about everything else should be standard for any employer to provide.