Working from home has always been a thing, but a global pandemic helped it supplant office work as the new normal.
Now, with mandates being lifted in many areas, offices are opening up again and businesses are asking employees to stop working remotely.
Is this really for the best? Let's turn to Twitter for some interesting food for thought.
This was driven home by these signs in the lobby of an office building in Toronto. Rather than warmly welcoming employees back to the office, it seemingly mocked them for leaving the comforts of remote work behind.
This is an excellent point. If you have a decent computer and a decent internet connection and your work is done on a computer, there's really no advantage to commuting into an office every day.
It may be easier for managers to manage when employees are all in one place, but a manager can still be effective remotely. There's more than one way to keep in touch with coworkers.
Some people love their coworkers. Others? Not so much. In either case, remote work gives workers the flexibility to keep their coworkers close, or at arm's length.
Deadlines are deadlines, but if you're working on an open-ended project with no hard deadlines, working from home is luxurious. You don't have to adhere to a 9-to-5 and can work when you're at your most productive.
An uptick in remote work is bad news for those in the corporate real estate world, so it's important to recognize where a lot of the 'back to work' sentiment is coming from.
For five years of my life, I endured a commute that was anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes each way, five days a week. Others have had it even worse. Why would anyone choose to do this if working from home is an option?
Employers talk about workplace culture a lot. Some workplaces really do make an effort to make things relaxed and welcoming. But you know what else is relaxed and welcoming? Your cozy home office.
I'm not going to endorse the second part of this statement, but the first part is bang on. It feels weird to be compelled to go to an office every day, particularly when you're not reimbursed for your commute.
This is an interesting response to companies calling employees back to the office, but whatever floats your boat, I suppose. Might as well have some fun with it, I guess.
Practically everyone has experienced some form of stress or anxiety, or even worse, as a direct result of having to go to an office every day.
It's particularly poor timing to call employees back to the office right now, when gas prices are hitting historic highs.
Having workers in offices is good business for energy companies and real estate moguls, which kind of explains the big push.
Some folks have trouble reaching their full potential in an office environment, but in the comfort of their home they're able to be better workers.
Reading this list gives me anxiety. We've all dealt with those awkward social obligations and adherence to business casual dress codes. Who wants any of that?
I think a lot of bosses feel powerless if they're not in the presence of their employees. I don't have much sympathy for them, though.
Seriously what would happen if a workforce just refused to stop working remotely? What would happen if this went down on a widespread basis?
There's a massive economic cost to shuttering office buildings in downtown cores. It represents a major disruption to the status quo.
Everyone is wired differently, but anecdotally, most people I know find their job far more bearable if they're able to do it from home.
Some people work better from home, while others need an office environment to feel motivated. There ought to be room for both groups in the workforce.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
