I wanted to share some thoughts on this. Working for a large corporation like mine, things operate a bit differently. In my current company, we have offices worldwide, including in ALL big cities in Germany. As a result, most of the teams are distributed. None of my team members or stakeholders worked in the Berlin office for the first four years. In the beginning, I used to go to the office a lot, but I would end up spending my entire day in meeting rooms at the office. It would put additional pressure on me to find a meeting room I can reserve for the whole day, which is extremely challenging in our office.
In a customer-facing role, it is even more important to have privacy, even if you are within the walls of the company you are working for. I attempted to sit at my desk in the office and take calls from there, but this disturbed my colleagues around me. I've had colleagues slam the door because, apparently, I was laughing too loud 🥲
Another critical aspect to consider is that part of my colleagues including my manager work fully remotely, living in small towns and cities in Germany with no nearby office. While it's great that they can still be part of the company and that the company can hire talent from anywhere in the country and not limit itself to big cities, this constant push to return to the office devalues our fully remote colleagues. It's as if they are considered less valuable if they are not part of an office. We need to understand and respect that not everyone wants to move to a big city, and they shouldn't be made to feel bad because they have a remote contract. Their contributions are just as valuable as those of us who work in the office.
It's a complex issue that requires a balanced approach. It's about creating a work environment that is fair and flexible for everyone.
To add, I used to love going to the office in London 😭 I enjoyed seeing my colleagues, dressing in nice clothes, and going to the pub after work. We went to the pub for a quick drink at least three times a week and even the one with children. British culture is very different from that here.
However, things are slightly different in Berlin, especially for big corporates. I think start-ups are again different. In my current office, most people just go straight home. I understand that they have children, but I feel less motivated to go to the office these days because of this. I hope to regain my enthusiasm in the future, maybe with a different job.
Thanks for your detailed response, you touched on so many great things - it is verrrry different for a start-up VS a corporate. I also think the topic of how companies hire talent outside of the city is balanced with creating a company culture. As I said in the article, I think semi-remote can impact culture a lot. It's such an interesting topic.
Also, had to laugh at your colleagues slamming the door because you were laughing too loud 🤣🤣🤣
Are all of us WFHers having the same epiphany at the same time?? It’s really comforting to read other people’s experiences with this, because I totally relate. But then I also struggle greatly with the inflexibility of office work (why do I as an adult need to get permission from another adult to schedule in a doctors appointment??). It’s really nice to see the double edged nature of this discussed with so much nuance 👏👏👏
Thanks so much Susie! Yes, my issue is that working from home always seems to be portrayed as the best possible option, when in reality there are both advantages and disadvantages. I really think we need to explore "new" ways of working that fit into modern life and wish more companies would have the courage to do so. There are so many other layers to this topic which I would love to write about: having a 3-4 day week, vastly reducing working hours (the old concept of forcing people to come in for 8-9 hours a day and thinking that means 8-9 hours of ouput is nonsense), period leave... the list goes on!
So many great points. In many ways, working in person, side by side with others adds to our human experience. There are all of those little interactions and bits of socialising & learning you cannot replicate through a screen. As much as I enjoy working from home, I look forward to my one day in the office for that reason.
There so many micro-interactions we can only pick up when in person. Socialising is also a major one. Out of interest, is your one day per week in the office on a fixed day (meaning: do you and all of your colleagues have to attend on the same day?)
It is fixed but I’m only there with one other coworker. We have it set up so there are two staff in every weekday…it’s certainly not the same environment as when all of us used to be in all the time.
Ngl, I had to force my way through this. My inner self telling me that I wasn't going to be proven wrong on how 100% remote is great in almost all cases. But you just did it. There's a lot to be said for the poor work-life balance and the meetings overload that remote work inherently generates. I think, though, that giving employees paid access to their most local coworking space (rather than having them spend 1-3 hours a day commuting to whichever major city their HQ is) can be a way to mitigate some the problems you mention while also handling the rising commuting costs.
You really touched on one aspect that makes the topic so complicated with the word "local". Most workplaces have widely distributed teams where people are sometimes dotted all over the country. That alone creates so many challenges (e.g. do you have an onsite in one major HQ once a month, but then what about all the travel emissions?) There is literally no correct answer! I agree with you that a local co-working option would be a great way for people to get together and avoid long commutes. Thanks for reading and sharing your view! 🤗
I have to agree with you. After almost four years of remote work, in my closet, I went back in person six months ago at a physical labor job. I legit felt like my brain was being re-wired those first few weeks! Even with almost two hours of commuting, it's so much better for me.
I can't believe people attend meetings making tea and with wet hair XD one of the reasons I don't WFH is that my home is, well, artistic. I don't necessarily want my colleagues to know what art I have on the walls or to see my bookshelf full of oddities and curiosities. Plus, as you said, getting ready sets the mood for the day, and commuting lets me mentally prepare AND unwind (and stop for a treat or some shopping). (PS: I loved the articles you quoted! )
Ooooh controversial! I’m a die hard WFH supporter, but I’ll concede you have made some excellent points 😂 I do think it depends hugely on your specific company’s culture, and I definitely agree that the new generation of workers have missed out on a lot by not having the opportunity to work in the office regularly - there is so much nuance to office culture and workplace interactions that you really have to experience to understand. And while I feel sorry for them, I also feel sorry for the rest of us who have to deal with some truly baffling breaches of etiquette from time to time 😵💫😅
Loved this essay. I’ve also found myself back in the office almost full-time.
And I quite like it. I have better work-life boundaries for a start. Leaving the office means i’ll rarely open my laptop when I get home. Working from home, i often worked until 7pm.
I’m also fortunate to work from a beautifully equipped corporate office that on certain days, could be almost empty. But those of us that are on there end up connecting and it’s expanded my network in a really positive way (the less is more way!)
You have such great insights and I’m glad I found your writing.
I’m about to start a fully in-office role next year after spending most of this year working 3 days from home. I was genuinely shocked at how much I didn’t enjoy working from home this often. Distractions absolutely everywhere, I would spend time scrolling on my phone instead of working, I would feel lonely after not speaking to anyone all day other than by Teams messages. I just don’t think humans are meant to be by themselves as often as we are now 🤷🏻♀️ We already have problems with loneliness and I don’t think excessive WFH helps that.
Sounds like we had exactly the same experience. I'm three weeks in to my fully in-office job and it has been fantastic, feeling so much more engaged and fulfilled. Best of all, when you close your laptop for the day and leave the office, work is "over" instead of haunting you at your house for the evening!
Thank you for this great essay. The company I work for has been fully remote for most people for some time. But they just announced that starting in March next year it will be 3x a week in office. While I love WFH for so many reasons, I think you make some excellent points here, and they are similar to what I've said to some people since my company made the announcement. Lots to think about.
I loved this. I’ve been fortunate to be hybrid (3 days in office, two days from home) for the past two years but I’ve found myself coming into the office 4 days a week lately. When I need to be in meetings I would rather just be in person. When you’re the only one zooming in it’s hard to feel like you are part of the meeting. It is nice to be able to do laundry at home on Fridays. And it’s nice to be able to work remotely if I have a tickle in my throat and I don’t want to get the rest of the office sick. My sister is fully remote and has been since day one of her first job. and I really worry that as a naturally introverted, shy person, it’s virtually impossible for her to network, make friends, make connections with people who could help her advance.
It strikes me that it’s just about “choice”. One size doesn’t fit all, but forward thinking companies should always give the option of either/or when it comes to WFH.
I think the thing is that if you let every employee decide their own schedule, company culture and cohesion sort of suffers as a result. That is the issue with the "hybrid" model most companies have landed on post-Covid. I think it's better to have a strict policy (which can either be remote, semi-remote of in-office) and you "choose" that when choosing to join.
Thanks for saying it Caoilainn! I agree with so much of what you are saying here, which I think says a lot having previously been your semi-remote employer 😉
I think there is no perfect one size fits all solution but having worked remotely waaaay before it was cool, since the pandemic I’ve increasingly felt that things have become too remote and we need to connect more in person. I think this is good for us as human beings in the many ways that you’ve described but I also think that creativity and learning flourish so much more in person.
You and Vineeta really did champion remote work WAY before it was cool 👏
100% agree with you - "too remote" is the perfect way to sum it up. We need to come together more often. I think if you are doing semi-remote, the set up we had was perfect - I really believe mandatory day(s) in the office and bringing the whole team together is super important for collaboration and culture.
just found your blog and have already spent a considerable amount of time reading your pieces... i really enjoy your writing. the way you think and express yourself is really refreshing. #subscribed.
You make a lot of great points here! Before the pandemic I had a fully in-office job in London, and although I loved that job, the commute was absolutely spirit sapping and exhausting thanks to the awful public transport situation. Fighting to squeeze onto a tube, then doing it all over again when I changed tubes, dealing with cancelled trains, delays, etc. I would arrive at work sweaty and furious. BUT there would also be a fair amount of walking involved - I would get to around 8k steps a day without trying. When I moved to Spain and the pandemic hit, the move to partial and then fully remote removed so much incidental exercise that I have to be intentional about it now. I’ve started nipping to the gym in my lunch break (not a morning person so can’t do it before work) and it really helps energize me for the afternoon.
One thing about Gen Z and remote work that doesn’t get talked about enough is that they are often house sharing with 2-3 other young people and that means they might only be able to wfh in their bedroom, destroying their work-life balance even more. I’ve been lucky because I have the space to go somewhere else in the house and even if my husband is also wfh we have enough space to do so in separate areas.
I really appreciate your perspective, Caoilainn 🖤
I wanted to share some thoughts on this. Working for a large corporation like mine, things operate a bit differently. In my current company, we have offices worldwide, including in ALL big cities in Germany. As a result, most of the teams are distributed. None of my team members or stakeholders worked in the Berlin office for the first four years. In the beginning, I used to go to the office a lot, but I would end up spending my entire day in meeting rooms at the office. It would put additional pressure on me to find a meeting room I can reserve for the whole day, which is extremely challenging in our office.
In a customer-facing role, it is even more important to have privacy, even if you are within the walls of the company you are working for. I attempted to sit at my desk in the office and take calls from there, but this disturbed my colleagues around me. I've had colleagues slam the door because, apparently, I was laughing too loud 🥲
Another critical aspect to consider is that part of my colleagues including my manager work fully remotely, living in small towns and cities in Germany with no nearby office. While it's great that they can still be part of the company and that the company can hire talent from anywhere in the country and not limit itself to big cities, this constant push to return to the office devalues our fully remote colleagues. It's as if they are considered less valuable if they are not part of an office. We need to understand and respect that not everyone wants to move to a big city, and they shouldn't be made to feel bad because they have a remote contract. Their contributions are just as valuable as those of us who work in the office.
It's a complex issue that requires a balanced approach. It's about creating a work environment that is fair and flexible for everyone.
To add, I used to love going to the office in London 😭 I enjoyed seeing my colleagues, dressing in nice clothes, and going to the pub after work. We went to the pub for a quick drink at least three times a week and even the one with children. British culture is very different from that here.
However, things are slightly different in Berlin, especially for big corporates. I think start-ups are again different. In my current office, most people just go straight home. I understand that they have children, but I feel less motivated to go to the office these days because of this. I hope to regain my enthusiasm in the future, maybe with a different job.
Thanks for your detailed response, you touched on so many great things - it is verrrry different for a start-up VS a corporate. I also think the topic of how companies hire talent outside of the city is balanced with creating a company culture. As I said in the article, I think semi-remote can impact culture a lot. It's such an interesting topic.
Also, had to laugh at your colleagues slamming the door because you were laughing too loud 🤣🤣🤣
I loved your comment. Very empathetic.
Thank you 🥰
Are all of us WFHers having the same epiphany at the same time?? It’s really comforting to read other people’s experiences with this, because I totally relate. But then I also struggle greatly with the inflexibility of office work (why do I as an adult need to get permission from another adult to schedule in a doctors appointment??). It’s really nice to see the double edged nature of this discussed with so much nuance 👏👏👏
Thanks so much Susie! Yes, my issue is that working from home always seems to be portrayed as the best possible option, when in reality there are both advantages and disadvantages. I really think we need to explore "new" ways of working that fit into modern life and wish more companies would have the courage to do so. There are so many other layers to this topic which I would love to write about: having a 3-4 day week, vastly reducing working hours (the old concept of forcing people to come in for 8-9 hours a day and thinking that means 8-9 hours of ouput is nonsense), period leave... the list goes on!
So many great points. In many ways, working in person, side by side with others adds to our human experience. There are all of those little interactions and bits of socialising & learning you cannot replicate through a screen. As much as I enjoy working from home, I look forward to my one day in the office for that reason.
There so many micro-interactions we can only pick up when in person. Socialising is also a major one. Out of interest, is your one day per week in the office on a fixed day (meaning: do you and all of your colleagues have to attend on the same day?)
It is fixed but I’m only there with one other coworker. We have it set up so there are two staff in every weekday…it’s certainly not the same environment as when all of us used to be in all the time.
Ngl, I had to force my way through this. My inner self telling me that I wasn't going to be proven wrong on how 100% remote is great in almost all cases. But you just did it. There's a lot to be said for the poor work-life balance and the meetings overload that remote work inherently generates. I think, though, that giving employees paid access to their most local coworking space (rather than having them spend 1-3 hours a day commuting to whichever major city their HQ is) can be a way to mitigate some the problems you mention while also handling the rising commuting costs.
You really touched on one aspect that makes the topic so complicated with the word "local". Most workplaces have widely distributed teams where people are sometimes dotted all over the country. That alone creates so many challenges (e.g. do you have an onsite in one major HQ once a month, but then what about all the travel emissions?) There is literally no correct answer! I agree with you that a local co-working option would be a great way for people to get together and avoid long commutes. Thanks for reading and sharing your view! 🤗
I have to agree with you. After almost four years of remote work, in my closet, I went back in person six months ago at a physical labor job. I legit felt like my brain was being re-wired those first few weeks! Even with almost two hours of commuting, it's so much better for me.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts Grace!
I can't believe people attend meetings making tea and with wet hair XD one of the reasons I don't WFH is that my home is, well, artistic. I don't necessarily want my colleagues to know what art I have on the walls or to see my bookshelf full of oddities and curiosities. Plus, as you said, getting ready sets the mood for the day, and commuting lets me mentally prepare AND unwind (and stop for a treat or some shopping). (PS: I loved the articles you quoted! )
Yes exactly! My home is my sanctuary 💛 I don't want work anywhere near it haha
I love to stop in at the library on my way home from work - my happy place!
Ooooh controversial! I’m a die hard WFH supporter, but I’ll concede you have made some excellent points 😂 I do think it depends hugely on your specific company’s culture, and I definitely agree that the new generation of workers have missed out on a lot by not having the opportunity to work in the office regularly - there is so much nuance to office culture and workplace interactions that you really have to experience to understand. And while I feel sorry for them, I also feel sorry for the rest of us who have to deal with some truly baffling breaches of etiquette from time to time 😵💫😅
Loved this essay. I’ve also found myself back in the office almost full-time.
And I quite like it. I have better work-life boundaries for a start. Leaving the office means i’ll rarely open my laptop when I get home. Working from home, i often worked until 7pm.
I’m also fortunate to work from a beautifully equipped corporate office that on certain days, could be almost empty. But those of us that are on there end up connecting and it’s expanded my network in a really positive way (the less is more way!)
You have such great insights and I’m glad I found your writing.
Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts! 💫
I’m about to start a fully in-office role next year after spending most of this year working 3 days from home. I was genuinely shocked at how much I didn’t enjoy working from home this often. Distractions absolutely everywhere, I would spend time scrolling on my phone instead of working, I would feel lonely after not speaking to anyone all day other than by Teams messages. I just don’t think humans are meant to be by themselves as often as we are now 🤷🏻♀️ We already have problems with loneliness and I don’t think excessive WFH helps that.
Sounds like we had exactly the same experience. I'm three weeks in to my fully in-office job and it has been fantastic, feeling so much more engaged and fulfilled. Best of all, when you close your laptop for the day and leave the office, work is "over" instead of haunting you at your house for the evening!
Thank you for this great essay. The company I work for has been fully remote for most people for some time. But they just announced that starting in March next year it will be 3x a week in office. While I love WFH for so many reasons, I think you make some excellent points here, and they are similar to what I've said to some people since my company made the announcement. Lots to think about.
I loved this. I’ve been fortunate to be hybrid (3 days in office, two days from home) for the past two years but I’ve found myself coming into the office 4 days a week lately. When I need to be in meetings I would rather just be in person. When you’re the only one zooming in it’s hard to feel like you are part of the meeting. It is nice to be able to do laundry at home on Fridays. And it’s nice to be able to work remotely if I have a tickle in my throat and I don’t want to get the rest of the office sick. My sister is fully remote and has been since day one of her first job. and I really worry that as a naturally introverted, shy person, it’s virtually impossible for her to network, make friends, make connections with people who could help her advance.
It strikes me that it’s just about “choice”. One size doesn’t fit all, but forward thinking companies should always give the option of either/or when it comes to WFH.
I think the thing is that if you let every employee decide their own schedule, company culture and cohesion sort of suffers as a result. That is the issue with the "hybrid" model most companies have landed on post-Covid. I think it's better to have a strict policy (which can either be remote, semi-remote of in-office) and you "choose" that when choosing to join.
Thanks for saying it Caoilainn! I agree with so much of what you are saying here, which I think says a lot having previously been your semi-remote employer 😉
I think there is no perfect one size fits all solution but having worked remotely waaaay before it was cool, since the pandemic I’ve increasingly felt that things have become too remote and we need to connect more in person. I think this is good for us as human beings in the many ways that you’ve described but I also think that creativity and learning flourish so much more in person.
All the best with the new in person role 🙂
You and Vineeta really did champion remote work WAY before it was cool 👏
100% agree with you - "too remote" is the perfect way to sum it up. We need to come together more often. I think if you are doing semi-remote, the set up we had was perfect - I really believe mandatory day(s) in the office and bringing the whole team together is super important for collaboration and culture.
just found your blog and have already spent a considerable amount of time reading your pieces... i really enjoy your writing. the way you think and express yourself is really refreshing. #subscribed.
Thank you so much Deaja 🩷🩷🩷
Loved this read! Thanks so much for including my post 🥺 great writing 💕
Thank you so much! Your post was amazing and I really share similar feelings on the topic 💛
You make a lot of great points here! Before the pandemic I had a fully in-office job in London, and although I loved that job, the commute was absolutely spirit sapping and exhausting thanks to the awful public transport situation. Fighting to squeeze onto a tube, then doing it all over again when I changed tubes, dealing with cancelled trains, delays, etc. I would arrive at work sweaty and furious. BUT there would also be a fair amount of walking involved - I would get to around 8k steps a day without trying. When I moved to Spain and the pandemic hit, the move to partial and then fully remote removed so much incidental exercise that I have to be intentional about it now. I’ve started nipping to the gym in my lunch break (not a morning person so can’t do it before work) and it really helps energize me for the afternoon.
One thing about Gen Z and remote work that doesn’t get talked about enough is that they are often house sharing with 2-3 other young people and that means they might only be able to wfh in their bedroom, destroying their work-life balance even more. I’ve been lucky because I have the space to go somewhere else in the house and even if my husband is also wfh we have enough space to do so in separate areas.