Most companies I am familiar with that are requiring a return to the office are doing so because they're paying for these large spaces that are sitting empty. It's not about 'productivity.' as they claim. It's about filling seats so they feel like they're getting their money's worth.
EDIT: This is a complaint I hear often:
What's disheartening is that a lot of "return to office" plans I've heard of from friends involve conditions even worse than what was there before. For example, hot-desking replacing the previous (also terrible) open office.
Yep, sounds about right. I know at least 10 people that have told me they will willingly take a pay cut to stay remote and never have to deal with shitty office spaces and "ass in chair" managers again.
I've been working remotely (for the most part) for years. Started well before Covid.
Other than occasional trips into the office for meetings or short-term stints for special projects, I have been lucky to be able to work from home.
I'm old enough to remember the white-shirt-and-tie days in the office, too. Yikes!
The company I work for has always leased all their space. They went from leasing three floors of a huge building in Phoenix to one and it's saving them tons. The company itself doesn't mind the remote situation - most of us were already remote - but the idiot director I'm under is one of those lonely people who needs constant interaction. He forces us on camera as much as possible and drags us into the office occasionally to squish us in a moldy conference room to stare at one another while he asks us personal questions. It's awful. He will never be gotten rid of becaise he's the best friend of the guy just above him.
I was grilled about if I enjoy going to the zoo the last time I was dragged in. I'm going to make excuses not to go in next time. I think my AC will convienetly go out and I have to let the repair guy in. I can say I don't trust the complex to have people in when I'm not home. He should understand that.
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