I have started to go back (my choice) to the office roughly 1x/week, to a downtown Chicago hi-rise, still mostly empty. It's been pretty nice -- 9 mile bike ri

I have started to go back (my choice) to the office roughly 1x/week, to a downtown Chicago hi-rise, still mostly empty. It's been pretty nice -- 9 mile bike ride, then squatting in a small office or conference room with a view over the Lake, maybe 1-2 colleagues to have lunch with or a "water-cooler" discussion, all on a floor that was laid out to support hundreds of people. I fully expect this to change once more people are there. The layout is mostly open floor plan, with anonymous desks in rows. Noise always was a problem before we all started staying home. I'm lucky enough that I can choose how often to go in, but a reading of this thread shows that many aren't as lucky. What it highlights for me is that how quality of the workspace really does matter (especially acoustics), and that companies must compete along this axis, along with many others (location, WFH fraction, compensation, etc.).