It seems like the return to the office call is really about multiple issues. First, there's the sunk cost fallacy that some companies have with regard to their

It seems like the return to the office call is really about multiple issues. First, there's the sunk cost fallacy that some companies have with regard to their office leases or buildings which keeps them trapped in the idea that they must have said offices or buildings or they're not a real company (as if the cost of existing as a firm should incur a dead weight such as unused or underutilized office space). Second, there's some companies that are perpetually in the panopticon mindset. They think if they measure, spy, and constantly monitor their employees then those employees won't slack off. The problem is that often the process adds more dead time than it removes. So many meetings, so many reports or email summaries to write. So much paperwork that is fundamentally unnecessary to the process. Third, there's just some people in charge that don't want to acknowledge that everyone is a little different in significant ways. Some folks thrive on just being given their duties and producing output that helps the process with little interaction with other employees. Some really need that watercooler talk time to get going for the day. And some just are a mix. In any case, this is something that all companies will have to face in the future since it can't be just all or nothing. The old ways aren't going to work for you and the new ways are yet to be understood. Ultimately, I'm going to say that work from home is going to be a permanent aspect of work and attempts to stifle it rather than figuring out how to integrate it is just delaying the inevitable.