3 ms·

I think people paint this as propaganda, not realising everybody is different. I was a staunch WFH believer. I fought it to the point where I'm one of the few r

I think people paint this as propaganda, not realising everybody is different. I was a staunch WFH believer. I fought it to the point where I'm one of the few remaining employees allowed remote status at my company. I now feel it was a mistake and plan to return to the office soon. I remember a few years ago the concept of a 'third place' was a big thing. You have home, work, and a third place (e.g. church, a sports you play with, gym). Now, a lot of people don't even have a second place. WFH has definitely impacted my mental health and my relationship. Obviously it doesn't _have to_ but if you don't have the built-in motivation to get out and do things often enough, you will spend far too much time at home, around the same person, driving yourselves crazy. Some people need to be 'forced' to do things or they will let life slowly pass them by. When I had to go to the office I got outside, fresh air, walking, talking with colleagues (even if the interactions weren't very deep) and there was a much greater chance I would do something social after work (with friends, not colleagues). Just being part of the hustle and bustle of the city is something I miss greatly. Like I say, obviously you can do all this and WFH, but personally, I find it very difficult. At the time I thought Covid + WFH didn't impact me all that much. I didn't feel particularly concerned about it although followed the laws/guidance closely. Looking back as we close in on four years since it started, I feel like it actually had a much bigger impact than I realised and a big part of that is the isolation/bad patterns it's easy to slip into with WFH.

theonlybutlet 3y ago
You're basically on the verge of saying I should be forced to go to church as I don't do what's in my best interests. Lol. Sounds like an individuals own problem, not a work must interfere in my personal life problem.
- basisword 3y ago
  No, I'm discussing a massive change in how society operates and whether that is ultimately good or bad. As I said at the start of my comment, everybody is different. Working from home is great for some people, and horrible for others. >> Sounds like an individual problem Yes, but there are lots of things that are 'individual problems' for which society operates in a certain way to ensure it functions as well as possible as a whole. It's an interesting discussion.
  - munksbeer 3y ago
    > Working from home is great for some people, and horrible for others. Ok, but why the debate then? There is no shortage at all of companies who want people back in the office. So if it's horrible for you to work from home, just go to the office. Why try to force everyone in?
    - basisword 3y ago
      You realise I have no control over you right? I’m not trying to force you or anyone else in. My point was people should stop being so dogmatic about it. The majority of the comments on this post are a perfect example of that.
      - theonlybutlet 3y ago
        Unfortunately management tend to like simplistic solutions that are easily expressed on a PowerPoint presentation. So whilst this whole thing is a topic of discussion, any nuance is lost and will simply become some catchy "all hands on deck" or whatever absurd thing they decide to call it. Nuance to the decision will be lost, and everyone is required to return to the office.
  - jfengel 3y ago
    To me it reads better when it's presented as something we can do for individuals, rather than as a generic solution for society. I don't want to be forced to go to the office so that somebody else can have a friend. I have plenty of friends -- friends who I don't get to see when I'm compelled to commute and spend "core hours" elsewhere. I'm prepared to give something of myself to help others. But I don't like the suspicion that this is yet another attempt to reinforce the previous status quo for a benefit that has little do with the ostensible problem. We've been talking about lonely people for years, even when most of them went into the office. Remote work is an opportunity to do something different. Use your flexibility to find common interest groups rather than befriending the arbitrary set of people you happen to be crammed into a room with. There are lots of ways we can facilitate that. That's a more interesting discussion than "let's do the same thing".
- ryandvm 3y ago
  Mmm. I think he was saying he thought WFH was a great idea and it turned out that it had negative repercussions he hadn't anticipated. No need to strawman him. I happen to have experienced the exact same thing. Switched to 100% WFH during COVID and never came off it. I fortunately have a family, but the reality is that family requires a lot of chronological investment (homework, dinners, bonding, etc). Previously working in an office was able to fulfill my extra-familial social needs as a human, but without an office it's much harder to make that happen. I am obviously very glad that I have a family (and was especially glad during COVID), but I do think that family + WFH leaves very little time for traditional social activities.

theonlybutlet 3y ago

You're basically on the verge of saying I should be forced to go to church as I don't do what's in my best interests. Lol. Sounds like an individuals own problem, not a work must interfere in my personal life problem.

basisword 3y ago
No, I'm discussing a massive change in how society operates and whether that is ultimately good or bad. As I said at the start of my comment, everybody is different. Working from home is great for some people, and horrible for others. >> Sounds like an individual problem Yes, but there are lots of things that are 'individual problems' for which society operates in a certain way to ensure it functions as well as possible as a whole. It's an interesting discussion.
- munksbeer 3y ago
  > Working from home is great for some people, and horrible for others. Ok, but why the debate then? There is no shortage at all of companies who want people back in the office. So if it's horrible for you to work from home, just go to the office. Why try to force everyone in?
  - basisword 3y ago
    You realise I have no control over you right? I’m not trying to force you or anyone else in. My point was people should stop being so dogmatic about it. The majority of the comments on this post are a perfect example of that.
    - theonlybutlet 3y ago
      Unfortunately management tend to like simplistic solutions that are easily expressed on a PowerPoint presentation. So whilst this whole thing is a topic of discussion, any nuance is lost and will simply become some catchy "all hands on deck" or whatever absurd thing they decide to call it. Nuance to the decision will be lost, and everyone is required to return to the office.
- jfengel 3y ago
  To me it reads better when it's presented as something we can do for individuals, rather than as a generic solution for society. I don't want to be forced to go to the office so that somebody else can have a friend. I have plenty of friends -- friends who I don't get to see when I'm compelled to commute and spend "core hours" elsewhere. I'm prepared to give something of myself to help others. But I don't like the suspicion that this is yet another attempt to reinforce the previous status quo for a benefit that has little do with the ostensible problem. We've been talking about lonely people for years, even when most of them went into the office. Remote work is an opportunity to do something different. Use your flexibility to find common interest groups rather than befriending the arbitrary set of people you happen to be crammed into a room with. There are lots of ways we can facilitate that. That's a more interesting discussion than "let's do the same thing".
ryandvm 3y ago
Mmm. I think he was saying he thought WFH was a great idea and it turned out that it had negative repercussions he hadn't anticipated. No need to strawman him. I happen to have experienced the exact same thing. Switched to 100% WFH during COVID and never came off it. I fortunately have a family, but the reality is that family requires a lot of chronological investment (homework, dinners, bonding, etc). Previously working in an office was able to fulfill my extra-familial social needs as a human, but without an office it's much harder to make that happen. I am obviously very glad that I have a family (and was especially glad during COVID), but I do think that family + WFH leaves very little time for traditional social activities.