Labor Daze

The headlines I cannot avoid in my Google News today are likely due to AI snooping on my vocally lamenting being in-office thrice a week. Regardless, while Google only sought clickbait -- I found solidarity. After greater than two years working from our homes, many people like myself are now wondering why the heck we should return to an office. Rather than calling us naïve, I wonder if the people making the call should consider who will be left when they leave. 

The reasons that stood out to me as I read through the CNN article today did so because they rang true: the commute, the loss of time with my family, and the decrease in productivity. My commute doesn't only waste my time and resources, but every day I am contributing to the deterioration of the planet. I cannot afford to replace my vehicle with an electric one, but I can perform my job without burning fossil fuels. Did we not roll climate change back while the world worked from home during the pandemic? Can our countries not create some sort of incentive for employers to continue this practice, where applicable, knowing that they are doing as much or as little as they are to save the planet? We know they want us to help correct the issue they weren't able to stop - a great reduction in population - by having children. Well, give us a reason to think they'll have a planet where they can live. Incentivize employers to encourage remote work; the less people sitting in stop-and-go traffic for hours to go to offices (also most likely being heated or cooled by burning fossil fuels), the better.

Speaking of wanting the generation still able to have kids to do so: please don't be surprised when we want to then know them. This may seem a bit bizarre, but it doesn't make it any less true. A number of people in my generation have realized their parents will not be stellar grandparents (and perhaps weren't very attached parents). The result? We have fully embraced Maya Angelou - we know better, and we're determined to do better. We aren't willing to give up time with our families now that we know we can have a better work/life balance without sacrificing little league practice or promotions. We've spent the last two years doing homework, playing soccer, crushing levels of Overcooked, and rediscovering Lego and Mousetrap. We did it all while managing to keep up with deadlines and deliverables, albeit the learning curve for us may not be as steep as coworkers who haven't used chat as a method of communication for more than a decade. 

Perhaps this is an area of oversight from the top-down view. One of the oft-given reasons for returning to the office is mentorship by more seasoned employees; if these employees want to remain in the workforce, this mentorship can go both ways. Technological challenges can hinder productivity in remote or hybrid teams, which could be a factor for a perceived need of in-office hours. What's more likely necessary is an assessment of staff's weaknesses and strengths, pairing for dual mentorships, and timing that allows for teams to make the most of any work atmosphere. How many offices that have reconvened to in-person are still holding meetings via Teams or Zoom? On that same note, how many are still requiring a staff member to take notes rather than using a transcribe feature? At least one: mine. 

I resent my hour commute due to there being no real reason for my being in-office. My workday in-office does not require me to interact with other employees, and when it does - those meetings are conducted over Teams. I actively avoid co-workers, as is highly encouraged to emphasize the priority: productivity. This is 100% okay with me as I also need this aversion for my sanity. The constant noise level, frequent movement, random shifts in scents, and unpredictable temperatures are an all-out assault on my ability to focus. After two years, my home office is a finely-tuned machine for productivity, and returning to what is called an office by my company is now a sad substitution. Thus, my only question  is what am I offering my company by being in the building that I am not offering when I am at home? I fear there is no legitimate response; no, what I expect is,  "this is how it has always been done." 

To that I will say, "when we know better, we do better."