I have been fortunate that for the last two years I've been working from home, with maybe a once a quarter trip to the mother ship, I mean office. Web work has its advantages.

This week we were summoned back for a get together... 3 hours in the morning telling ourselves what we already know.

Three hours in the afternoon listening to a sports Psychologist on how to build a great team. I think our new head of department is going to hire an ex-roman galley rowing drummer if we don't improve.

tetris

I'm not a fan of WFH as the default. Yes I like the option of having it, but making it my default made it really hard to create those necessary boundaries between work and home life which are mixed enough already.

Daily mindless chitchat with my deskmates sometimes yields great ideas. Being present in the office means I can just throw quips at my boss without any fuss or email drama.

My commute is 45 mins long, but is a crucial part of my day where I exercise.

Working from home was killing me, driving me insane, and creating conflict with my colleagues (some of who needed to be in the office to work, creating an underclass of sorts).

Before you ask, no I'm not a boot licker repeating company sound quotes to protect the shiny office of my boss. My workspace is small, my boss's office is a small wardrobe in the corner, all given to us by the instituion (i.e. not rented).

mouse

The WFH was kinda imposed. I admit unlike some I was/am lucky. The wider team had been stable a while before we where sent home so we had a fair foundation.

My job is web based so fortunate able to carry on with minimal disruption. Maybe I am odd but at my age I liked the slower pace - between the mad panics.

My commute (car) was about 45 min each way, so got best part of two hours back, which somehow turned into work.

The return to normal created a lot of senior tension at work; the old school who want presenteeism (?) and those who manage on results not busywork.

I can see a hybrid way working best - attendance with purpose.

~bartender do we have wifi in here?

tetris

Attendance with purpose is indeed a good compromise, but really - that idle chitchat by the watercooler/coffee machine is a fantastic device to share ideas.

Mid weak