A Return to the Office

Most of the nation has been working from home since about August of last year, which was when we had the last big lockdown - and subsequently gave up on the idea of doing those as a nation as it dragged-on.

This has worked out quite well for me. I’ve traded a small apartment and a short commute, to a home and garden with a longer one. Being able to roll directly out of bed and log-in five minutes before the work day begins has been revolutionary.

It hasn’t come without downsides, however. It wouldn’t be uncommon for me to go the day without physically speaking to another person, other than in the usual rituals such as stand-up. I do tend to miss the casual interactions with my colleagues. Swivelling my chair around to chat to the people next to me felt really organic, compared to a more formal and organised Slack or Teams call.

So I suppose it’s no surprise that management want everyone to come in at least two days a week now. Might also have something to do with the business paying for a lease on an empty office.

Full-time back in the office is hell, as I discovered when the team was asked to come in the entire week during a crunch. Waking up early, starting my commute in the dark, and returning home in the dark sucks. And then I have to cook and clean. Gross.

The carrot in this whole situation is that we are getting our workstations and peripherals upgraded. Goddammit it’s working, too.