I realized yesterday as I went to the office for the first time in a long while how many things suddenly annoy me. I was in a bad mood for the entire 40-minute ride there, I was in a bad mood listening to all the noise and chatter as I made it to my floor, I was annoyed with constant interruptions for irrelevant things, I was annoyed that my manager seemed as happy as a clam to finally be able to properly boss us around, and on and on. All of these things were okay before. They were not ideal, but they didn't affect my day or mood all that much. But now that I know how it is to work from home? To sleep an extra hour and be well rested before I start work? To be able to fully concrete with no distractions? To only deal with my manager a fraction of the time and not in person? Now I know every day I have to go to the office will be miserable. This is why I wish WFH was never a thing.
23 replies (most recent on top)
@1klm, source on this alleged future 5 days a week RTO requirement? That would be almost as big a travesty as making people hired on with full-time telecommuting agreements “return” to the office. Before COVID, my group all telecommuted on Fridays. We’re also scattered all over the country, so working in the office doesn’t do diddly squat for collaborating. Five days a week?? GT eff OH!
Luckily badge data won’t be reviewed until April. Most of the people in my group got exemptions for RTO from their doctor (eye roll) leaving only two people at the designated location. The environment was not a great one to say the least. This is a primer as the announcement will be made soon that RTO has been SO productive that we will move to 5 days a week. Felt like the hand sanitizer should have been replaced with kool-aid! Drink up people.
The real problem is that "leadership" totally resists any change if the ideas for that "change" come from anybody other than them.
Doesn't matter if the change would be positive or not. Somebody elses idea? Not happening.
@1rgg+1fMF7X5W
News for you, bootlicker - unhappy employees do less work and find ways to avoid work which costs the company more money. The harder the pressure is, the more it happens and no one can stop it. Office workplaces are even easier to avoid work in than WFH.
I've got two interviews lined up for a full remote position out of this hellscape. Get your resume out there, folks! You're better than this place.
Let's not forget that we have the best bathroom privileges while WFH. It is always the small things that makes the thumbs up or down.
Who is paying you .. do your job and earn your pay ..Sit down
Dear Diary: I am big crybaby when my employer asks me to do stuff for money that I would rather not do. I prefer to fixate on negative things I can’t control instead of making positive change in my life. Wah wah wah.
I saw a mouse running down the cube row in CIC, Charlotte NC. I guess they had to RTO too!
The forced smiles and pleasantries on my floor are hilarious. No one appears to genuinely want to be there, but no one's friendly enough with anyone to commiserate with them. A whole floor of silently stewing teammates/strangers waiting to head downstairs so they can vent into their phones.
Progress.
Yeah? Try having been hired as 100% remote, having done it for years and accepted the shltty pay raises / below market value pay because you were remote, only to have to yanked from you because "reasons".
I don't know how I'm supposed to collaborate when I am sitting with a bunch of strangers...
It is interesting how we are forced like cattle back into the office, but they dont clean desks daily and it is noon here and yesterday's trash still hasn't been picked up. Seems about right for covid management
Going to be difficult going backwards for sure!
The real eye opener from me was having to use one of those toilet seat protectors again.
I was 100% wfh before Covid, so yeah I’m still a bit bitter.
At least the facility is nice and close to my home.
@pbi+1fMF7X5W
Putting in extra AM or evening time or working extra hours was a benefit I gave to WF as I was getting a benefit of WFH. Once that changed, so did things on my side. Now my work stops promptly at quitting time and I do not respond until I badge back in the next day.
I agree with you, I have been absolutely drained and worn down by the constant circus that is office work. It’s so inefficient. We have plenty of digital tools that allow for the same level of collaboration without being distracted by all of the inconveniences of being in an office.
The major difference is not having an assigned desk with your actual team members. I had no clue who I was sitting by or what they did. It was also awkward not knowing if they were upper management or some peon. You really can’t talk freely if you don’t know who is around. There is a certain level of confidentiality needed when discussing certain topics. The way it is set up, you can’t be sure you are sitting by only those that “need to know”. When I work from home, I know my dog will not repeat anything I say.
I agree with OP. The last two days in the office were soul draining. Such a waste of time and effort to sit in a room with a handful of strangers! I was exhausted by the time I got home, and nope, I did not turn on my laptop to follow up on all those emails!
@fep+1fMF7X5W
IM is better than calls or face to face. Come to my desk and I’ll tell you I’m busy. I ignore my phone outright. If you need me you leave an IM - which I will read and reply to when I want - or you send an email. That’s the only way I respond. Instant message doesn’t mean instant reply. People who think that’s how it works are wrong.
Agree about the genie being out of the bottle.
And think about what's going to happen as people with knowledge quit, and new people who have marketable skills chose NOT to work here.
Who does that leave to work here? People who are simply marking time until retirement. People with lower skills and abilities. People who take a job here just because they're in a pinch and who are going to go somewhere else the first chance they get.
This runs deep.
Most people pretty much agree that this ship has been sinking for a while, but now they've got some REAL problems coming at them. It's not 1980 anymore.
@hsz - lol. IM. Worst invention ever. I have had people email me and 2 minutes later IM asking if I read their email. No I haven’t. I’m in the middle of something. Well when can you look at it?? Well when I am done with what I am doing I will go through my emails. It should be renamed II. Instant Interruption
The genie is definitely out of the bottle. The only way management recorks it is to manage us out and replace the majority of employees (the artists formerly known as TEAM MEMBERS) with true believers. It’s clear that we aren’t all going to have some sudden corporate “Coming to Jesus” moment where we drink the KoolAid and suddenly 24 months of WFH experience suddenly vanish. That’s just stupid. Extraordinary circumstances created a need. WFH satisfied the need.. and then some. RTO in any form is a massive step backwards in workplace evolution. Management is ultimately protecting their jobs by making ours miserable. That’s the long and short.🤷🏻
Agreed! The popping over out of no where. F’ing IM me and ask if I wanna talk to your stupid face. I could be in the middle of something.