[Best Of] I'm Going Crazy In My House
Recent return-to-office mandates illuminate different views on working in an office vs. at home.
The Teardown
Friday :: October 18th, 2024 :: [Best-of]
👋 Hi, this is Chris with another issue of The Teardown. In every issue, I cover how we interact with technology that enables our day-to-day lives.
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Crazy At Home: An Update
I spoke with a friend yesterday (over video). In describing his life update he said: I’m addicted to this work from home thing.
His life construct is similar to many friends. He works for a company with a thoughtful work-from-home (i.e. remote) policy. Traversing suburban New Jersey for an occasional visit to the New York City office is an option rather than a requirement. He sees his kids a lot, stating unequivocally that he would need full-time child-care help if he were in the office much more than he is.
That rebalanced work and personal life equation works for him. It works well. He doesn’t want to change it.
And yet, some companies are requiring significant time in an office. Amazon is among the most notable. There are plenty of others, along with stories about revolting workers.
I wrote about my experience earlier this year. Several parents of local kids attending school with my daughter were fed up with work at home. The post hit home with many subscribers and other readers. It is one of my most read.
And what about me then and now?
I was craving some in-person (with coworkers) time but not excited to spend less time with my kids. Not much has changed. Working flexibly at home runs somewhat counter to building camaraderie and relationships in professional or consulting settings.
People, at least around me, seem to want more in-person time - not less.