In Defense of Working From the Office

Hot Take: Working in an office is more beneficial to your life and career than working remote.

Ok, I get it, we are all somewhat resistant (vehement?) to the idea of trudging back to the office every day, even as there is a growing movement by employers to at least get back to a hybrid work model. After 3 years of working remote there is certainly enough evidence that we can be as productive from home as we can in an office setting, and that's the entire point right? Working in an office is counterproductive, unnecessary, "old-school'.

Well, let me defend the contrarian opinion for a moment. For sure, working from home has many advantages; elimination of the time and aggravation of commuting, a very relaxed dress code, and the flexibility in scheduling you day. On the employer’s side, just the massive reduction in the cost of maintaining an onsite location and being able to draw from a world of talent as opposed to the best local talent has it benefits.

But let me get back to why there are huge benefits to the office life.

1. I believe in the power of close collaboration, those spontaneous ideas that happen when people are physically close. Whether in meetings, passing in the hall, "water-cooler talk", lunches, etc. Great ideas are borne from happenstance, not Zoom calls. Remote work neuters those opportunities. Digital interactions have agendas and purpose that don't offer a lot of wiggle room for personal discussion.
2. Separation of work and life. There is a very thin line today when it comes to work-life balance. Connectivity is now 24/7/365. It's insanely easy to keep up with email, messages, meetings, and deliverables. So much so, that the line between work and life isn't even a line anymore, it’s a milkshake, completely and inexplicably mushed together. Sure, your boss with tell you that you don't need to respond to that 9:30p email right now, but deep down they aren't telling you not to respond to it either. And nothing say go-getter like being always available. Daytime, nighttime, at work, on vacation, the pressure to constantly be responsive is a great as it has ever been. "I'm just gonna quickly check my email before we head to the beach with the kids" is almost a meme at this point. Remote work aggravates those expectations, after all, the flexibility to take your kids to a dentist appointment at 3p also means the flexibility to work on that report at 11p. The physical separation of home and office presents a rampart to ward off the temptation to always-on availability. At 5p you put your work brain in your desk and replace it with your life brain, the commute becomes the transition from work to life, and firing up the laptop when you get home is literally more difficult.
3. The benefits of going to work are the opportunities offered beyond work. As a fresh-faces new college graduate, my first job work gave me the company softball team, a new network of friends (and girlfriends), social events, lunch buddies, and workout partners. I pity young workers today and the isolation they face, and the opportunities lost to working hard but not playing hard with their co-workers.
4. Being a whole person. Working remote effectively makes you one dimensional, an avatar, a Flat Stanley with job responsibilities. It's impossible for people to get to "really" know you - your hobbies, your quirks, your family, your non-work self. The things that make you human and truly interesting. This is how authentic friendships form and to some degree how work can be facilitated. I never had a work conversation with Mike before talking about his Scotch obsession. No work ever got done with Bill until he reminded you about the time his alma mater App St. beat Michigan in football. Laura and I debated more about the dietary merits on Krispy Kreme donuts versus her green drink then we ever did about the current deliverable. These things are what made work more interesting and truly collaborative. These things don't happen in a Zoom-driven, agenda fueled, remote work environment.
5. Enhancing your career progression. People like doing business with people they like. That goes beyond job performance and into personalities. These things can't be developed remotely. They can only happen with the day-to-day rubbing of shoulders in an office. Getting promoted has less to do with how well you perform your job and more to do with decision makers saying, "I like this person".
6. Preserving your career. Things are tough right now and layoffs are happening everywhere. Just like familiarity helps you progress your career, it can also help save your job. Layoffs are both a numerical and emotional decision. The numbers’ part is simple, the emotional part a little more variable and difficult. As a remote worker, you are a widgetized, non-dimensional asset. You produce work, appear in Zoom calls, and respond to Slack messages. It's much easier emotionally to let you go under those circumstances. But when you are a living, breathing, physical person, those decisions become more complex. Suddenly, you're a person with feelings, responsibilities, dependents, bills. When I was laid off (via Zoom) from my remote position, there was about as much emotion in the VP in that 5-minute (yes, 5 minute) call as there was in him canceling his 'Better Homes & Gardens' magazine subscription. He was off the hook for having to contend, face-to-face with a life-altering conversation. It was too easy given the enormity of the decision. These decisions and discussions should be agonizing and gut-wrenching. Remote work makes those decisions trivial.

So, there you have it, I yield the floor to remote work advocates. Admittedly, remote work is the future of business. We are never going back. Workers want it and employers are embracing it (some begrudgingly). Convenient, flexible, productive - what's not to like? I would contend it's those things we lose in such an arrangement, that benefits both sides. The power of close collaboration, the clear separation between work and life, the social opportunities, and the ability to foster authentic relationships all contribute to a more enriching and fulfilling work experience. To paraphrase John Lennon (who by the way, went to the studio to work), "All I am saying, is give the office a chance."