Do you like going in to the office?

[summermidnightsun]

Just wondered how people feel about this nowadays. Personally I find office days exhausting, hot desking stressful, and feel it’s something to endure. It would be easier if I could be someone who enjoys it but it makes me feel mentally drained.

YABU - I like going to the office
YANBU - I don’t like going

I do, I moved from permanent home working to hybrid last year. I like it as it’s only 2 days a week, I wouldn’t like to do more.

I’m more productive in the office and I enjoy the productivity more, if that makes sense. If there are urgent things happening I can get just as much done at home but it feels like frantically working in isolation which I dislike.

Also, my house is messy and full of mental distractions, the office is nice and clean and I can fully put my brain into work mode.

Still, one WFH day a week does leave me feeling a little more rested. I wouldn’t want more than that really.

Not massively. But only have to go once every 2 months.

I will never return to an office job again.

Yes. And I get much better work out of the team when we are all there - junior people are often much more comfortable coming up to your desk for a chat than ringing you at home on Teams. Things move more quickly, we are more responsive to each other and clients. Also, you build much better human connections including loyalty and friendship and then the willingness of team members to help each other out when needed.

Humans are social animals. We aren’t meant to sit at a computer by ourselves all day.

No. 45 minute (minimum) commute and have to arrive before 8 to get a parking space. Hot desking so sitting with randoms, not my own team. Then I spend the whole day on Teams calls so I may as well be at home.

1 day a week or a few days a month is fine for relationship building. Any more than that is just performative box ticking IMO. At home I start earlier because there's no commute, focus longer, have all the same Teams meetings as my colleagues who are at home or in office, eat lunch while working and log off later. My job gets more out of me when I'm at home.

I like the hybrid balance. Too long at home and I feel isolated and bored. Too long in the office I feel fatigued and stressed. I go in 3x a week.

I like it well enough. I enjoy having lunch in the city and during the hot spell I really appreciated the air con.

Yeah! I go in once per year for a one hour meeting followed by a swanky Christmas lunch. It’s quite nice to see actual faces for a few hours but I wouldn’t want to go much more frequently than that.

I like being in the office. But, and I think this is key, I have my own room, my own desk, my own laptop etc. I have flexibility so can work from home if I needs be, but I like my colleagues and sometimes it’s easy to get questions / jobs sorted if my colleagues are in, than running the gauntlet of trying to phone / message / email, then waiting for a response. Because of where my office is located I have stunning views, it’s cool in summer and warm and cozy in winter. When I’m not seeing clients F2F I can kick off my shoes and fold myself into my enormous desk chair! It also has a really nice smell!

I quite like going in but I only have to go in if I want to.

I go in twice a week. When i am waking up earlier and commuting I hate it and think I could do the same work at home.

But once I’m in and do a days work I enjoy it.

Hate it now. There’s always a bad atmosphere and I can do my entire job from home so going in two days a week is pointless!

Haven't been to "the office" since March 2020. In fact the office we had has now been sold and we have a much smaller office space that is rented - I've never been to the new office. I have WFH for over 6 years now. And I love it.

My team are based in the US, Canada, Dubai, Singapore, several UK locations and London. None of us go into the office as a rule and all contracts have moved to WFH, although the higher up the chain the more they attend (my most senior manager goes in once a week, the managers under her once or twice a month but most of us rarely / never attend the office)

Some of my colleagues team of 6 who used to be in the London office have actually moved. Two moved abroad, two moved out of London and two of us are still local to the office but don't attend.

Not sure this would have suited me when I was younger and enjoyed the social aspect of the office but I'm older, have young children, no longer drink and don't really like people for people's sake any more. So it's ideal for me - kids are at school / go to grandparents until I finish work (or clubs in the holidays) so I can WFH without any distractions.

Would happily never go back to the office ever again.

I like going to the office, i don't like working from home for more than 2 days on the trot. However, i work in a small department of 8 people, and i have my own desk in a room with just one other person (which changes as they have a job-share). I get on with all of my colleagues, particularly the younger ones, we always have a laugh and sometimes even go out after work.

I'd hate to be missing out on all of that socialisation and collaboration; they broaden my experiences and i'm learning something new everyday.

I don't like the journey and the office is one of two the company has near me. It's the worst of the two in terms of equipment, temperature, those we share the building with.

A day a week in an office is ok for me to have the in person chats that are better than via Teams or Zoom, that's enough for me.

Very much so. If only it was just down the hall, I could go in my joggers and there was a mute colleagues button for when I needed to concentrate, I'd go every day.

I go in once a week along with the rest of my team. That suits me, it's nice to connect with people but I wouldn't want to do it every day.

I hate going into the office. I'm currently job hunting and have decided not to apply for anything with more than 2 days on site. It's such a waste of time and money, travelling in and back again and I'm far more productive WFH.

I only have to go into the office once every 6 weeks. I'm used to WFH but not sure it's good for me, I do feel isolated and I do think some things are best done face to face. I could go into the office more often but I don't like hot desking and being on Teams while I am there. I wish I could go back to the pre covid set up with my own desk and my team colleagues around me.

I find it really distracting, colleagues talk too much. Even when I'm clearly really focused in the middle of a piece of work they will talk to me just to have a conversation. I don't mind as much when it's important ie work question/emotional support after a difficult experience but I had one just comment "you look busy". Yes, I was, trying to get everything up to date ready to go on leave, that one comment interrupted my flow and it took me ages to get back in to it. I'm easily distracted and struggle with focus so things like 2 minutes chatting are more like a loss of 30-60 minutes work. The office is either too hot or too cold, rarely a nice in-between. The blinds are rubbish and the window position means I have sun blaring in my eyes some of the day. Taking calls is difficult with people talking around me, especially if it's those directly next to me, everyone gets louder and louder to drown out the next person. I can't stand it when people try and ask me a question when I'm on the phone too.
The office is just not a place where I can work well. I'm a lot more productive at home. On the other hand, I do really see the value of it for relationships and shared learning. Hybrid is the best way in my opinion.

I first began WAH in the 90s when it was unusual (academia) and came to the conclusion that the commute and being in the office was a waste of time. I spent most of my on site time in the library. I hated and despised office politics. I dont know how anyone can concentrate in noisy busy offices.

Same