I sometimes have to. Not because someone tells me to, but because my physical presence is actually needed.

Sometimes I have to fly in from my middle-of-nowhere home office because whatever system I was troubleshooting wasn't fixable via VPN. And said system can be anywhere in the world, so it doesn't really matter where I live.

So returning to an office based work location? Yeah, that ain't happening..

Walking distance from the office. And doesn't mean I'll relocate to a 1 bedroom apartment just to be next to the office.

I've been remote for over seven years now. I can't think of anything that would get me back into the office - why would I, when working remotely works so much better for me?

If I were these employers, I'd want to step back and figure out why it's so important to have people back in the office. Assuming they can find good reasons, work from those. For example, if it's about some employees actually preferring to work from the office, what kind of hybrid solution can you set up to make them more successful? How can you connect those who are remote and those who are on location? And so on.

TLDR: I would friggin' love to be back in the office for a couple days a week. Would probably never do onsite every day for any boss but myself again.

I've experienced both pure remote and hybrid remote, as well as existing for about 45 years in a world where remote work was a mythical thing you heard about but only saw on television. Even at the time that my office was 1.5 hours drive each way, I absolutely loved when I was a Sysadmin and spent three days a week at home and two at the office.

Covid came and I got full time remote for close to two years and I really did hate it, especially since when it started I was in the first couple months of a new role I had been promoted to with no experience - had I not built up a lot of love from my employer in the previous role (the promotion happened for reasons, basically I had scripted my job down to nothing at all so it was kind of a freebie for them) I would have busted out but they basically let me coast and learn whatever I could for the duration, before going under.

Had I been able to be in the office and work alongside my new teammates in that role, I would today be much further along in my career arc. I'm still doing okay, but it would have been so much better to have been in the same room with them. And as it happens, my current job is also fully remote and my employer is great but based in a different city, so at the moment unless I move halfway across the continent I'm stuck fully remote. And I like my employer, have no interest in leaving, and I think they like me, even in my current state, so probably I'm stuck there for good. Boohoo lol.

I do realize that my problems are non-problems, in actuality; I'm doing fine. But if I had my druthers I'd be going into an office and standing around the coffee machine for small chats and eating the free croissants they give out on Wednesdays. I'm not very social and those little interactions, from which one had a constant "gotta get to work" excuse to dip out at will, were just the perfect level of socialization for me, really. Going to the office is not remotely all bad, really.

But I also remember being power tripped on and micromanaged by various scumbags, so when I see these corporate fuckwits demanding everyone just make things like they used to be, I know what they're trying to do, so in the end I think if the job is doable remotely, it's up to the individual whether they want to go in, and in the long term employers are just gonna have to figure out how to handle that equitably. One instant thought I had was, pay a premium for onsite roles, or for hours done onsite. If it's really that crucial to operations that will be a sound strategy, just the cost of doing business.

I go in freely 3 days a week. I'm in a role that is focused on relationship building and collaboration (product management/leadership) and find I do much higher quality work when I'm in the office.

I still have enough solo work to do for the two days i am at home.

Having said that, I'm compensated quite well and enjoy the country driving to the office as it allows me to listen to audio books uninterrupted and decompress after work.

I've already voluntarily started going to the office. My company does not require it, nor does it gain me any particular favors with the company for doing so - either in-office, full remote or anything in-between is allowed.

I've decided to do so because, frankly, our office is out of the world. The amount of free shit I get there on a daily basis straight up rules. The office staff puts on frequent events which I enjoy attending, I get to meet and interact with other people in person as opposed to sitting around in my apartment all day, I'm in the city near all the good food options. There's a whole lot of perks to going in to the office for me, and not a whole lot of negatives.

Some negatives and my reasoning around them:

• I have to wake up a bit earlier in order to get ready for work. This does indeed suck a bit.
• I spend more on food buying lunch from restaurants in the city as opposed to eating leftovers. I see this a bit as a plus, as I get to experience great food made by professionals every day.
• I have to spend some money on transporting myself to the office. It's not a whole lot - public transportation is excellent where I live - but I've mitigated this further by commuting by bicycle, which affords me some quality exercise on the commute, and some great podcast listening time.
• My less flexible schedule affords me less good opportunities for strength exercise. I'm still working on fixing this problem, but right now the bicycle gives me what I consider to be more than enough exercise, all in all.

All in all, I'm happy with my choice. I spent a lot of time working remote during the pandemic, and weighed the upsides and downsides, and going to the office came out on top in the end. I understand that this is not for everyone, and I think everyone that wants to work remotely should get to keep doing so. Hopefully others afford me the same respect in my choice!

Communting and wearing shoes everyday sounds meh.

I want my own desk with the same hardware I have at home. Booking a flex desk in advance, bringing all my stuff except the monitor, setting it up, adjusting the chair and getting a new problem with every new desk is a bad start for the day. Also having the same people around me, helps me to feel "home". But sinc I'm nonstop in MS Team meetings, there is no way for me.to interact with anyone in the office. So maybe reduce the number of meetings, they are useless anyway.

And I hate the coffee in the office, it gives me headaches.

I went back to the office on my own. A long time ago. It should be noted that I like my bosses, peers, and my job in general (I mean it’s called work, not fun - but it isn’t miserable)

1. ability to build better relationships with everyone - it’s too easy to sling shit over email. Whole different experience actually talking to somebody - especially when one of you needs something difficult.
2. separation between work and home - I don’t like home feeling like the workplace.
3. remote work people are heading towards a future of being Bangalore’d. If your job is currently being split up into the part that needs to be local and a remote part - you’re only a few years away from watching someone overseas do it for 1/10th the cost. Be needed in person people!

I thought I’d love remote work, but I hated it.

Higher pay and a housing market carsh

My current position is 100% remote work-from-home and I took this job in 2018. It was impeccable timing and when the pandemic hit, my life/work routine barely changed at all.

Prior to that, I had an office job with a 1h 15m commute each way...not because I lived super far away, but because my office was in downwtown Seattle and commuting is a nightmare in this region.

Having an extra 2.5 hours of me-time each day is almost priceless. Not having to deal with the stresses of commuting and not having to deal with the daily scum of public transportation is priceless.

To get me to return to the office (that miserable routine)...it would take a 4-day work week, plus a significant pay increase, plus a monthly transportation stipend.

An office I can walk to. I might even prefer that to a home office, because I find it hard to get away from work when it is always looking at me at home, even in my spare time.

An office where I have a say in how it is furnished and how it looks, together with my colleagues of course. Natural light, being able to sit or stand at my desk. "Please do not disturb" signs that people respect when I want to concentrate on my work. A place that is built to reduce noise, and that allows me to have it as cold or warm, light or dark, as I need it to be that day.

A place where I can eat and drink when I need to, and a place where I can lie down for a moment when it helps me recover from a difficult task.

Basically, make my workplace a place to live, because work is life, not a separate thing, and you go home to start living.

Double the salary, with a company car, 4-day week, and office kittens.

Honestly, I might just come in for extra cash and the kittens…

A job. Please, lol!

A couple more kids. Or a smaller house. Or my mother in law coming to live with us.

I'm only required to go 4 days a month (supposedly once a week).

I go almost every day anyway. 15 minutes of subway (Buenos Aires' Subte) and the office is more confortable than my very small department anyway. Also, nice lunch room, refrigerators with fruit, nice coffee and even when it's open floor, the number of people is still reduced and not (too) distracting.

Regularly? Nothing. I go there to access material most of the time.

Stepping outside my bedroom would get me back to the office, since my living room is the office

I would literally have to be kidnapped and dragged to the office against my will.

I never left the office...

A self driving car (or a personal driver, not a bus)

I could just modify the thing to sleep in it. Sleep through the commute

Employers generally pay employees to do things that they can't or don't want to do. We work (doing things we don't necessarily want to do) simply because it makes us money.

So yeah, want people to return to the office? That better come with a big offer attached or no dice.

Teleportation technology

Higher salary, free lunch, commute costs covered. And should be hybrid instead of all five days in the office (Tues-Thurs).

It would cost me at least 15 hours of free time a week in commute and at least $800 extra a month. Then there's the physiological strain of being trapped in a car and that's not good for my back and hips. Let's not forget "Jane," my obnoxious "I don't like Trump but" conservative coworker who has loud and vocal political opinions that I can help but overhear because she sits in the undersized fluorescent lit cubicle next to mine in my dark, dusty, windowless office. No thanks. I'm much happier at home.