Working remotely for the last year has revealed just how much of office culture is accidental, arbitrary, and sexist.
Fascinating discussion of going back to the offices or not, and how it wasn't all that good to begin with.
This plantation style work hierarchies, rules, controlled and supervised work culture and including financial and survival dependency of workers in it all was created by the capital to exploit labor (through meagre paycheck and benefits). That is why Republicans were not happy about Obamacare that would free workers from employer provided health care.
I am hopeful that the Gig economy will shatter that.
I think the erosion of office culture would be a wonderful thing. Think of all the fuel and green house gases that are saved. It definitely would be another blow to the restaurant industry and other business that thrive on workers. Our culture will never be the same. That's for sure.
What limited experience I have in the "office" culture is. One...It sucks, especially the little clicks and the gossip. How many people in an office hang out together when not working, hardly any in my experience. Two...For some people, mainly women, the office is their social life, and they are the ones who want to go back to a full office.
The office never was my social life. My experience is that if you aren't up on current culture you don't have anything to talk with anyone about. I don't watch TV, I don't read celebrity rags. I don't care about current hot groups movies, TV, or the Kardashians, etc. So I was just there to do my job and leave as soon as I could. I did not make coffee, ever. I told them I don't drink it, so I don't have any idea of what it should taste like. If I had to make it, I'd either make it too strong or too weak, Yes, most offices I have been in have had their cliques, and mean girls. I loved WFH, no commute, and no office gossip. I am hoping my next job will be WFH as much as possible.