Dreading Five-Day Office Return

“Rise and shine, amble to the desk, power the laptop, and delve into work right from the comfort of your home. An approach to work liked by many throughout the global issue for those possible to do so remotely. Being acclimated towards this arrangement pretty rapidly, many had their life structures pivot around it. Recently, Andy Jassy, the head honcho at Amazon, conveyed they are bidding goodbye to the home-and-office work method which permitted employees to operate from home for two days each week. The workforce was informed that they would reverting back to office-bound routines for the full week.

The intent behind such a move, as explained by Jassy, was to cultivate a superior ‘setup for ingenuity, teamwork and enhanced connectivity.’ Anticipating people’s personal lives to potentially demand certain ‘adaptations,’ he declared the new regulations would be sprung into action from January 2nd, 2025.

Post this declaration, Gary Cooper, the originator of phrase ‘presenteeism,’ flagged bosses enforcing a full week return to office as ‘fossils of our era.’

However, is the remote workforce in Ireland poised for a switchback to the ways before the global issue? What would be the implications if the employers stress on complete in-office operation?

Consider Jason Shortt, currently working five days a week from home. Pre-global issue, he used to travel from hometown, Roscrea, Co Tipperary, all the way to south Co Dublin which was reminiscent of somewhat comical traffic scenes from the 80s cinema flick ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles.’

While working for a US-based firm, his commute started at 6.15 in the morning, initially driving his vehicle from Roscrea to Ballybrophy, Co Laois, and then hopping on the train to Heuston Station in Dublin. “At first, I commuted using DublinBikes to reach the quays,” he recounts. He would leave his bike on the quays and walk to Tara Street, hop on the Dart to Blackrock, and then finish off the commute with another walk to reach the office.

Facing occasional difficulties with securing a DublinBike, he made a choice of getting a folding bike, which he carried with him on the train and used for the rest of the journey. His objective was to catch the homeward train either at 6pm or 7pm.”

Shortt used to spend his weekends prepping meals ahead of his week-long travels. He maximised his long travel times, eating on the go and studying for his Open University course whilst on the train. After he was done with work, he would either visit the gym or go for a run. Notably, he wasn’t a father yet during this time.

Nowadays, Shortt resides in Cork along with his other half, Gemma O’Leary-Shortt, and their toddler, Felix. The thought of returning full time to the office is one he prefers not to entertain. Working from home, he suggests, is ideal for maintaining a comfortable family life. Working remotely offers flexibility, permitting him to get Felix ready in the mornings. Most of the childcare is fulfilled by Felix’s grandparents.

If he were to return to regular commuting, Shortt indicates that he would only see Felix when he was in bed, from Monday to Friday. Moreover, the additional necessary childcare could not be provided by Felix’s grandparents.

As a medical scientist at the Coombe Hospital, Edel Galvin is familiar with the demands of long commutes. She travels from Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, to Dublin, to work four days weekly. When she operates from home, her two German Shepherds are taken to “doggy day care”. Galvin cherishes the peace that working from home offers, allowing her to exclusively focus on her tasks.

When she journeys to work, she begins her commute at the early hour of 5am for a 7.30am start and concludes her shift at 3pm, a commute back home that usually takes a couple of hours. Galvin admits her commute impacts her routine and her husband, and being intentional about specific activities like eating together is necessary. Making it a point to walk during lunch breaks, she insists that her current routine wouldn’t be possible if she had children.

Galvin expresses with certainty that the ability to work from home for one day makes a significant difference to her. Lack of this option, she believes, would certainly increase her dissatisfaction and interfere with her work fulfilment. Her monthly petrol costs for commuting stand at around €400, a figure she affirms would rise if she was required to be on-site five days a week. She doesn’t overlook the privilege this arrangement provides.

Orla Hendrick, a finance professional in Dublin, commends her mixed work model – a blend of two homeworking days and three days in the office. Throughout the Covid-19 imposed lockdowns, she experienced working remotely five days a week, an idea which might seem appealing initially but found it to be quite isolating and disheartening.

Nevertheless, there are upsides to her current hybrid arrangement, she notes, particularly the benefit it affords for her children’s care. It takes off the pressure of having to rush back home to manage their post-school schedules, and Hendrick can now pick up her eight-year-old son from school, saving two afternoons of after-school care each week.

Her travel to work isn’t overly time-consuming – in optimal traffic conditions, it’s a journey of 20 to 25 minutes. However, her appreciation for homeworking goes beyond the mere commute time. In her view, the flexibility resulting from remote work is “the best thing that’s come from Covid”. It reduces work-parent balancing strain, furthermore, providing ease if one of her children falls ill, or she herself feels “a little bit under the weather”, as working from home remains feasible.

Hendrick warns that a mandatory return to office five days a week could potentially be “a game-changer” for her, even if she enjoys her current work environment. She questions the necessity unless a lack of productivity during remote work is identified.

An open yet almost deserted workspace often disappoints Brendan Kinsella, a Dubliner who has a preference for office-based work. Despite his occasional dismay, he voices concerns over the continuity of his employment if workers were compelled to an office-based environment. Kinsella has settled into a routine of working remotely every Friday due to the demanding nature and extended hours of his job on Thursdays. As an asthmatic, workplace absences are quite common for him. However, with the convenience of working remotely, he can continue to perform his tasks efficiently during flare-ups or respiratory infections. The flexibility to work from home has not only been beneficial for him, but also for working parents with sick children, colleagues with lengthy commutes, and individuals who simply prefer solitude.

He notably mentions the significant impact that remote working has in establishing a balanced work-life and a demonstration of trust and regard towards the employees. He fails to see any reasonable justification for ending this practice unless the employees are not considered trustworthy or valuable. Kinsella concludes with the sentiment that any employer unwilling to value and show faith in their workforce is unfit for the role. He also warns that insisting employees commute daily to an office might result in the loss of skilled individuals.

Diarmuid O’Riordan, hailing from Dublin, operates largely from home while still having the choice to report to his physical office at his convenience. He finds it unnecessary to be in the physical workspace as his colleagues are spread across the US. Despite his preference for remote work, he does drop by the office usually twice a week for some social interaction with his co-workers. He believes that in our era of globalised, widespread teams, the necessity of daily travel and physical collaboration isn’t essential. Nevertheless, he encourages companies to organise physical meet-ups to strengthen the interpersonal bonds within teams, or during major operational endeavors, system overhauls, or training of new employees. Insisting on daily commute, he argues, doesn’t bring additional benefits but could potentially lead to a loss of skilled employees.

Caroline from Kildare asserts that there is indeed a value in spending three days at the office, but she equally appreciates her operation from home. Working from home provides her with distraction-free time that boosts her productivity. On a personal note, it helps her reduce travel time, enabling her to spend more time with her elderly and lone living mother. The workforce, she argues, has a diverse set of family responsibilities and remote working has demonstrated its effectiveness. She questions the need to return to outdated routines that don’t serve the larger part of workers and their families, urging that workplaces and employers need to adapt to our constantly changing society.

Staying anonymous, Jim from Dublin points out the drawbacks of office work vividly, referring to it as “existential dread.” The extensive amount of time wasted in commutation, the pestering disturbances in open offices, and the additional expenses of commuting are of major concern to him. He laments the loss of little personal joys like seeing his children off in the morning or walking his dog during lunch hour. The lack of a peaceful space to contemplate or concentrate on work bothers him. Currently, he works in the office for just one day a week, termed his “anchor” day. He asserts that this is more than enough for any collaboration and most of the time is spent chatting, consuming coffee or battling to communicate with clients over Teams amidst office noise.

It’s my personal conviction that after working from home, I seem to have a far greater amount of mental and physical vigour compared to when I’ve endured a gruelling commute back home on the M50. The absurdity of organisations investing enormously in impressive tools to facilitate cooperative work remotely from anywhere, then demanding that such tools are used in one specific location isn’t lost on me. What’s the point of commuting to an office just to make Teams calls? Perhaps, Amazon’s CEO, Mr Jassy, is discreetly seeking ways to let people go without actually having to sack them. I am certainly eager to scrutinise the metric system he used to gauge this apparent enhancement.

Around once a week, I take the decision to work from home, partially out of fear of seeming peculiar. This belief may stir controversy, however, I genuinely feel that a full return to the office would be most beneficial for everyone. Remote working from home has evidently complicated work life. Employees are confined to their specific teams, with almost minimal chance for casual collaboration or engagement with the broader work community – even trivial discussions have become scheduled events.

I am not a fan of merging my work-related stress and disputes into my domestic setting. Working from home has me staring at a screen all day, leading to a sense of alienation from the real world. The fear of seeming odd or different has me resorting to remote working once a week. By the end of such days, I am left feeling frazzled and in dire need of going out. My usual walk to the office and back home serves as a good means to unwind, a part of my routine I miss. The introversion and lack of social interaction that remote working brings puts me in a terrible frame of mind. Having my spouse around all day can be just too distracting, and isn’t conducive to a healthy married life. It’s far from normal or healthy to be home-bound all day,

I am interested in learning about any comprehensive research conducted on the mental health consequences of increased social isolation. As a Civil Service employee, I find that the situation has become such that it would be indomitably difficult to alter the now deep-set entitlement of remote work. It’s common knowledge that majority of remote workers are slacking off a significant amount of work time. Managers, too, prefer working from home and therefore, are hesitant to initiate any change. I do believe that Amazon’s bold move should encourage other major employers to reconsider the situation.

“Office Return could Force me out of Job Market”
Jane*, a resident of Cork, currently works 3-4 days a week from home. However, the possibility of returning to the office is non-existent due to its three-hour commuting distance. This is the nearest location for her sector, with a lack of other high-paying careers in the vicinity. With young children, she finds it impracticable to juggle a 40-hour week and commuting around childcare logistics. Being forced to return on site could ultimately push her out of the job market, financially affecting her family and potentially impacting her mental health. Jane claims her capacity to work from home effectively within a team is already proven, and she should be permitted to continue in this manner, contributing to her company, family, and wider society.

“My Mental Health would Suffer with Five-Day Office Week”
Cleo*, a 52-year-old from Dublin, intends to seek alternative employment if compelled to go into the office five days a week. She’s been predominantly working from home since the pandemic began and has noticed a significant improvement in her work-life balance. If she had to return to the office, her physical and mental well-being could potentially decline, as she would revert back to an unhealthy lifestyle of no exercise and unhealthy eating. Adding to her reasons for this stance is her recently adopted dog, who has become like a child to her, and her introverted nature which makes working from home more comfortable.

Office Full-Time: Necessary Bullet to Bite?
Meanwhile, Emma from Dublin shares an unpopular perspective that working professionals have become too accustomed to juggling personal chores during their workday. This freedom would be eliminated by a full-time return to the office. She acknowledges that the convenience and cost-saving aspects of remote or hybrid work settings, while maintaining the same remuneration packages, have been beneficial for many. Emma admits that she personally would miss these benefits, but she views this return as a professional necessity for sustainability.

Businesses are experiencing decreased productivity and team cohesion on a daily basis as a consequence of fully remote or hybrid employee work schedules. As an employee at a medium-sized company, I often encounter delays in obtaining information from co-workers due to their reduced availability during conventional working hours. Additionally, fostering upcoming talents poses a significant challenge. Though my own career progression may not be hindered, leading a geographically dispersed team, despite technological advancements, can be highly daunting. The onboarding process for newcomers is particularly challenging, partly due to the absence of casual face-to-face interactions. New hires today are markedly less engaged than they were half a decade ago, and frequently possess shorter attention spans. I strongly believe that a regular office routine would rectify this issue. I must express that my experience is not unique.

My concern extends to potential impacts on job expansion and the overall Irish economy. While I have appreciated the remote working practices we have employed in recent years, I cannot overlook the drawbacks that have emerged. My unshared opinion is that this mode of functioning has served its purpose. I publicly declare my preference for a return to a regular five-day office week, although my organisation has yet to modify its working policy accordingly. I would regret losing some team members as a result of this, yet I recognise that this tough decision must be made.

John*, Meath: The opportunity to work remotely has enabled us to maintain full-time jobs. The expenditure involved in returning to a full-time office-based routine would amount to several thousand euros. The operational hours of our daughter’s preschool end at 2pm, and I have had to plead with the day-care centre to extend that by two hours. With one parent at home on a daily basis, we have the flexibility to collect her at lunchtime and work while she naps in the afternoon.

According to my experience as a manager, insisting on full-time onsite work does not improve efficiency nor does it substitute for the lack of childcare options. We would still need to organise, so we’re able to work reduced hours. Furthermore, given that my team members are scattered across the country, it doesn’t matter if I operate from home or the office, our work productivity remains the same. Managers often mention collaboration, but in reality they seek control. I’ve noticed that if a manager struggles to efficiently remotely manage their team, they’re likely incompetent in face-to-face management as well. Similarly, upper management may insist on office work to justify the high cost of maintaining an office building.

Reluctantly, I’d switch my career and industry to maintain the crucial equilibrium between work and personal life. I believe it is absurd to expect employees to commit to a five-day office work week. Since the initial shock of the Covid outbreak, employers and employees have been functioning adequately. A lot of people have found that they can enhance their living standard significantly whilst continuing to carry out their regular work. Whether it involves reducing extended commuting times or being able to tuck their young children in at bedtime, there are numerous advantages that pose no extra financial burden on the employers.

In my existing job, we’re to come to the office twice a week, including one fixed day and another flexible day. While it might be reasonable to have one onsite day for tasks requiring face-to-face interaction, the additional floating day seems unnecessary. There are no added incentives for us to come into a workplace where we sit at a distance from colleagues who could be either on different floors or working from home. Consequently, it becomes a pointless box-ticking exercise. The day they mandate a return to five-day office work would be the day to contemplate industrial action. I work as efficiently as I used to, and I have no aspiration to revert to a less favorable life. If need be, I’m prepared to switch my career and industry to preserve this crucial work-life balance.

Another advancement is the creation of local hubs in rural areas as an alternative to remote working from home.

Seamus from Tipperary spoke about his Civil Service role which he began in March 2020 at the onset of Covid-19. This career move made a real difference to him and his family. He indicated a concern about perhaps needing to depart from a job he enjoys and a career in which he is advancing. He observed what he felt was a drive by landlords of office properties to bring everyone back to working from the office. Seamus pointed out that local hubs are now available for those who prefer to work from remote rural locations instead of at home. He envisaged real transformation if the Government invested in regeneration of townships and cities, not just rural areas. He speculated that younger employees were likely to leave any job that didn’t offer the remote working option. Seamus noted that full employment was the current state, and he didn’t foresee immediate changes before any future economic downturn.

In Dublin, Keith manages a team in Madrid and he himself is managed by someone in New York. Recently, his company directed employees to return to the office for three days every week, giving just four days warning during the key ‘back-to-school’ week. Furthermore, they were told they would have fixed desks and workdays. Keith’s response was to compose a resignation letter. This act gave him some relief and infused reality into his job hunt, rather than it just being an idea. For him, it was the same as preparing to leave. He didn’t hesitate over his decision. Keith expressed his views on the irony of a dominant tech firm that boasts about shaping digital experiences for an international audience, now imposing such an old-school rule. He foresaw this as the start of the company’s decline. He firmly believed that any employee who fulfilled their duties as a remote worker should be granted flexible work, recognising the busy lives and childcare obligations of many adults.

Another perspective was given by Laura from Kildare. Her employer is attempting to change from two days of remote work to full office work. She loves her job, but if this change comes about, she might reassess her position. She expressed that a noticeable drop in productivity should be a compelling reason for such a regression. She indicated that individuals, such as herself, who have long travel times and young kids, are unwilling to return to hurried dinners and tension-filled nights without a convincing explanation.

Carl, from County Down, has shared his experience with flexible working and how it has played a key role in his and his wife’s lifestyle choices. Having worked in Dublin for over a decade, the couple decided to shift to County Down, their ancestral home, in the summer of 2021, accompanied by their young children. The flexibility of their jobs allows for a couple of days of commute to Dublin each week, even though it demands early starts and late evenings. However, this set-up is beneficial as it permits them to live in an economical region with fewer monetary worries.

If their jobs were to abandon the existing flexible work models, the couple would face drastic repercussions. It would impose the necessity to seek new employment as they won’t be able to maintain the lengthy commute five days a week due to family obligations. Carl is aware of increasing desire within his sector to ramp up the number of in-office working days, but such a move would be impractical considering their decision to move farther away from Dublin. He would, however, consider a proposal that allows for a more compact four-day work week, with three days of office commutation. Extending these commuting days further would be unsustainable for him.

An interesting note was that his team members expressed willingness to renounce potential pay increases to continue with the work-from-home model.

“Tom*, from Limerick, supervises a software team of 14 and is dealing with growing demands to reintegrate them into the physical workplace. The top contributors have made it clear that they will resign if expected to physically attend work more than twice a week. Even at the cost of skipping this year’s salary increment, the staff would like to retain the current working situation. Tom reflected the sentiment of his team during discussions with upper-level management. He shares their perspective wholly. Tom is now saving around 90 minutes daily which was otherwise spent commuting, and this has significantly improved his family life compared to pre-pandemic times. He can spend more time assisting his younger children with their sports activities, a luxury he didn’t have with his older kids due to time spent commuting. Tom now has the opportunity to prepare for and coach their teams. He can enjoy breakfast with them instead of leaving early. Ultimately, he is finding more joy in their growth while working remotely. The flexibility of remote or hybrid working is non-negotiable for him. If forced to return to the office, Tom and others with a vast amount of experience would quit. They feel fortunate to be in an industry where working remotely is seen as the norm rather than a favour.”

*Certain names have been altered or only the first names are mentioned as per individuals’ preference.

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