Many businesses have already moved back to the office, following the roll-out of the global COVID-19 vaccination programme. Others are putting plans in place for their workers to return or transition to a new hybrid work model. For those of us who have been working remotely for the past two years, this is another lifestyle change that we will need to adapt to. While you may have missed the office banter and interacting with your colleagues face-to-face, you will have got used to the emergency pandemic style of working. Working from home may have presented us with its own challenges, but it is likely that you will miss certain aspects of remote working.
Here, we discuss some of the things that you might find yourself missing:
1. Wearing Comfy Clothes
Arguably the biggest advantage of WFH was the comfy attire we got to wear. Investing in new loungewear sets rather than formal suits and shirts was a dream come true. We got to say goodbye to the “hard pants” such as jeans and suit trousers and say hello to soft and comfy jogging pants. After all, as long as we put on a smart top for our Zoom calls, anything goes for the bottom half! While you would find it difficult to get away with wearing sweats or yoga pants to the office, they were the standard choice for our remote working style.
As we shift back to either full-time office work or a hybrid style of working, we will have to dust off and iron out our old work wardrobe. Back to the days of matching our shoes up with our outfits, and making sure we are wearing fresh and crease-free clothes each morning. Not to mention having to make sure our makeup and hair are sorted out, something that has been happily neglected for the past two years!
To soften the blow of leaving your comfy clothes at home, consider investing in a new staple wardrobe for the office. Choose key pieces that make you look and feel good, and you will be desperate to get to the office to show them off.
2. Positive Work/Life Balance
There’s no denying that remote working has had a significantly positive effect on our work/life balance. Juggling school runs, doctor's appointments, household chores and dog walks have never been easier. Heading back to the office will mean we have to factor these activities into our office hours once again. Careful planning becomes important to ensure you can balance your personal tasks with your work life. Unfortunately, some balls may have to be dropped to ensure that the most important things get done. If working from home has enabled you to complete the school run for the first time in years, or ever, it is realistic to feel sad about losing this experience.
3. Short Commute!
Isn’t commuting such a waste of time? Travelling to your office wastes time that could be better spent working, socialising or enjoying yourself! WFH provided you with the shortest commute of your life! Whether you had to walk down the stairs or just along the hallway, you didn’t have to worry about weather, traffic or public transport problems. As you restart your commute, think about how you could better use this time. You could take your laptop on the train and check your emails, use the opportunity to ride your bike to the office or listen to an interesting podcast on the car journey.
4. Work Flexibility
Sick children, home improvement work, all-day delivery slots - whatever the issue, working from home allowed you the flexibility to accommodate it. Flexible working can increase a worker's productivity and wellbeing.
5. Workplace Drama
One thing I'm sure you haven’t missed while working from home is the office politics. Gossiping around the water cooler, cliquey work lunches and secret meetings - we could all do without the office drama. It is likely that you are not best friends with all of your work colleagues, but it is much easier to tolerate your least favourite co-workers when your interactions are limited to daily Zoom meetings.
6. Saving Money
WFH allows you to cut the cost of various expenses, such as commuting, your daily trip to the coffee shop and splashing out on expensive lunches. In fact, research suggests that UK office workers could save up to £500 a month by working from home. The current rising living costs, combined with a return to the office look set to be a shock to the wallet.
7. Enjoying a Lie-In
With no commuting time, remote working affords us the option of a daily lie-in. By spending longer in bed in the morning and avoiding that rush to get out of the door on time, you can start the work day feeling fresh and well-rested. Return-to-office plans will spell the end of lazy mornings for many of us.
8. Avoiding Office Germs
The reason why working from home became the “new norm” in the first place - preventing the spread of office germs. We’ve all picked up a nasty cold or a tummy bug from our work colleagues at some point. Working from home provided the most effective way of limiting your exposure to office germs. As we have all been sheltered from exposure to germs over the past two years, we may see a resurgence of other viruses on our return to the office.
Final Thoughts
While your WFH experience may be over and there are undoubtedly things that you will miss about this way of life, remember there are plenty of benefits of working in an office environment too. Did somebody say after-work drinks?