Who Wouldn’t Want The Option To Use Their Own Bathroom?

Lockdown has ended and companies are working to a “new normal”. Departments are to decide how best to run things at home or on-site to suit the team and the company.

One of my coworkers — [Coworker #1] — has been complaining about working from home the whole time and is pushing hard to get the department head to bring us all back on site, even though the majority want a mixed approach. She has done her homework; researched other companies, found statistics, and talked to other teams.

As she is pretty pushy, she seems to be getting her way. After she speaks for most of the meeting, I have to chime in.

Me: “Sorry, but doesn’t the company mandate say that the decision should be an agreement of whatever the most efficient working situation is?”

Department Head: “Well, yes.”

Me: “I’m more efficient at home and I think I’ve proved that.”

Coworker #2: “Me, too.”

Coworker #3: “I only need to be on-site for one day a week.”

Coworker #4: “That works for me — one, two days max.”

Coworker #1: “But don’t we all want to be on-site together as a team?”

Coworker #2: “I don’t think we ever sat together, did we?”

Coworker #4: “Most of my work has always been on-site.”

Me: “So, can those that are working well work from home with a day on-site?”

Department Head: “That seems reasonable. Let’s have a vote.”

Everyone apart from [Coworker #1] voted for a flexible approach. I couldn’t understand why until I found out that, even after many years with the company, she would still have to ask people how to do her job or do it for her. In person, they couldn’t ignore her, and that was why she wanted everyone back on-site.

In the end, it was good for her; she seems to be doing it more for herself and generally happier at work — albeit at home.