After almost 2 years of working from home for some people, most of us are back in the office one way or another.
Whether its full time with strict structures around working hours, or a hybrid fashion with flexible hours, and the opportunity to occasionally work from home.
My personal opinion is that it is EXTREMELY beneficial for businesses AND employees to get back into the office.
BUT
I also think there are few things that need to be considered here when we think about the adjustment…
People have become so comfortable in their own company.
We have all got used to having quieter or more personalised working environments (or more hectic but with little helpers at home, or furry friends as companions).
We have been able to work more flexibly with our hours of work, fitting around family commitments and outside hobbies.
The environment created at home will have become the new normal over the last 2 years for some people!
If people have an “off day” when working from home, their bad moods wouldn’t necessarily have had any impact on anyone else.
When WFH, you can leave dirty cutlery on the side all day long, stack the dishwasher in the weird and wonderful ways that you like, slurp your tea as loud as you like, smoke or vape to your hearts content, eat when you’re hungry, eat when you’re not hungry(!). You don’t even necessarily need to get dressed if you don’t want to (or maybe just the top half for those all important Teams meetings)!
A time for re-adjustment
With this transition over the last few months of most of us returning to the office, I think we should all remember this is a time of adjustment for everyone involved.
We have to be more sociable, civilised, perhaps re-adjust to the stricter working hours, be patient with our colleagues and remember we’re not the only ones experiencing this change.
I’m extremely lucky with the team here at Copello. Everyone is tidy, considerate, patient and speaks to each other nicely and generally their isn’t much to complain about (the occasional tea slurp or loud chewing aside)!
What are the funniest or most irritating things you’ve encountered that have rubbed you up the wrong way upon your return to the office environment?
Feel free to contact me if you want to discuss this emmaw@copello.co.uk
