For remote-capable jobs (not for any kinds of jobs), office attendance is just about teaching you to be an office worker. That’s all.
Office work and attendance are relics of a Tayloristic approach to work. This outdated model values control and supervision over efficiency and results.
They say people at the start of their careers learn faster in the office, and I’ve heard it so often it almost sounds true. But what they actually pick up are the countless, pointless quirks of office life. Nothing else.
In offices, the medium is the only message: being present is seen as almost more important than actual productivity. Think about the expectation to stay late just to show face, regardless of whether there's actual work to be done. Or the absurdity of having to look busy at your desk when you've already finished your tasks.
When a company claims they have a good office culture for remote capable jobs, I just read that they don't allow flexibility. And that's the only flag I see: a red one.
Remote work, when done right, is far superior. It saves time, money, and eliminates a lot of the unnecessary nonsense.
If there’s one thing 2019 taught us, it’s to never repeat it again.