We were fine working from home for THREE YEARS!! Our productivity was higher!! But now we are forced to go twice a week for “the social aspect” and “the company culture”.
I didn't get sick once during these three years (didn't even get COVID) and we're back for ONE MONTH and I get the worst virus of my life. I had a cough and sore throat and couldn't speak for two weeks because my coworker decided to come sick to the office for the second time. She has come sick another two times sice then. There's no need for her to come, we're not American, we actually have healthcare and we can work from home in those cases. She just doesn't “feel like staying home and being sick”. Great, so I get to be home sick for two werks with barely any strength left to care for my pets and myself.
My manager doesn't even know when we are in the office because she is shut in her little cubicle all day and we have our meetings over Teams anyway. Where's the “social aspect” in that??
The two days back in the building was supposed to be voluntary, but you better have a damn good reason to request not to go otherwise the request gets thrown out. We've been told you need to show the company you are “irreplaceable” so you can stay home all you want. We were pretty irreplaceable when we did our jobs during the pandemic though.
Luckily I got a promotion and I have the approval of my new manager to stop going because there is literally no point. I spent 2 hours in traffic today to sit on an uncomfortable chair and get coughed on all day.
Good luck to everybody that still needs to go in, I wish you all the best.