Yesterday, I was working in the office with the rest of my team. Normally, we all work remotely 80% of the time, but since we were moving into a new office space while our old space gets renovation, everyone needed to come in today. Since the pandemic, our division has worked remotely for the most part, and is planned to remain that way indefinitely.
I (19M) am an intern for my company until the end of the summer. I was in a meeting with one of my senior coworkers (a baby boomer for that matter, important for context) and at one point, we needed to wait about 10 minutes for his computer to restart. In this time, we start some small talk getting to know each other a bit. I found out he lived in a suburb about 90 minutes away. I asked him:
“It must have been nice working from home for the past couple of years, since you finally get to save 3 hours from each day not commuting all the way to work.”
He replied “Eh, I'm not really gaining any more time from working from home.”
Curious, I ask “Why not? Don't you still work 8-4?”
What he then told me I could not possibly grasp:
“Well, yeah, that's essentially what I'm paid for. But I don't feel right ending my work day at 4. Something feels missing. I got so used to not having those extra 2-3 hours every day, so I essentially just keep working until 6 or so. I don't mind, I might as well be working. I have nothing better to do. Y'know, I'm not the only one who feels this way. [my supervisor, also a Baby Boomer] also works till 6 or 7 most nights. He'd usually be commuting if he were in-person, so he doesn't mind just powering through for another couple hours every night.”
I couldn't possibly understand why they would keep working out of boredom. I couldn't understand why their lives voluntarily revolved around work.
I am telling this story to put things into perspective. Baby Boomers were able to handshake their way into a job that pays a comfortable salary. They did not have to worry about making ends meet for a house and a family. That's why they Live To Work, because they never needed to Work to Live.
They are out of touch with our generation. They will most likely never understand the Anti Work movement.