Why are many older people pushing back to the office so very much?
I would think they enjoy the extra time not commuting and spending more time with their family.
Where is the disconnect and why is this happening?
21 replies (most recent on top)
Work groups that are together will likely see loses in productivity from the most knowledgeable members of the team. You can ignore a chat or email but not somebody standing behind you. At least without assigned cubicles they might have trouble finding you. Offices were much more social in the past. Lifelong friends were made, careers built around assignments not directly related to what you do each day, shared life event celebrations, learning in person, etc. That way of life has all but disappeared for many areas of corporations with talent dispersed around the world. Some of my best friends were from the same workplace in different roles. We would not have met if only WFH. Good luck to leadership if they think they can recreate that type of environment. Today's digitally connected social world doesn't value those things.
How old is "old"? I'm in my mid 50s and think RTO is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
Yeah, "old" here, won't go back. OP isn't very bright, olds are the ones most likely to get sick-est.
And honestly, the longer I can hide my bald gray head from management the longer I work by being judged by how much I get done and not the popping sounds my knees make when I walk.
Can't judge me by my appearance if all you see is the 20 year old pic I posted to Outlook.
Not an age group issue, certain levels of management have this grand idea they cannot let go of that all this extra collaboration will be done. They fail to release that a majority of the teams are spread across multiple states and countries and at best you may find 2 people on the same team at the same location, yet they will be able to sit near each other because of all the unassigned seating.
I am a "2nd wave" boomer, I guess that means the tail end of the boomer population.
Never heard of "1st wave" versus "2nd wave" boomers. Ha! Funny.
My only "thing" with RTO is I am scared of what type of long commute I will have now that over the past couple of years the county I live in has added thousands of new homes to the area. Planning to plot my daily commute to work now. Trying to bypass the backed up school traffic, just at prime commute time. The longer waits at stop lights, with cars backed up to get through for 1/4 or 1/2 mile. Etc. NOT looking forward to the reduced work time due to increased commute time. Working remote I can just keep working for as long as it takes to get the job done. Working in office will want to leave "on time", stop to pick up dinner "to go" somewhere and have probably 0 incentive to log back on to work more when I will get home so very late due to the long commute.
FFS, I’ve no idea what OP is vaping, but @zpi+1frGAmeG has it right, it’s extroverts who want to RTO & schmooze in person, nothing to do with age groups. I’m an “old people”, just on the border between Gen X & Boomer, & an introvert. I’d be OK with one day in the office & four at home because, frankly, I’m becoming too much of a hermit. But for THE LOVE OF GOD, just STOP the sweeping generalizations.
Further, many, if not most of us on geographically dispersed teams, have seen great increases in productivity which will be flushed down the toilet with ZERO benefit with RTO.
Wrong. There are 20 years of first wave boomers and 20 years of second wave boomers and the row different demographics simply could not be more different.
Gen X, Gen Z and the millennials represent a slow and steady declining work ethic, ever increasing self absorption and a lack of empathy.
For all you Boomers that can't stand Millenials and Millenials who can't stand Boomers, remember there's an entire generation between you whiny bi----s that can't stand either of you.
Cause we're ok with doing actual work at our desks instead of glued to the latest in social media trends on your phone
There's no one to help them work the printer at home
If you think older people want to go back to the office, you are clueless.
What is your issue with older people, I have less than a year before I retire. I SURE would rather stay in my comfy home that is paid off than commute 45 min each way and deal with all the of the social butterflies in the office. Yes us older people have a life and really would just like to spend it with the people we want to see not forced to see. So please don't assume we all want to go in just because management says you have too.
Back the old days we read paper newspapers and wrote paper checks and we liked it.
What older people are pushing that?
It's not older people who are pushing for it - it's EXTROVERTS.
The management ranks are overweighted with extroverts, and extroverts need to be around people.
The technical and IC ranks are overweighted with introverts, and introverts prefer solitude, peace and quiet.
That's a big part of what's driving the whole chasm between what management (at all companies) wants, versus what the employees want.
Because they get all their self-worth from their overpaid, do-nothing jobs. Egotistical as-----s with no actual lives.
Post ID: @pwd+1frGAmeG
I'll second that. I'm in no hurry to go back at all. I enjoy the relative peace and quiet of working from my home office.
Not sure where you are getting your info from. I am a "boomer" and love working from home. I'm truly dismayed about returning to an office environment where I have absolutely ZERO teammates to do so-called collaboration.
Many of them are middle management and will have a tough time justifying their existence if their teams were given the option to work remotely. In other words, they are glorified babysitters.
The other part is the generational divide between boomers vs millennials, etc. Lastly, many of their kids are already grown. They either can’t relate (or worse) are jealous of the flexibility that those with younger ones are able to enjoy working remotely because they never had the same opportunity when they were younger.
Because the old people don't have social lives outside the office. Their friendships are just as hollow as all of ours, they just won't admit it. Nobody wants to give up what little social life they have.
I'm thinking you don't have family because you think we need to spend more time with them. A lot of us have spent more than enough time with our families.