In the beginning it was nice to WFH, I hung out more with my kids, I thought I somehow had more time for everything and it was fun. Not anymore. I am so overwhelmed with various obligations, and I am constantly on the verge of burnout. Some may not agree, but I can't wait to go back to the office, or to have some work/ life balance again. Most still want to stay home, right?
4 replies (most recent on top)
I had to drive across town for a fu—l yesterday. It's the first time I've had to be in Portland traffic in over a year. It took me 90 minutes to go 30 miles, which reminded me of what I had to do daily when we were all in the office. There's no way I'm going back to that torture. I'll get a job elsewhere or move out of Portland if Nike tries to make me come back to the office like before. I'm twice as productive working remote and I have filled that former commute time with better things.
For those of you that have been laid off and think this is whining, I'm sorry. COVID is almost over and the economy is heating up. If you havent gotten a new job yet, you will soon. And I think anyone would agree that it's more worthwhile exercising, spending time with family, and learning something new than driving 2 or 3 hours a day in traffic just to sit in an expensive "freestyle" building for a few hours. My boss only cares whether I get my job done, not where I do it.
I also would like to work 100% remote. The thought of going back actually gives me anxiety! Each situation is different, so I get why some want to go back. I’m happy at home.
It’s not just at Nike. Most people, everywhere, would prefer to keep working from home.
“Survey: Employees Would Rather Quit Than Lose Remote-Work Flexibility”
https://www.inc.com/mary-yang/envoy-zynga-hybrid-model-remote-work-survey.html
And while we’re changing things up let’s also transition to a 4-day work week. There’s no particular reason that a 5-day work week should be the norm, and productivity can increase by as much as 20% when employees work 4 days per week. To say nothing of it being a huge morale booster. 45% according to a study cited below.
https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-only-way-4-day-work-schedules-actually-work.html
If I could work 4 days a week that would make for a massive improvement in my life. I spend all day Saturday and Sunday trying to do the things I didn’t have time to do Monday thru Friday. If I’m lucky I have a couple hours of downtime Sunday night then it’s right back to work the next morning. No wonder Americans say they feel burnt out all the time.
I hope Nike creates options for employees to work in a way that works for the individual. I very much would prefer to remain remote full time; if we were required to go into the office I would likely find another job that would enable me to be remote.