The problem is not the Office, it's the Commute

As companies begin to seek employees willing to return to the office, they often make the mistake of thinking that they need to entice them with flashy office spaces. However, the real problem lies not with the office itself, but with the commute. Many business owners prefer to live near their offices, but employees often choose to reside in more affordable regions or areas close to their families, friends, and other personal connections.

While most offices are strategically located where businesses can meet and leave a lasting impression, employees opt to work from home not because the office facilities are lacking, but due to the long and arduous commute. Spending an hour or more traveling from their homes to their workplaces can be a significant deterrent. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but having exclusively worked for remote companies since 2018, I can attest to how it changes one’s perspective and preferences.

Ultimately, I believe the resistance against remote work stems from generational differences. Younger bosses, including those of my age or younger, tend to embrace and promote remote work as the standard. On the other hand, older bosses often favor having employees physically present in an office. The way we grow up learning how to manage and lead people can make it challenging to adapt to alternative methods. Personally, having worked extensively in the virtual worlds of Slack and Discord, even when I was in an office, I primarily communicated through chat platforms. This allowed me to develop soft skills such as persuasion and team leadership from behind a screen, rather than relying on direct, day-to-day interactions. It also provided me with a keen sense of discerning who can work autonomously and who may require more personal attention. Acquiring these skills, whether in person or online, is no easy feat, but once mastered, it becomes difficult to transition back to the traditional office setting.

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