Member-only story
Let’s Acknowledge the Downsides of Working Remotely
There are real trade-offs we need to address
I never imagined that March 13, 2020 would be my last day in the office. It might have been my last day in any office, ever.
I didn’t take much home with me that day. We had decided to go remote for “at least two weeks,” then we would reassess. I left my monitor, my keyboard, my plant. I left the framed photo of my family.
Weeks stretched into months. I eventually transported my monitor and keyboard to my makeshift bedroom office, then later my chair and desk.
Our office sits mostly empty now, waiting out its lease. It is one empty office among many, in one semi-deserted building among many. Outside, tents dot the sidewalks. People sleep on concrete next to buildings full of warm, carpeted, vacant rooms.
None of us really knows what to do about all the empty offices, and few of us have taken the time to process what it means to work remotely on a long-term basis. As of last September, one in four U.S. workers was still working remotely full-time, and nine in 10 wanted to continue.
For my part, I think I want to continue. But I’m increasingly on the fence.
