I used to work in an office five days a week at my old job - before COVID. I hated it. Bright white lights, I had a desk assigned in the corner with no windows and next to the stationary cupboard. I essentially sat in the dark. There was a depressing cycle of work, lunch, work, go home at 5:30, repeat for five days. No perks, no socials, no chit chat, devoid of joy - no decent places to eat.
Now (at a new job, thank god), I go into the office twice a week. I get to go the gym, I can make a fresh lunch at home (no more microwaving), no one is monitoring me, I have a flexibility to run an errand - life feels more free.
If someone told me I had to go back to the office five days a week. I would burst into tears.
Coconut water is a sham...however...have you had REAL coconut water...from an actual cracked open coconut? Because that is...very refreshing IMO on a hot day.
When I worked, it was in an office since we had to deal directly with the public. I would miss the interactions with the people I work with if I had to work from home, though I wouldn't miss the work.
I worked on an editorial team at a small company that Time Warner purchased shortly before the merger with AOL. The whole thing was a disaster. I do not miss that office. Coconut water from a fresh coconut is incredible. Coconut water from a cardboard box is unfortunate.
I'm reading this from my office desk...we just returned to the office YESTERDAY. It's the first time I'm full-time in the office since 2020. And even before that, I had recently quit my tech startup job for a winter of ski bumming -- nightshift snowmaking, driving snow cats, all the good stuff.
Let me tell you my woes -- just this week I've lost hours of productivity now that I actually have to get ready for work in the morning. And my office mate keeps cornering me to chit-chat for 30+ minutes at a time.
For two days I've been sitting from 8-5 in an unfurnished office (seriously, there's nothing in here besides 3 desks) just to log on to Zoom calls. Because we're a consulting firm, we have no clients to interact with in person, so there's no real advantage to being in the office.
So far, I'm spending a lot more time reading Substack, boosting my own substack (would love for you to check mine out if you've read this far!!) , and brainstorming how the hell to get a new remote job.
Sorry about your office woes, Sara. Here’s hoping you find a way out of that office before the office takes down another good business. Now, I’m gonna check out your Substack!
I itch when I think of every working in an office again but this did make me remember the days when my then partner and now husband and his friend and I launched our own consulting firm. The "office" was one room that friends with a real company could spare. At one point, five people and four desks (we had to rotate) filled that tiny space. When the outside world called, we let them imagine a receptionist, classy chairs in a waiting area, and air-conditioned modern digs. What they didn't know never hurt them. I do remember how much I loved that period, mainly because I loved all the people I was crammed in their with.
What a lovely comment, and thank you for sharing this memory, Elizabeth! If I may ask, what industry was the “real” office in, and are they still around? I hope so, but offices are risky business😁
I've also had a ringside seat witnessing the vicissitudes of public education second hand: via my parents (both of whom were public school teachers) and also from my partner (currently teaches math and science at a public school).
The thing is, I may have screwed this one up. Obviously, I changed the names to protect the... um, well, really to protect myself, I guess. At first, I thought, yeah, let's do a Laurel & Hardy reference. Then early this morning I realized I actually have more of a Laurel and Hardy vibe going with the real life "Stan," than Stan and Ollie have with each other IRL. But I don't think any of my pieces work if I try to give myself an alias. That would be weird.
I’ve been work from home for almost my whole career. Coincidentally, one of my last office jobs was working on web series development at a studio, before the Great Recession killed any hope for the web series format.
I love working from home! I don’t need a middle manager peering over at my monitor to make sure I’m writing. Give me a deadline and I’ll get the work done, at home, where I have the flexibility to run an errand or take a long time in the bathroom without it becoming the subject of much speculation.
I was really hoping Quibi would deliver on the promise of the web series, but they were doomed the minute Katzenberg went looking for office space.
I started working from home around 2010 when the venture in this story failed. So that’s about half my career working from home. I love running errands between assignments, but what I really love is my 30-second commute. On the downside, I miss office holiday parties.
There are perks to office life, like office holiday parties and the occasional free donut, but nothing beats no commute and having lunch with my partner instead of randos I happened to be hired alongside.
Yeah, those perks seem small compared to the upsides of working remote. Then again, sometimes I think the people pushing hardest to go back to the office hate their families and need the commute time to catch up on podcasts.
Just returning from a vacaion. Thanks for a prompt that does not require too many brain cycles to consider.
On coconut water :: Coconut water is blah and yet shockingly a thing. For the same reason goat water, oat water, almond water and even cow water is not a thing, why would I dilute perfectly good coconut milk and make it a beverage? Since I am a bit sleep-deprived after a wonderful but action filled trip I am not sure my judgment is insightful. That being said, coconut water seems inane to me for the same reason as homeopathy is likely not a realistic way to treat disease. I wonder if anyone takes if anyone takes a small slice of a wonderful lamb chop and then dilutes it in 100 gallons of water and offers a taste of lamb essence?
I am glad I can delete old comments since after a night of sleep I might think better of this comment. It was fun to return to Substack and enjoy your Newsletter Michael. See you on Wednesday & Sunday.
I used to work in an office five days a week at my old job - before COVID. I hated it. Bright white lights, I had a desk assigned in the corner with no windows and next to the stationary cupboard. I essentially sat in the dark. There was a depressing cycle of work, lunch, work, go home at 5:30, repeat for five days. No perks, no socials, no chit chat, devoid of joy - no decent places to eat.
Now (at a new job, thank god), I go into the office twice a week. I get to go the gym, I can make a fresh lunch at home (no more microwaving), no one is monitoring me, I have a flexibility to run an errand - life feels more free.
If someone told me I had to go back to the office five days a week. I would burst into tears.
Coconut water is a sham...however...have you had REAL coconut water...from an actual cracked open coconut? Because that is...very refreshing IMO on a hot day.
Wow. Natalie, I'm so glad you have a better working situation. It sounds like hybrid works well for you.
As for REAL coconut water, I've had it a few times, usually while traveling, and you're right it's great!
When I worked, it was in an office since we had to deal directly with the public. I would miss the interactions with the people I work with if I had to work from home, though I wouldn't miss the work.
Favorite workplace comedy: Scrubs
Coconut water sucks!
Love Scrubs! Hilarious show and lots of heart too.
Currently the person at an office who restocks snacks and coconut water. The complicity to office culture haunts me
You have the ability to take that office down from the inside. You know what to do. Godspeed.
truly that's what keeps me going. rise up!
I worked on an editorial team at a small company that Time Warner purchased shortly before the merger with AOL. The whole thing was a disaster. I do not miss that office. Coconut water from a fresh coconut is incredible. Coconut water from a cardboard box is unfortunate.
Sometimes I think Time Warner is a corporate cyclone that continues to destroy all companies it mergers with or acquires (HBO, cough).
I'm reading this from my office desk...we just returned to the office YESTERDAY. It's the first time I'm full-time in the office since 2020. And even before that, I had recently quit my tech startup job for a winter of ski bumming -- nightshift snowmaking, driving snow cats, all the good stuff.
Let me tell you my woes -- just this week I've lost hours of productivity now that I actually have to get ready for work in the morning. And my office mate keeps cornering me to chit-chat for 30+ minutes at a time.
For two days I've been sitting from 8-5 in an unfurnished office (seriously, there's nothing in here besides 3 desks) just to log on to Zoom calls. Because we're a consulting firm, we have no clients to interact with in person, so there's no real advantage to being in the office.
So far, I'm spending a lot more time reading Substack, boosting my own substack (would love for you to check mine out if you've read this far!!) , and brainstorming how the hell to get a new remote job.
Sorry about your office woes, Sara. Here’s hoping you find a way out of that office before the office takes down another good business. Now, I’m gonna check out your Substack!
I itch when I think of every working in an office again but this did make me remember the days when my then partner and now husband and his friend and I launched our own consulting firm. The "office" was one room that friends with a real company could spare. At one point, five people and four desks (we had to rotate) filled that tiny space. When the outside world called, we let them imagine a receptionist, classy chairs in a waiting area, and air-conditioned modern digs. What they didn't know never hurt them. I do remember how much I loved that period, mainly because I loved all the people I was crammed in their with.
What a lovely comment, and thank you for sharing this memory, Elizabeth! If I may ask, what industry was the “real” office in, and are they still around? I hope so, but offices are risky business😁
Haven't worked in an office since I became a full-time stay-at-home dad in 2018. Hardest, but best, job ever. Office culture is decidedly not for me.
Also, "make some internet" is just an outstanding turn of phrase.
Finally, coconut "water" should be tried at The Hague.
Now imagine if you had to do the dad job in an office. That would be really weird.
Oh I know this job you are describing! It's called being public school teacher.
Haha, good point! Are you a teacher, Alex?
Yes, I teach 13th grade at a public university.
I've also had a ringside seat witnessing the vicissitudes of public education second hand: via my parents (both of whom were public school teachers) and also from my partner (currently teaches math and science at a public school).
My mom was a Los Angeles public school teacher. She saw some shit.
Very much enjoyed the mental image of this story being a Stan Laurel and Ollie Hardy moving picture.
Thank you for noticing the Laurel and Hardy reference! I was beginning to worry that my readers don't know their history.
I never miss a Laurel and Hardy reference!
The thing is, I may have screwed this one up. Obviously, I changed the names to protect the... um, well, really to protect myself, I guess. At first, I thought, yeah, let's do a Laurel & Hardy reference. Then early this morning I realized I actually have more of a Laurel and Hardy vibe going with the real life "Stan," than Stan and Ollie have with each other IRL. But I don't think any of my pieces work if I try to give myself an alias. That would be weird.
I’ve been work from home for almost my whole career. Coincidentally, one of my last office jobs was working on web series development at a studio, before the Great Recession killed any hope for the web series format.
I love working from home! I don’t need a middle manager peering over at my monitor to make sure I’m writing. Give me a deadline and I’ll get the work done, at home, where I have the flexibility to run an errand or take a long time in the bathroom without it becoming the subject of much speculation.
I was really hoping Quibi would deliver on the promise of the web series, but they were doomed the minute Katzenberg went looking for office space.
I started working from home around 2010 when the venture in this story failed. So that’s about half my career working from home. I love running errands between assignments, but what I really love is my 30-second commute. On the downside, I miss office holiday parties.
There are perks to office life, like office holiday parties and the occasional free donut, but nothing beats no commute and having lunch with my partner instead of randos I happened to be hired alongside.
Yeah, those perks seem small compared to the upsides of working remote. Then again, sometimes I think the people pushing hardest to go back to the office hate their families and need the commute time to catch up on podcasts.
Just returning from a vacaion. Thanks for a prompt that does not require too many brain cycles to consider.
On coconut water :: Coconut water is blah and yet shockingly a thing. For the same reason goat water, oat water, almond water and even cow water is not a thing, why would I dilute perfectly good coconut milk and make it a beverage? Since I am a bit sleep-deprived after a wonderful but action filled trip I am not sure my judgment is insightful. That being said, coconut water seems inane to me for the same reason as homeopathy is likely not a realistic way to treat disease. I wonder if anyone takes if anyone takes a small slice of a wonderful lamb chop and then dilutes it in 100 gallons of water and offers a taste of lamb essence?
I am glad I can delete old comments since after a night of sleep I might think better of this comment. It was fun to return to Substack and enjoy your Newsletter Michael. See you on Wednesday & Sunday.