Getting out of our pandemic comfort zones has become a fact of life for many workers in recent months, as the tentative return to the office gathers pace. Even previously mundane activities such as commuting and interacting with colleagues can be a challenge. We are out of practice, or “deskilled”, as we might say in the new workplace jargon.
Given the high reported levels of worry and stress, especially for parents and caregivers, it is unsurprising that the latest developments in the global return-to-workplace saga involve staff collectively resisting orders to get back to city-centre desks. At Hearst, a magazine publisher, 300 staff have signed a letter to senior management, objecting to being told to return to the New York office for two days a week, rising to three days sometime in 2022.
Staff reasons for resisting Hearst’s mandate included things we might expect, such as caring responsibilities for family members, but they also cite the mental health toll of commuting on crowded trains and the benefits of getting an extra hour of sleep in the morning when working from home.