Maggie's Farm

Back to the office? Not Likely.

Shorter version of these articles:
Shallow single self-absorbed millennials - often 2nd generation dysfunctional narcissists with poor role models - find it hard to live with themselves without outside distractions and markers of identity.

Few of these people were star performers and creative synergizers when we all were in the office. Most didn't have the traits of character and social skills.

Everyone else I know - and I work in Israeli hitech - loves working from home. Especially now that daycare and schools are back to full time after Covid.

The only exceptions - the only ones coming in to the office more than 1 or 2 days a week - are people who have no physical space to accommodate work, such as recent grads doing the roommate thing in Tel Aviv, or parents on deadline during school vacation.

Here in Israel even the hitech nerds have deep social networks: family, friends, neighbors, school, youth groups, army buddies, college pals. The recent trend for young Israelis to travel abroad after army service has added another circle of friends.

Between half and 2/3 of Israeli society are religious enough to attend Sabbath services and around 1/3 of the men attend morning prayers. Many more have Sabbath meals with friends and family. That is built-in social interaction.

Nobody needs work for basic human relationship needs, as described in articles like these. And a few ruthless boom-and-bust cycles have underscored to Israeli techies that our sector does not operate according to old socialist cradle-to-grave employment models.

Before Covid one-way commutes into the Tel Aviv metro area were at or over 1 hour. Work from home gives people back 2 hours of each day, and removes a major source of stress. Working mothers no longer have that mad dash to the school/daycare before it closes. We have the flexibility to handle countless small chores as is convenient.

Everyone who actually has a life loves this new "work-life balance".

...Since two staple comments of this blog are
(A) the lionization of self-employed tradesmen as bulwarks against socialism, and
(B) the corporate geezer who is, or dreams of, retiring their position due to rising wokeness and becoming a consultant

- it is worth noting that work from home is encouraging large numbers of people to think of themselves as free agents.

Like the unexpected awakening of many parents during Covid-imposed remote learning - work from home is cultivating a generation of free market liberals, which is probably not what the left intended when it launched the Covid scare.