Q for the people that like WFH and never want to go back - what is your living situation? I hate WFH and can’t wait to be back in the office, so curious if other people have adapted better or if their environments are just more conducive to being successful (house with home office and family vs being alone in a 1BR apartment).

Wfh really improved my life. I especially enjoyed no small talk, no commute and makeups, and still can have meals or walks together with my husband during busy season, which makes him really happy too compared with the time when I went back home at 1am everyday. I was pregnant too, so all these helped a lot. My husband and I work in different rooms, but don’t think the setup has anything to do with it.

As someone who is used to working from any location (plane, hotel room, client, office, home) it was an easy transition. I personally hated feeling like I had to go into an office after week(s) of travel to “show face” or because of an expectation. If I’m in the office, I want it to be for something productive and that rarely was the case. Did I like going in a couple times a week to see people and grab lunch? Yes and I miss that, but 5 days a week in the office seems like a nightmare and unnecessary.

I live with my boyfriend in a small 1 BR. His “office” is in the living room; mine is in the bedroom. We both want a vacation but neither of us want to return to the office.

At first I loved it because I was burnt out from the travel, but now I live alone (for the first time) and I'm really struggling with the loneliness. I pretty much had a breakdown on Wednesday morning. I'm gonna start going into the office 2x a week to switch it up.

The problem is less about wfh and more about the fact that we’re not doing much else. Once we get back to a semblance of normal with our social lives/travel etc, I think wfh will be absolutely glorious.

Guest bedroom --> home office. Lock the door to keep the kids out and hussle. 2x 32inch dell monitors on monitor arms, Aeron chair (saved my back). Now I just need a standing desk.
#WHFlyf4ever

But I wouldn't mind going in 1 time a week to bs around, grab lunch, go to a happy hour, catered team meetings etc.

I love WFH and never want to go back. I also currently live in a one bedroom apartment with my bf, but luckily he goes to work in person so I’m alone from 9-5

I just converted an unused extra bedroom in the house into a home office, so I could definitely WFH forever

I think it really depends on age and current stage in your career.

I started in public a few months into COVID, and although I interned with the group the year before, it was rough starting online.

I’m also still 22 and at home. I’m sure if I was in my later 20s and living/married to someone or even older with kids, I’d prefer WFH.

I’m also in a group that has insane busy season hours. Being glued to my desk for 16 hours/day in august and September was rough. I’d go to my bed from my desk and repeat 7.5 hours later.

I traveled extensively for work at one point. When I wasn’t on the road it was extremely normal for everyone on our team to WFH pretty much as much as they wanted or needed. There was absolutely no negative impact on our productivity and instead it could actually be annoying to have to work on an airplane or airport. Many of us worked with team members on the west coast and international so hours could also be outside the normal 9-5. This was over 5 years ago and technology has improved even since then.

Then I transitioned to a role that didn’t require as much travel when I had kids. I found the obsession with being in the office to be truly bizarre and I have yet to find a business reason for it. I think many people still have a very 1950s era bias that people working from home are watching Netflix or napping all day, which we all know doesn’t even make sense.

There are days I wouldn’t mind heading into the office. Working with two kids and a spouse at home can be distracting and don’t have an elaborate home office. On the other hand, I have way more flexibility most days to help with childcare or put energy into things like working out, cooking, etc. that I would have spent commuting before. Many of my coworkers are based in other cities and I wouldn’t have seen them in person regardless. We still have normal water cooler conversations, but there is thankfully less of it. COVID has been tough with less socialization generally, but I don’t mistake seeing coworkers with seeing friends and family.

as someone who was in the office almost every day pre-COVID, adjusting to WFH was very rough. Over time I have come to really prefer WFH - no commute, eating better, more sleep, no to little make-up, comfy clothes, etc. In a house, no kids. I am not going back!

I don't know that it's necessarily about the set up. My boyfriend used to work from home pretty regularly precovid except when at the client site and there are a lot of perks to it (no commute, staying in comfy clothes, seeing SO even when working long hours, able to pop in the kitchen to prep food). He lived in a 1 bed apt. I was there sometimes and sometimes not.

I’m in a 2bedroom townhome with my husband. He’s home full time too completing college. He’s on the dining room table with his computer set up but I’m in the spare bedroom as I need to be about to shut the door for calls. I don’t ever want to go back to the office. I chose to live almost an hour from the office to save on living costs so we’ve been rolling in it since not having to pay nearly as much in car expenses. Plus my cats and husband are RIGHT there if I need them. Which sometimes you do when the client sends you “small revisions” after the return has already gone through processing. Also the increase of time not commuting? Invaluable. Yeah it’s different and I miss out on a lot of office perks but personally I have at home perks.

I’m based in a HCOL city but WFH in a LCOL small town that allows me to enjoy outdoor activities year round. I’m in a 3 bedroom house and use one as my office. No kids; just WFH with my BF. I don’t want to be back in an office.

It's me and my sister in a very small apartment. Don't have room for permanent desks so we bought to fold out ones and we reconfigure some of the furniture to put them out. It's actually worked out pretty well and I think it helps to have a quasi office like environment with a co worker. I love not commuting and being able to eat more around my schedule at home. Also can blare my stereo when I'm really in it. Also get a lot more sleep not having to get as ready in the morning and having to take time that I could be working sitting in afternoon traffic.

Young, single, living with roommates and I’ve never really cared for much office interaction, so wfh is incredibly ideal for me. Don’t care much to return to the office/client because I hate driving. Though I will admit learning is a bit more tough but it kinda gives me time to think about assignments and gets my brain working.

House with home office with pregnant wife and a 2 year old. I get to have breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday with them, I don’t have to waste time getting ready and then commuting to work. I traded my commute time for workout time. I also make more money since I switched to a permanent remote job that is based out of California while living in a LCOL.

If you’re young and single I would probably hate WFH, but know that its temporary and take advantage of having more time. Learn something new, start working out, call/FaceTime your family/friends, have small get togethers in public. There has to be something else that can make your work life better than just going to an office.

I love wfh and do not want to go back. I live in a 3br with my gf who works in a hospital

I love WFH! I’m married and have a 1 and 2 year old. My husband goes to the office 60% of the time. My toddler is in part time school/part time nanny and the 1 year old is home with a nanny. I have an office. Pre covid, our mornings were crazy. Trying to workout, get ready and get everyone out the door. With covid, my time spent getting ready goes directly to the kids. My commute time, now hang out with kids time. If I’m too tired to exercise in the am, I almost always make it up during lunch. It’s really given me another hour or 2 each day that has done wonders for my mom guilt. I had every expectation of retiring after #2 but I feel like this is surprisingly maintainable.

Many of us with kids want to be back in the office. Truss me. It’s not easy wearing all these different hats during the day. I would prefer a hybrid mix.