The WFH Divide — If you’re reading this while eating Lucky Charms in your boxers, here’s your trigger warning.
The work-from-home tug-of-war between employees and bosses heated up throughout the summer.
Bosses are complaining about being alone in the office while their workers log on from Airbnbs on the beach. Some people are holding 3 remote jobs simultaneously and waiting for the party to end.
Malcolm Gladwell ruffled a lot of feathers recently when he decried WFH, apparently showing his hypocrisy as a coffee shop-dwelling writer himself.
But he’s not alone—there’s a growing chorus (mostly Boomers) that is loudly resisting the death of the office, claiming it’s too important for mentoring and collaboration.
At least for now, employees seem to have the upper hand, as the labor shortage shows no signs of slowing.
CEOs probably wouldn’t admit it, but many of them are licking their chops at the chance to yank their employees back to their cubicles in the event of a recession.
Right now, workers told to RTO can pretty much tell their bosses to f*ck off and jump to one of the thousands of remote-first companies looking for people.
But if those remote opportunities start to dry up in a recession, bosses can play the “come back or else” card, and it would carry more weight.
It’s hard not to think about the broader implications of WFH. You apes out there just getting your careers off the ground may be able to live in a cheaper location but also might lose out on promotion opportunities and other perks enabled by the office.
On a national level, big cities are desperate for a broader return to offices, as urban restaurants and other businesses that depend on vibrant downtowns are struggling.
On the other hand, up-and-coming cities are more than happy to welcome young, remote Excel grunts who will buy up property and boost their economies.
The point is, a hell of a lot is riding on the future of the WFH movement, societally and economically. The next recession, whenever that is, may declare a winner going forward.
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