I worked fully remote for 5 years → super productive, balanced, thriving.
After 6 months of unemployment, I had to accept an in-office role out of necessity.
My day looks like this:
🚇 1.5 hour commute (bus + train) just to get to the office.
☕ By 10am, people go for coffee + smoke break + chit-chat → back at desks ~10:45.
🍽️ From 11am–2pm, everyone takes staggered “lunch breaks,” errands, gym sessions, long talks → most are actually back at their desks only by 2:30 or even 3.
👶 Parents leave early for school pickups.
☕ Another “coffee break” around 3:30.
🗣️ By 4–5pm it’s all small talk + preparing to leave.
🚇 Another 1.5 hours travel to home → reach ~7pm, totally drained.
The reality:
Barely any real work gets done.
Boss micromanages as if we’re in school (“Where are you going?” when I step out for the washroom 🤦).
I feel my time, energy, and potential are being wasted.
Productivity is invisible, family time gone, hobbies gone, health slipping.
Comparison to remote work:
At home, I could do gym, cook, walk the dog, and still overdeliver at work.
Got promoted, won employee awards, and genuinely enjoyed life.
Had time for hobbies (swimming, tennis, painting) + quality family time.
Remote = fulfillment, balance, and growth.
Office = exhaustion, disappointment, and no life outside work.
I know the job market is tough (still hunting for a remote or at least hybrid role, or something closer). But honestly, this in-office setup feels like a soul-crushing waste of life.
Sorry for the rant – just needed to vent. If you’re working remote, cherish it. 🌱
submitted by /u/Purple985985
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