With 2024 looming, the employment landscape seems poised for a significant transition
Took a step back into the old 2019 grind, despite all the technological advancements and changes we've seen. If anything, it feels like we've taken a goddamn detour to pre-pandemic times again.
Over the past three years, under some proper shitty circumstances, we've uncovered new, creative ways to work, hinting at overdue changes in the office environment. Yet, it seems we've been sliding back into old, regressive behavior patterns, leaving the promising progress we made in the dust.
The "reasons" to head back to the office have ranged from superficial shit like "it's for the culture" to more brutal truths like "we spent a ton of cash on commercial real estate" - neither of which address the bloody heart of the matter. And there's been a sprinkling of generic bullcrap, avoiding the real issue entirely.
The underlying reasons for this regression are rooted in psychological, organizational, and societal factors. For starters, increased depression, anxiety, and burnout - particularly in frontline sectors like healthcare - have left workers less resistant to flexible arrangements. Working from home intensified feelings of isolation for those in small living spaces or with limited social ties, playing havoc with work-life balance. Those experiencing worse depression while working from home were far more likely (56.7% vs. 21.7%) to view remote work negatively, pushing for a return to familiar office environments [2][4][5].
To make things worse, the ones who were facing safety concerns at work - insufficient health protocols, for instance - reported higher anxiety and PTSD symptoms [5]. This generalizes to other industries with lackluster safety policies. When employees see their workspace as unsupportive of their well-being, it's no surprise they disengage from advocating for progressive policies [3][5].
Lastly, there's the sheer stubbornness of traditional thinking: the "visibility equals productivity" mindset persists, driven by data showing productivity gains from flexibility. The tripling of employees working less than 10 office hours post-COVID signals a workforce willing to adapt [1], but organizational resistance to investing in work-from-home infrastructure - such as mental health resources and ergonomic setups - keeps regressive norms alive [4][5]. Add to that, burnout-triggered turnover reduces collective bargaining power to maintain flexible policies [2][3].
So it's a vicious cycle: declining mental health weakens employee advocacy, unsupportive environments foster disengagement, and traditional thinking perpetuates outdated practices. Remedying this situation requires systemic changes - target mental health support [4][5], improve safety climate [5], and train leaders to shake off productivity-focused biases [1][3].
- The return to pre-pandemic times in the workplace, despite science-driven advancements, appears to be driven by a combination of superficial reasons, avoidance of real issues, and persistent traditional thinking.
- The regressive behavior patterns observed in the workplace, after promising progress, can be traced back to psychological, organizational, and societal factors, such as increased depression, anxiety, and burnout.
- Working from home intensified feelings of isolation for some, worsened depression, and led to negative perceptions about remote work, pushing for a return to office environments.
- Safety concerns at work, like insufficient health protocols, have led to higher anxiety and PTSD symptoms, further promoting a regression to office work.
- To break this vicious cycle, systemic changes are needed, including focusing on mental health support, improving safety climate, and training leaders to move away from productivity-focused biases, for the sake of health-and-wellness in the workplace and business finance.
