You don’t have to look far to see how many people feel trapped by their employer’s remote-working handcuffs, especially among those who are younger. “I was WFB (Working from Bed)”, confesses one Reddit user who eventually changed jobs and went back to the office part-time, responding to a question from someone who said they were waking up “feeling totally meh” after two years of home working.
“A lot of people who are vehemently against going back into the office are probably unknowingly suffering from depression that is making them want to stay at home,” argues a Reddit user on a different thread.
Of course not everyone agrees. Counting their lucky stars, one home working Reddit user writes: “I would literally eat s–- to keep the job I have now”.
There’s no denying that full-time home working (and even the discovery of a mouse jiggler) can do a world of good for some. Those who redirect their energy into a hobby or who previously felt overloaded juggling work and caring responsibilities will no doubt feel much happier in a job that is fully flexible, and will likely choose to work for longer as a result.
But trying to do a minimal amount of work, staying at home all week and putting up with an ill-suited job just because it’s flexible will turn out to be a mistake for the vast majority who go down that route.