r/remoteworks

I work fully remote, been at this company about 8 months. My calendar is pretty open most days, no back to back meetings or anything complicated. My manager knows my general schedule because we've talked about it.

For the last six weeks, every single 1-on-1 she schedules lands at 12:30. Not 11, not 2, always 12:30. I eat lunch at my desk, I dont have a strict schedule about it, but 12:30 is pretty much when I sit down with food. The first few times I just ate during the call which felt slightly weird but fine. Then she mentioned offhandedly that she finds it distracting when people eat on camera. I stopped eating. I started having calls at 12:30 and then eating cold food at 1:15.

Two weeks ago I said hey any chance we could shift to 11 or 2 just so I can actually take a break somewhere in the day. She said she'd try to move things around. This week: 12:30 again. I joined and she had a snack on her desk the whole call.

I genuinely cant tell if she just doesnt think about it, has some fixed block she wont move, or specifically likes that timeslot and figures I can adjust. None of those options make me feel great. Its a 30 minute call once a week and I'd like to eat food at some point.

There are now thousands of such "job ads", you have to fill a google form, you have to add a link to a video recording of yourself doing something, you will go through it, then radio silence, like nothing happened. You are giving away too much with a video recording in perfect conditions. They don't need to pay for data now, they have you putting it in Google Drive and sending them a link. Just report such posts and continue with your day because it's 100% a scam.

I have a few take-aways. Its been 6 years since my company sent us home.

1. I really missed the easy morning I am used to.

2. It was louder than my family. TV background vs loud phone calls and the constant perpetual drone of office life.

3. I really hate wearing shoes and restrictive clothing while I work. Additionally high heels are a torture device.

4. I missed taking little walks to get a drink or snacks.

5. My animals weren't there. Sometimes I enjoy annoying my dog by hugging her.

6. I was a little more productive.

7. Seeing coworkers in person makes it easier to ask questions or just have a little conversation.

8. Apparently my kid (18) comes out of his cave when I am home.

There's probably more but I think I will stay home for work.

I’ve been working from home for almost 5 years now, and as an introvert, I used to love it. No commute, quiet environment, full control of my space.

But lately, I’ve been really missing the office setup. The random conversations, having a routine, just being around people in general. I honestly didn’t expect to feel this way.

The tricky part is that my current role is fully remote, so going back to an office isn’t really an option right now, which makes it a bit frustrating 😭

How are you dealing with it?

“They are okay with as much as four days in the office, but place real value on the flexibility to have at least one remote day,” Boccio told Fortune. “By contrast, older candidates with kids and families seem to be the most resistant to returning to the office, which is likely due to differing priorities and demands of their time outside of work.”