I WFH, every year one of the goals that the rest of the team decides is that it’s “so great” to see each other in person. The past few years haven’t worked out but one did. I spent hours in a couple of airports, the huge expense for the company, I spent days away from my family, and for what? So you could look me in my same face you would see if we turned cameras on every once in a while? My husband says I’m being weird, but I legitimately want to know, what is the benefit? I hate being there and have to play nice so you can…look me even closer in the face?
I have a slightly different perspective that hasn’t particularly been mentioned yet.
I think you agree that communication with your spouse and friends is better in person than online. Otherwise, why do you live together with your spouse? That’s the argument of the meet-in-office folks.
However, the difference is that you don’t care about or hate your job and/or coworkers. Other people, who push for these meetings, do not feel like this. Hence they enjoy the higher quality of relationship offered by occasional in-person time, but you don’t.
Not sure about this.
I like my job, and my coworkers.
Do I like them enough to spend my own time going to see them instead of my family? Nope.
You can like people but prefer other people.
Well stated!
I would argue that the in person difference revolves around a lot of intimacy, and further encourages coworkers to ogle other members and increase the likelihood of sexual harassment or just office drama of coworkers now dating or having had a one night stand.
Personal life - better in person Work life - better separate
I’m not saying in office jobs are unhealthy or bad, just that if a job is remote, forcing them to get together when they took a remote job just promotes those things that they were avoiding for whatever reasons they applied for a remote job.
That’s a lot of mental hoops…
Forcing remote workers to go somewhere in person when they don’t sign up for an in person job. Glad to see you disagree, but by no means are there any hoops
Not sure if you even need to bring in a sexual component (dude?)…some people feel like their work colleagues are their “2nd family”. Mostly the ones that love to gossip and take a 10 minute break per hour to go to the break room to meet people.
None of which apply here, these are remote workers, being forced to go to an in person meeting. Those people you are talking about work in person jobs, unless the break room is their kitchen and their second family is a reference to having 2 families