Office Life in 2021…
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This can vary widely from city to city and industry to industry, so let’s discuss: Who is heading back to the office soon (or has been there a while)? If you've got a hybrid arrangement (where, for example, you work three days remote and two days in the office), what does your office life look like? Do you have your own desk or office, or are you hotdesking? Are your office days mostly filled with meetings, or are you mostly continuing the work you do remotely?
(And, of course, how would you say people are dressing in your office — normal compared to before? If your answer is “much more casually than before,” do you mean in the “joggers and leggings” sense of things, or more casually in other ways, e.g., jeans with blazers or prairie dresses and the like?)
I'm curious to hear! If you can advocate for yourself with your managers, what are you asking for? (To what extent to the workers have a say in these decisions in your organization — or is it just a few higher ups who make the calls?)
For those of you who are still remote (and previously worked in the office primarily), is there an end date in sight for remote work? I know readers just had a comment thread on whether people were moving away from offices based on the assumption that remote work will always be a possibility…
The questions, just to kick off the open thread:
- What does your office life look like now (desk? meetings?)?
- How are people dressing at your office compared to the Before Times?
- If you can, what are you asking your managers for regarding remote work/dress code/flexibility?
- If you're still remote, is there an end date in sight?
Stock photo (empty conference room) via Stencil.
Hahahahaha like a sad abandoned half empty wasteland
Prior to March 2020, we had about 200 employees working in-person in an “open office” floor plan in a major city in the U.S., where everyone had a standing desk in a big open area (including our president). We had lots of phone rooms, huddle spaces, and conference rooms, as well as lounge areas and designated quiet “libraries.” Our dress code was “dress for your day” which meant jeans 80% of the time and something more businessy when doing external meetings.
Now, our office is open to staff if you want to use it, which means about 10-20 people are there any given day. Because we’re all on virtual meetings all day long, when I go in, I just go straight to a huddle room and close the door and commandeer it all day for endless zoom and Teams meetings. I would say our dress code is about the same…just all jeans because very few people are having external meetings. We had planned a return to “working at the office more often than not” after Labor Day, then Oct 1, and now we’re saying Nov 1.
Even though I don’t have children and walk to work, I feel like I use a lot of my internal political capital to advocate for more flexibility for my coworkers with children and those who have to take public transit. I do like working from home, but it’s not a big deal for me to come into the office a few days a week. For a lot of my team members, it requires them to be considerably more exposed.
Still remote. (Was supposed to go back in September, but pushed to “some time in early 2022.”) Basically, we’ve done so well this long, what’s a few more months to let younger kids get vaxxed, especially when upcoming holidays mean there may be more breakthrough (even if asymptomatic) cases that people could take home to kids.
When we go back, it will be likely a 3 in, 2 WFH schedule going forward.
Medium sized law firm in the South. It’s like 2019 but with masks. We are still allowed to wear jeans, but a lot of people dress just like it’s 2019.
Large law firm, mostly in the SEUS. We’re still officially remote, though you’re allowed to go in if you’re vaccinated (masks required unless you are in your office. Even our assistants/paralegals have their own offices, so no open floor plan concerns). We had originally planned return to office after labor day, but it’s been pushed back indefinitely. I go in about 2 days a week and it’s pretty empty. As for what people are wearing, well, every time I’ve seen the senior partner on my hall, he’s wearing cargo shorts, so I’d say dress codes are mostly off the table as long as it’s not extreme. We will have an official hybrid option you can apply for once we officially all come back, which is what I plan to do.
Higher education in the Midwest. There are more hybrid work arrangements. We’re required to wear masks. Dress code hasn’t changed at all; I’m in a corner of higher ed that dresses more formally. The mood/atmosphere isn’t great for staff, TBH. Everyone is tired.
Also in higher ed here–in New England. I’m in communications, and many staff in my type of role are now hybrid (3 days on campus, 2 days WFH). I like the WFH flexibility, but the campus days are the worst of all arrangements–wearing a mask all day AND Zooming for most meetings.
Dress code (smarter end of business casual) has not changed from an official perspective, but many people seem to be interpreting more loosely. I’m wearing and seeing a lot more in the way of ponte pants, knit dresses, and flats. Seconding the observation that morale is not great.
I’m a school district administrator. My office re-opened in June 2020, when I was nine months pregnant. Everyone is required to work in person, and no flexibility is permitted. My job is one that I can 95% do remotely (and 100% of my essential work can be done remotely), but no exceptions are permitted. Even on a day when our Internet and phones went down, we were told to get a hot spot or find another task to do; no one was allowed to WFH. Oh, and if you’re an admin and have to stay home due to having a COVID symptom, being a close contact, or because your child has a symptom/close contact, you have to use personal sick days AND you’re still expected to complete your work from home because #teamplayer. Work clothing hasn’t changed.
I’m a lawyer in state government. Prior to the pandemic, everyone was in the office 5 days a week and there was absolutely no telework or flexibility. We returned to the office over the summer at least two days per week, which (at least theoretically) should continue beyond the pandemic. Everyone has different days they are assigned, so there aren’t a lot of people physically in the office each day. I really can’t say that I’ve observed any work-related benefit to being back in the office, but it is nice to see people in person. The dress code hasn’t changed at all and most folks are wearing the same office clothes from before the pandemic.
I work in oil and gas in Texas and we’ve been back full time since May 2020 (yes, 2020!) I work for a Fortune 50 company and we make money when people drive and fly so our CEO got us back in the office as soon as possible. We have no formal remote work, but supervisors are much more open to since the pandemic. Our dress hasn’t changed either; still business casual.
Mission critical federal office that does not have the IT infrastructure or business processes to work remotely. In part-time March-early June 2020. In full-time June 2020 on. Occasional telework if under an individual isolation order. Made the summer dress code stretch from summer 2020 to end of summer 2021, but now back to a slightly more professional dress code. We’re a business casual operation so it’s not a huge change.
Public sector in Australia. Working from home until vaccination rates for over 12s reaches 80%. (Our national government stuffed up and didn’t order enough vaccines.) Still unsure of how back in the office will work.
We were all in the office when our state had zero cases for last half of 2020 and first half of 2021. Dressing like it was 2019 + masks.
Local government attorney – our office reopened in June of 2021 but on a hybrid schedule where most people in the civil division are working 3 or 4 days a week from home (5 days a week wfh is allowed for attorneys who have a “reason” which pretty much seems like you just have to ask for it). Facetime was huge before the pandemic, so it’s been a nice cultural change. Masks are required, and people have gotten a little bit more casual (jeans not just on Fridays, flowy skirts and dresses, people don’t throw their blazers on for internal meetings anymore) but it’s definitely not anything goes.
The prosecutors in my office, on the other hand, are here everyday and are usually in suits or at least suit separates (my state resumed in-person criminal jury trials in about six months ago).
Biopharma based in New England. WFH since March 2020 and haven’t stepped foot in the office since. They initially announced a return to office in mid-September 2021, but that has been indefinitely delayed. We’ve grown so much and been desperate to hire people, so lots of new hires who live across the US. Many of us will probably stay remote, while others will go to a hybrid model. Personally, I moved to a lower cost of living area (the Midwest) and have no intention of moving back. My industry in the Boston area is so desperate for hires that they have no leverage to bring us back if we resist.
Consulting agency in Wellington, NZ. We were always work-from-home friendly. Late March 2020 we were entirely from home, then (July 2020) we were entirely back, then (August 2021) we were entirely from home again, now we are trickling back. We will not have the full team in the office until we reach Level 1 of lockdown and maybe not even then. All major office meetings now have a Zoom/Teams component.
I just coordinated with an office manager about my days in so that we can social distance. We dress at the dressier/quirky end of business casual – I like to dress up so that’s a plus for me.
Importantly, we spend a lot of time at client offices. Our clients have all become a lot more casual in their dress. Our fellow high-end consultants are all in (admittedly high-end) jeans. The only people still in business formal in Wellington are the lawyers.
Since I am home base, I can wear what I want, even my time. Thanks for sharing your journey!