Ask HN: Why are some companies still trying to force return to office?

This doesn't mean that in-person is always better - but corporate leadership is hearing enough anecdotes such as mine to push for RTO again.

All that matters is what the current decision makers want to do — and of course that depends on their motivations. Unless you understand their motivations, how can you say what is “better”?

I will add that this will last a generation but no more. There are tons of companies make it work remotely note that these “old schoolers” once they are gone and replace buy gen z and gen z+1 will have a completely diff modus operandi. The only way this accelerates is the next google /apple / meta is a remote first company. This will unleash fully remote to the mainstream

When I've responded in the past, with an employer point of view, I get down-voted. That's OK. You may not like what i have to say.

Of course companies are different. There are many reasons for office work. Many of them bad. You may work for a company with many layers of useless management. I commiserate with you, and clearly my experience, and answer, isn't relevant to you. I can only speak to my situation.

I only have a short commute, so I go into the office about 3 days a week. I usually work from home a couple days as well.

When I'm in the office, people ask me questions. When I'm at home they don't. For me this is good, I'd like people to ask rather than waste time. Those who are never in the office never ask.

Which brings me to the next observation. People in the office are growing faster than those at home. Or perhaps my perception is that those in the office are growing. Peoplecat home seem to "do their thing", which includes making the same mistakes, and taking longer to do things.

Equally people at home are not challenged with questions, they are not pushed out of their comfort zones. They are not helping others along.

All of this plays out when folk are being promoted. For some I can see their evolution. For others their stagnation. Long-term it'll be interesting to see if this progresses.

For the record, we all come to the office on Wednesday, for the rest they're free to choose. Their has been un uptick in morale since we started coming back for that. I think some folk get very lonely and isolated being permanently at home.

Ultimately full-remote is not actually ideal for either party, but YMMV depending on pretty much every other part of the business culture.

Consensus where? many managers quote the Microsoft study that Remote work is making productivity and innovation harder for example