Whether by choice or by mandate, many of us have been working from home throughout this global pandemic. While you may have saved time commuting, enjoyed more time with your family, and relished in the flexibility of working from home, you may be overlooking some of the benefits of returning to the office.
So, why is returning to the office such a good thing?
Improved Efficiency
Oftentimes, employees find themselves less efficient when working remotely. Whether it be laundry, kids, pets, or other household distractions, these constant micro-interruptions can kill your productivity. A return to the office can minimize these distractions while also bringing you closer to your team, making quick conversations and questions less cumbersome.
Better Communication
It’s no secret that it’s easier and more effective to communicate with colleagues in person rather than through email chains, chats, phone calls, or the dreaded video call. Teams become more efficient when working in close proximity, leading to less risk of miscommunications and misunderstandings.
Work-Life Balance
Although working from home may seem like a better work-life balance at first, it can many times have the opposite effect. With kitchen tables becoming offices and personal cell phones becoming work phones, many employees are finding it much harder to disconnect from their work in the evenings, making it difficult to separate our personal lives from our work lives.
Stronger Connections
While video calls have helped us stay connected while working from home, it’s clear that nothing can replace the camaraderie that comes from communicating in person. Those quick chats by the water cooler that we took for granted pre-pandemic were actually critical to building better working relationships and even friendships with our colleagues.
Although working in your pajamas from home can seem tempting, the benefits of returning to the workplace far outweigh those of staying home. In-person interactions will mean improved communication with colleagues, more positive working relationships, and increased focus in a space dedicated for work. When you return home in the evenings after a productive day, you can disconnect from your work life and fully enjoy home for what it is, home.