sistawendy | Farewell, sweet office building. (Reply)

My company planned an office move two years ago. Unfortunately for everyone involved, between the planning and execution of this move, the pandemic started. That means that for the last year, our floor of a downtown Seattle office building has gone mostly unused.

Goodbye to all that. Employees were told to remove any personal items from the space by the end of the month, because we're subletting it. I was one of the very few employees who brought personal stuff in. We're "moving" to a smaller space with hot desks next month. It was surely the right business decision.

I know a lot of people are doing a victory dance now that COVID has slain the commute dragon for many people, but I'm one of those weirdos who liked going into the office. Why?

I'm a social butterfly, in case you hadn't noticed. Interacting through screens alone just isn't satisfying.
Often you can get stuff done faster by walking to somebody else's desk and talking to them.
As much as I love the Devil Girl Pad, leaving it and coming back are good for my mental health.
That place may have saved my life during the lethal northwest heat wave last summer. I'll have to cool off elsewhere the next time it happens.

Allow me to make a prediction, worth what you paid for it. Once the pandemic ends for real and not by governmental fiat, there's going to be at least a partial rush back to permanent, shared workspaces. There are too many paranoid bosses and lonely employees out there. When will that happen? Well, that's to be decided by the whims of viral mutation, but if 1918 is any guide, I doubt we're in for another full year from now.