Your Productivity is Down Because of the Office
I understand why so many prefer remote work rather than be in the office!
I work in an office 8 to 5, Monday through Friday, and now understand why so many workers want to remain remote or are transitioning to remote work.
For a quick back story: I am an assistant for a top lawyer in my area and assist him with not only his legal documentation but his personal life too. I do anything from sending reports to the court to making his doctor’s appointment. Not glamorous but it pays the bills (at least some).
I had a report to get done yesterday to send to the courthouse. This report determines whether attorneys and paralegals will receive credit for attending a webinar. The ONE report took me almost all day to complete when it should have only taken less than an hour, why is that?
In the office
Office distractions, interruptions, and “priority” tasks are constant when you work in an office.
I speak for the last several jobs I’ve had in my years. If someone has a question, they take the time to get up from their office chair, walk the hallway, stop to say hi to a coworker, proceed their route, then ask their question to the appropriate person that turns from work related to office gossip. That task took 10–15 minutes when it could have easily been a call or an email since the originator didn’t need an answer right away.
The report, which should have taken no more than an hour, took up the majority of my day because of the constant interruptions the office entails. I was being asked to do different tasks, help out in different departments, or sucked into conversations non-work-related that my boss instigated. Then, 10 minutes before 5 pm, we are hustling to get work done.
Other views
Speaking with friends that were once in the office and now work remote or hybrid have confirmed this belief. They feel they are more productive by being home and able to work without office distractions. In addition, the freedom enables them to run an errand or do chores without being scorned.
Another friend that works strictly remote stated her company will not be renewing multiple office buildings around the country because their productivity has gone up since their workers have gone remote. The office provided an opportunity to work but with many distractions. In addition, the conferences that took upper executives out of the office for several days are now being had via telephone conference and weren’t wasted traveling to be in person.
What’s the right answer?
This new day with remote work is becoming the norm and rightfully so. One or two tasks shouldn’t take the entirety of the day due to the distractions the office provides.
My boss (74 years old) has stated he doesn’t think anyone works when they are at home because he can’t focus when he is home.
I, for one, want to know what it’s like to start and finish a task within the time I want to designate it. However, am I overanalyzing or glamorizing remote work?
If you work remotely, what is your take on this matter? Am I misinterpreting this?
