7 things we don’t miss about working in an office

Working from home has made us think about the things we miss about office life and the things we don’t. Here are seven aspects we are happy to have a break from

There are many things to miss about the office.

Like finding something funny on the internet and turning to tell your co-worker. Now instead of a co-worker, it’s a plant or your mother who makes you explain how the funny thing got on the computer in the first place.

You’d miss the chat and the gossip. The engagements and birthdays and the endless cake and lunchtime prosecco they provided.

The buzz and the company made it what it was.

Yet there are some things we just do not miss about office life. Even in the best of times, certain aspects of it made our skin crawl. There was frustration, anger and annoyance. But we must remember those feelings are present in general life too.

To celebrate another month of working from home, we are taking a look at seven things we don’t miss about the office.

The commute

Whether you live 10 minutes from work or 60, nobody likes the commute. If we lived in tropical heaven with endless sunshine and winds that whisper we might feel differently. Or maybe if the journey was all beach and no buses. However, Irish commutes are filled with traffic, rain, hail, ice, gales, and anything else Mother Nature throws when she’s angry. As a nation, we must have rightly pissed her off in another life.

Distractions

The office is filled with endless distractions. People, walls, screens, toilets, the kettle, the front door, and anything else made of matter. In a work environment, it’s hard to ignore the complexities of what is going on around you. This doesn’t mean working from home comes without disturbances. Children, the television and the bed are more severe, but at least they present a better excuse.

Fridge politics

The fridge has two ruling political parties; those who remember what they put in there and those who don’t. Those who remember clean as they go, and recall placing last night’s pasta on the top shelf. Those who don’t float around the office like hippies forgetting completely they have left sushi to rot right next to the milk.

Office nights out

While fun in theory, when executed they are a modern-day form of torture. The fear after an office night out is like no other. Instead of making a fool of yourself in front of people you won’t see for weeks, you have to see these individuals on Monday. If you thought forgetting your homework until Sunday night was bad, imagine forgetting about the previous Friday night entirely. It’s pure horror. The break has been good for the body and mind.

Meetings

Meetings are different in real life. Because Zoom calls are so awkward and unappealing, meetings are now straight to the point and completed quickly. In real life, they tend to drag and conversations are never linear. This means they go on for much longer than they should. And as the hours go by, the work piles up.

Dress codes

The majority of workplaces implement dress codes. There is smart business attire or business casual or smart casual or casual Fridays. Working from home gives you more choice. Some days you can stay in your pyjamas or not wear a bra. Then on others, you can dress in a mini dress and heels without anyone telling you off. The experience is freeing and the freedom of choice invigorating.

Climate

The varying climate of the office is a point of extreme contention. One minute the office is in Antarctica and the next it’s lying right on the equator. The way people experience heat and cold is subjective. This personal observation means everyone suffers, whether you are cold, hot or neither.

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