Froma Harrop

Employees unhappy over orders to return to the office are evidently tearing their garments with grief. But they may need the garments to keep their current employment, and we’re not talking about pajamas.

Many who enjoy working from home are upset at the idea of having to do face time to earn their paycheck. We get that. But we also get that employers might want to see their lovely faces once in a while.

Pre-pandemic, work-at-home opportunities that paid decently were scarce. COVID-era distancing prompted many white-collar businesses to let employees do their jobs via computers at home. At first, the arrangement seemed to work well for all concerned.

But after a while, the bosses began to suspect that work-at-home opportunities were melting into golf-at-noon opportunities. And as restaurants started reopening, they noted that suburban pubs were doing a brilliant business hosting long lunches. Some companies also felt they needed the sort of collaboration among staff that’s best done in person.

But when Farmers Group insurance company told its remote workers that most of them would have to come to the office three days a week, a mighty blowback ensued. Some threatened to quit. And a good number argued back that they were every bit as productive working from home as they were in a cubicle.

Some employees accused Farmers of duplicity: They said they moved nearer grandchildren or expanded home offices in the expectation that remote work would be permanent. If the company said that, as many assert, then workers may have a reason to be sore.

On the other hand, it wasn’t long ago that three-days-a-week in the office would have been hailed a grand liberation. You mean only three days a week, as opposed to five?

Farmers’ new chief executive said that company management read and appreciated all the comments, “but we’re still moving forward.”

In Seattle, a lunchtime demonstration followed Amazon’s announcement that it wants workers back in the office three days a week. (Amazon allows dogs in the office! What are they complaining about?)

Walt Disney Co. and Lyft had tightened requirements for office attendance, as have many companies in finance. Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman famously told employees, “If you can go into a restaurant in New York City, you can come into the office.”

There remain a good number of 100% work-at-home jobs, but they tend to pay less than the in-office kind. That’s very often the trade-off.

During the pandemic era, people working at home reported that they saved a lot of money on clothes, transportation and meals out. At the same time, many restaurants and entertainment venues were closed, so there was little reason to dress up, go out and spend.

That said, it happens that many workers miss getting dressed up and going to an office where they could consort with other humans. They miss the structure.

That is especially true for the younger employees, some of whom have yet to experience office life. Many also believe, with good reason, that physical contact with management enhances the opportunity for mentoring and promotions. A survey by TimelyCare found that about 53% of the recent 2023 grads wanted a fully in-person work environment.

It was touching to read that some were taking special courses on how to behave in the offline office world: table manners, proper elevator discourse, what to wear, what to say in a meeting, what not to say. These are what The Wall Street Journal described as “soft skills.”

It appears that those who want a return to the office will get there. Those who don’t can find other employment or endure.

Everyone’s gonna be all right. But oh, the humanity!

Froma Harrop is a syndicated columnist. She can be emailed at fharrop@gmail.com.