Quote Originally Posted by JamesWales View Post
Completely disagree. There are potentially very serious long term consequences of permanent home working, the loss of sharing of information, mental wellbeing impacts, new staff training, business cultures, isolation, the impact on younger staff, the impact on poorer staff, establishing contacts with new clients, ensuring work is understood properly etc. It definitely has the potential to lead to greater isolation and impacts on some much worse than others, and it's typically those who are younger or with less happy home lives

Not to mention the impact on business, sustainable transport and the like.

I know people who have been to a very very dark place through WFH so I have to speak up when you try to charactise it as something simple or wholly positive which it absolutely isn't. It's a very complex topic
On the other side of the coin is that I have a friend who has been forced to go back into the office twice a week for no logical reason other than her boss liking having her staff around her. The two lengthy commutes a week cost her over £100 a month. She doesn't like driving but it's the only way she can get to work. Two weeks ago someone brought Covid into the office and half of the staff couldn't work last week as they were isolating.

She is a quiet, private person who quite often doesn't like mixing others but enjoys her own space. Breaks and lunchtimes working from home are great for her to do things that interest her without having to play office niceties. Being back in the office has affected her mental health, a point her boss has little regard for. As a result her relationship with her boss has plummeted and she's looking for another job, which has not been easy on her wage, meaning more stress and deterioration of her mental health.