10 Things You May Soon Miss About Working From Home

4. The escape from interruptions

Even though there are interruptions at home, Taylor says they're more manageable and she's more productive overall working remotely. The conversations around her or people dropping by her workstation to ask questions can be distracting. “It's all work-related, but still, it's an interruption,” she says. At home, she can find times where she can focus and get more done and doesn't have to spend time figuring out where she left off on her last project. "I think one of the biggest things people don't realize is how much they were distracted during the day [but] didn't realize it before,” Glazer says. Of course, the difference depends on individual circumstances, but for many people, it can be easier to find quiet time to focus at home.

5. The absence of office politics

Melvin says working remotely also offers an escape from office politics. Gossip and infighting are easier to avoid when you’re communicating mostly through email, instant messaging or scheduled videoconferences, Elton adds.

"I've done remote, work-from-home jobs in the past and really do prefer it so much better,” Melvin says. “I forgot about all of the office politics that continues to take place. You are so much more productive when working from home."

6. The flexibility

Taylor, a self-described morning person, used to be at her office desk at 7:30 a.m. and work through lunch most days. Now she can get the same work done with a later start because she has more flexibility over how she structures her days. She has Zoom meetings but keeps the camera off and can also take advantage of downtime more easily to finish up projects. All the tools and information she needs are right at home.

Even if you have busy workdays, telecommuting does typically offer more flexibility, Elton says. We also know that more autonomy on the job can lead to greater productivity, according to a 2020 study published in Frontiers in Psychology.

7. The personalized infection protection

At home, you can be as careful as you want to be when it comes to protecting yourself against COVID. But when you’re back in the office, you may have to interact with people who have different opinions about appropriate measures. Elton says it’s important to check with your employer about policies on vaccinations, masks and other measures. Then, if anyone has an issue with you following the protocols, you can simply point them to company policy.

When she first returned to in-office work, Melvin missed the mask-free existence of home. Even as many states and communities are lifting mask mandates, some companies are requiring additional safety measures in the office to protect employees and clients. “It is tough wearing masks in meetings, and whenever [I'm] walking around the office,” she says. Melvin points out that masks hinder the ability to see expressions, which can help people better understand what's going on in meetings.

8. The distance from coworkers you dislike

One of the challenging parts of returning to the office is dealing with coworkers whom you may consider either mildly irritating or downright mean. Difficult colleagues exist in virtually every office. You can try to minimize interactions with them, but, Elton says, there’s another way you might cope with them: Assume good intent. ​​“Look, [most] people that come to work are good people and want to do a good job,” he says. “So, I'm going to assume that they're just trying to live their best life, as I am.” That attitude is freeing, Elton explains, because you don’t get mired in negativity or trying to figure out what the other person is thinking. “Maybe I don't agree with the way you're doing it, but I'm just going to give you a little bit of grace. And then that gives you a little bit of space to not worry about it too much.”

9. The privacy

At home, if you need to send a few texts during a videoconference, or if you spent a half hour looking up cat videos on your lunch break, chances are that no one was the wiser. Being back in the office means having people look over your shoulder again.

But Elton says you may be surprised. Social distancing measures mean that some offices have given employees more space. And a recent survey from Gallup estimates that the adoption of hybrid workplaces — where employees will work part-time in the office and part-time at home — means that roughly 4 in 10 desks will be empty at any given time. So you may have more privacy when you return to the office than you were expecting.

10. The unexpected amusements

Let's face it: There were some strange and even funny moments in the remote-work world. Who can forget the attorney who couldn't figure out how to turn off his cat filter on Zoom during a legal proceeding, for example? It may be harder to have those moments of humanity or vulnerability in the office, Elton says. “People are going to miss a little bit of whimsy.”

Elton was on a Zoom call when his grandson ran into the room, which, he says, the other callers found amusing. That might be less the case in an office full of people, especially with safety protocols in place, he says. “People are a lot more genuine.” Whether that shift remains after more people head back to the office remains to be seen, he adds.

Editor's note: A previous version of this originally was published on May 20, 2021. It has been updated with more recent information.