Since my employer recently dropped the mask mandate for all our buildings, I fully expect to receive notice this coming week that we are moving into "Phase 3" of the Return to Work Plan, meaning that instead of having to be in the office every other day, we'll be required to be there three days a week in preparation for the full return to work that will inevitably follow.
Since my particular team has already received permission to stay on that schedule going forward (even after everyone else has to return to the office full time), I'm still not happy about it—for all the reasons listed in the tweets above.
Two years ago when we were all forced to make changes to the way we did—well, pretty much everything—I viewed it as an opportunity for humanity to move forward; to finally break out of the toxic behaviors that contributed to the general fucked-up state of modern civilization, and frankly it felt good. But greed and pursuit of the almighty dollar wouldn't allow that.
And now we find ourselves in the position of putting money before safety and in the rush to get everything back to the same toxic "normality" it was before March 2020, I fear we are setting ourselves up for another disaster when the next COVID variant appears. Human stubbornness, stupidity, and overall resistance to change will not allow the kind of societal evolution that needs to occur.
And now Biden is advocating an full end to telecommuting?
Fuck that..
Seems like it's often a trust and power/control thing. At my last office job my manager never trusted that anyone was doing their job when telecommuting (allowed by company policy) – results didn't seem to matter nor the fact that when at negotiation meetings away from the office we magically (apparently) became trustworthy enough to represent the company. It was clear too that that particular manager liked lording it over his staff, he'd periodically wander around the office "just to check things out". Right. Because he just didn't trust you and "checking things" was his way of making people fearful/uncomfortable. He was also an asshole about the office dress code, for the same reason I always thought. Why are sociopaths so often promoted to managerial positions?
It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world alright.
There will never be a more promising time to look for a better job.
When did Biden say that?
It was in his State of the Union Address.
https://www.businessinsider.com/february-jobs-report-biden-urges-workers-offices-labor-market-normalizing-2022-3