Employers lost their minds when they saw their office employees comfortable and happy. They realized that WFH gave them just a little bit of control over their day, and that meant the employers haf just a little bit less.
More specifically, managers lost their minds when they realized that holding meetings all day doesn’t actually accomplish anything productive. There are countless middle managers out there who faced an existential crisis when they saw people’s productivity actually increase during WFH. Everything they’ve done since then has been one ham-fisted attempt after another to shove the cat back in the bag.
They also had real estate investments and conflicts of interest that were in jeopardy. If everyone stopped coming into the office then the property values in the area would drop off a cliff (no one buying lunch at local restaurants, shopping on breaks, etc). Unused offices close, property values continue to plunge. Bad for anyone who owns commercial property in the area!
More specifically, managers lost their minds when they realized that holding meetings all day doesn’t actually accomplish anything productive. There are countless middle managers out there who faced an existential crisis when they saw people’s productivity actually increase during WFH. Everything they’ve done since then has been one ham-fisted attempt after another to shove the cat back in the bag.
It’s upper management that wanted people back mire than anyone. They had no one to show off their wealth and power to.
They also had real estate investments and conflicts of interest that were in jeopardy. If everyone stopped coming into the office then the property values in the area would drop off a cliff (no one buying lunch at local restaurants, shopping on breaks, etc). Unused offices close, property values continue to plunge. Bad for anyone who owns commercial property in the area!