How Remote Work Is Killing Office (and Why It’s Bad)

South_agency of Getty Images Signature

Two months after I started my current job, we were told that we would have to work remotely due to the spread of a new Coronavirus variant. No one was allowed to come to the office. Not even for a bit.

The management allowed us to return to the office some months later, but very few did. I missed seeing my colleagues, so I tried to visit the office several times a week, but the office was mostly empty. There were some people, but everyone was scattered around, so it still felt like a dead place.

Soon coffee machines were removed, as well as the snack bar. The office as we knew it was slowly dying.

For years, businesses have been moving away from traditional office settings in favor of more flexible work arrangements. And with good reason — some studies show that many remote workers are more productive and happier than their office-bound counterparts.

But while the benefits of remote work are clear, there are also some hidden costs. One of these costs is the demise of the office as we know it.

For years, the office was more than just a workspace — it was a community. Even those who hated office culture would occasionally pop in a break-room to chat, grab lunch together, or go to “this place with awesome happy hour deals” with their colleagues. But…