Friday Notes #26 — I Would Rather Quit!

Here in Montreal, things are improving significantly regarding the COVID-19 situation. The infection rate is at an all-time low. Daily new cases are steadily decreasing. Thanks to this improving situation, we are in a slow but steady process of returning to a new normal. One of the measures that will come to an end soon is the mandatory work from home requirements for all workers who can do it without impacting their work. I’ve been working from home since March 13th of 2020. What could this improving situation mean for my work life?

I’ve been enjoying working from home most of the time. Before the pandemic, I used to stay home once a week on Fridays to better concentrate on my work and finish important tasks before the weekend. I must admit that It was an occasion for me to take a break off those damn open space offices. The new normal dictates that I’ll spend at most one day a week at the office when it's all over. On that day, it will be about socializing more than anything else.

The general sentiment among my co-workers is that work will never be the same. I’m not aware of the new work policies from my employer yet. They are working on it. I don’t expect them to ask their employees to return to the office full time, quite the opposite actually. They will downsize their offices eventually. That’s the new normal—it quite a contrast with Apple's policies recently communicated by Tim Cook to all employees.

This new normal is a game-changer for me. I would rather quit and find a new job if I had to return commuting every day to work in an open-space office. I still have a decade of work in front of me. I’m done with the old way.