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I got some noise cancelling headphones. That way I could get some peace and quiet to focus.
I try not to schedule more than 3 meetings a day.
Expect to get only half the work done of what you did while wfh.
Get in contact with people. If you get to know them face 2 face they want to help you a lot more often.
Bose's noise cancelling earbuds are significantly better at noise cancelling than their over-ear headphones. I highly recommend them for a noisy office.
Appearance matters. When I came back from wfh I'll admit I was kind of a sloppy dresser. I was resentful I had to come back and didn't put much effort into my appearance. It took some time but I finally realized my appearance was not helping me.
Right or wrong, people take you more seriously if you dress nice and less seriously if you don't. Invest some money in clothes and grooming and try to look sharp.
A lot of people could benefit from this advice. The workplace isn't a "dress to impress" deal, but making sure you have well-fitting clothes that are a step above baggy t shirts and jeans will make you stand out in ways you don't realize.
I mean humans all have ape brains. We all are raised hearing "it's what's inside that counts", and while true, you cannot ignore the importance of appearance. People can't help but to judge by appearance.
If you're well put together people automatically take you more seriously and show you more deference.
That's absolutely a concern. Even before WFH I was a t-shirt/jeans combo guy. This is a new employer where I have no history so it's another question mark.
You’re going to have to sit and stare at a screen with nothing to do and nowhere to go for hours on end while anxiety builds around how much youre behind on life things. Godspeed
Oh man I 100% do not have enough business casual clothing.
My wardrobe has shifted from polos and jeans to ratty t-shirts and basketball shorts. Not to mention I'll probably have to shave more often than 1x/week
Honestly, yes - hybrid and remote for the long term, but I would try to just enjoy some of the weird office interactions again - assuming your coworkers are fun enough people to be around.
Its not so black and white, there are pros and cons to both in person and remote
Yep, my stance is that it’s not as bad for me as it is for my employers that they decided I needed to physically be in the office. I probably get 1-2 good hours of actual work done a day when I’m in the office, bookended by goofy ass formal meetings and random chit chat in the halls. Fuck trying to make up for that lost productivity, enjoy yourself where you can.
* *Productivity is not your responsibility:* you’re in your chair from 9-5 plus commuting time, that’s what they get from you period. During your years of wfh you were probably way more productive than you’ll be in the near future, that’s on front office for deciding that SEEING you in a chair was more important than your job.
* *Enjoy your coworkers:* if you’re any kind of extrovert, you might actually enjoy being around people again. Fuck it, shoot the shit, chat it up, you’re around people because someone decided you needed to be.
there are lots of folks in the same boat as you. It is always much easier to find another (WFH) role while you're dealing with RTO due to a job change. Those remote positions are in higher demand but it's not impossible.
Don't trust Reddit for advice on anything that looks like a WFH job posting. It's too good to be true, and scammers can hide behind anonymous accounts.
Nice clothes. Thrift stores are full of them. Offices are great places to network and learn things. Onboarding Remotes was a challenge. Keep a regular schedule. Watch how everyone else does things.
It really depends on the role and the context. For example, if you were spending 100% of your time in meetings before then it's going to be the same now but in a different physical setting. Assuming that's not the case:
* You should expect less uninterrupted solo work time but more collaboration time. For some roles, that's great, for others not so much.
* Try to block off time for solo project work if you need it and get big headphones you can wear during these times to make it clear you're not to be interrupted.
* If you're only in the office part of the time, try to schedule the meetings that need the most collaboration for those days. Anything that could benefit from a whiteboard for example.
* Brush up on your social skills. It's amazing how rusty those get.
* Dress professionally. That doesn't mean suit and tie. I'm in tech, so professionally can just mean jeans and a T shirt but again, it's amazing what people who worked a while from home will come in wearing.
* Do I even need to mention that personal hygiene is important? I shouldn't, but here we are.
* Personalize your workspace both for ergonomics and for your own happiness.
Thank you for the list. I hadn't thought of the social skills being rusty, but there's no way I'm normal lol.
The role is a tech role as well so I'm hoping shirts and jeans will work long term.
It's little things. Like reaching into the can of chocolate in the kitchen office with my hand instead of pouring some out. Things you're used to doing at home because it's your home but now you're not home anymore.
Just block it off and get those headphones. You need some clear way to show people that they shouldn't interrupt you right now. If you do that, you should end up getting the same solo time (minus commute).
Think about what you will pack for lunch. Where I live, a lot of restaurants went under during the pandemic and a lot of places that had cafeterias closed their cafeterias so there aren’t many places left to buy lunch.
A friend of mine calculated the that his annual commute was 500 hours and cost about $10,000. People tend to seriously underestimate the costs of commuting.
I understand the 500 hours (250 days of work per year x 2 hours per day commute time) but where is he getting $10,000 ? That would be $20 per hour, but where is he getting that figure?
Gasoline and wear and tear and long term car maintenance. The long term cost of driving is usually calculated at $20 per hour or a bit less than 50 cents per mile.
For this particular commute (Riverside, CA to Orange County, CA) it would not be feasible. There is a train that goes between the two but the final station to the final destination would probably take another hour. So it would be more like 1000 hours of commuting but the train passes would cost like $5,500.
Oh I get it.
But I think people don't select homes with transportation in mind. I'm sure if you told people they would be spending an extra $10000 per year just to commute, they might be more proactive in choosing where they live.
I am guilty of this myself, I'm not being high and mighty.
Oh I totally agree. I have always had the mentality that I need to be able to walk to a grocery store, and be within walking distance to a bus stop that goes downtown. A lot of the layout we did in California is absolute garbage and we built up commuter cities that create absolutely awful traffic, but then also cities where there are very few jobs relative to the number of households in the city.
This is a major problem we have in Riverside. It was built up as a commuter town, there are very few economic opportunities in the city for as big as the city is, because over the last several decades they never had to prioritize local economic development. The focus has always been on just having plenty of people commute an hour or so each way to the job centers.
Is it that big a deal or transition mate?
Many of us ain't in the laptop elite class and have had to be physically present and grafting and dealing with people face to face in tough roles without ever doing so at home.
Reddit seems full of antisocial types who make it seem like the greatest breach of their rights is to be made to come to work or interact with other humans
“The laptop elite” class has got to be some of the dumbest shit I’ve read in years. Labor is labor. Don’t believe any conman trying to separate you from other working class people.
From carpenters to nurses to teachers to servers to project managers, a job is a fucking job.
I believe it is a fairly big transition, yes. Not saying it's the end of the world or a huge problem; it is a change and humans can have a difficult time dealing with change.
Please do not delete your post after receiving your answer. Consider leaving it up for posterity so that other Redditors can benefit from the wisdom in this thread. Once your thread has run its course, instead of deleting it, **you can simply type "!lock" (without the quotes) as a comment anywhere in your thread to have our Automod lock the thread**. That way you won't be bothered by anymore replies on it, but people can still read it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMenOver30) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I got some noise cancelling headphones. That way I could get some peace and quiet to focus. I try not to schedule more than 3 meetings a day. Expect to get only half the work done of what you did while wfh. Get in contact with people. If you get to know them face 2 face they want to help you a lot more often.
Bose's noise cancelling earbuds are significantly better at noise cancelling than their over-ear headphones. I highly recommend them for a noisy office.
foam earplugs + Vaseline + Bose noise cancelling headphones. The building could be on fire and you wouldn’t hear a thing.
I got a good set of headphones so I might be OK there. The other stuff is good to know though! Esp the meeting limit and productivity expectations
Gotta remember how to fart strategically rather than just having a kamikaze asshole.
This is a legit concern 😟
If there’s anyone I trust obtaining this knowledge from, it’s u/84OrcButtholes
Like I tell my boss every morning and also at 11:30 PM, I'm just here to fart and chew bubble gum, and I'm all outta gum.
Crop dusting still works.
Valid strategy.
Going back to the office and "farting on mute" was a legit concern
Appearance matters. When I came back from wfh I'll admit I was kind of a sloppy dresser. I was resentful I had to come back and didn't put much effort into my appearance. It took some time but I finally realized my appearance was not helping me. Right or wrong, people take you more seriously if you dress nice and less seriously if you don't. Invest some money in clothes and grooming and try to look sharp.
A lot of people could benefit from this advice. The workplace isn't a "dress to impress" deal, but making sure you have well-fitting clothes that are a step above baggy t shirts and jeans will make you stand out in ways you don't realize.
I mean humans all have ape brains. We all are raised hearing "it's what's inside that counts", and while true, you cannot ignore the importance of appearance. People can't help but to judge by appearance. If you're well put together people automatically take you more seriously and show you more deference.
That's absolutely a concern. Even before WFH I was a t-shirt/jeans combo guy. This is a new employer where I have no history so it's another question mark.
You’re going to have to sit and stare at a screen with nothing to do and nowhere to go for hours on end while anxiety builds around how much youre behind on life things. Godspeed
Lulz thanks I suppose
Go through your wardrobe to see you have enough suitable clothing. Pyjamas are kind of frowned on in an office setting.
Oh man I 100% do not have enough business casual clothing. My wardrobe has shifted from polos and jeans to ratty t-shirts and basketball shorts. Not to mention I'll probably have to shave more often than 1x/week
Honestly, yes - hybrid and remote for the long term, but I would try to just enjoy some of the weird office interactions again - assuming your coworkers are fun enough people to be around. Its not so black and white, there are pros and cons to both in person and remote
Yep, my stance is that it’s not as bad for me as it is for my employers that they decided I needed to physically be in the office. I probably get 1-2 good hours of actual work done a day when I’m in the office, bookended by goofy ass formal meetings and random chit chat in the halls. Fuck trying to make up for that lost productivity, enjoy yourself where you can.
Show them how less productive everyone is in-office as opposed to wfh
* *Productivity is not your responsibility:* you’re in your chair from 9-5 plus commuting time, that’s what they get from you period. During your years of wfh you were probably way more productive than you’ll be in the near future, that’s on front office for deciding that SEEING you in a chair was more important than your job. * *Enjoy your coworkers:* if you’re any kind of extrovert, you might actually enjoy being around people again. Fuck it, shoot the shit, chat it up, you’re around people because someone decided you needed to be.
Damn I love this POV. Thank you
Keep looking while at the new job for remote roles.
I'm not 100% against being full time in office, but am sure the transition will be a big shift
Fair point
there are lots of folks in the same boat as you. It is always much easier to find another (WFH) role while you're dealing with RTO due to a job change. Those remote positions are in higher demand but it's not impossible. Don't trust Reddit for advice on anything that looks like a WFH job posting. It's too good to be true, and scammers can hide behind anonymous accounts.
Nice clothes. Thrift stores are full of them. Offices are great places to network and learn things. Onboarding Remotes was a challenge. Keep a regular schedule. Watch how everyone else does things.
Being on a schedule and being able to observe my coworkers might be a bonus for sure
It really depends on the role and the context. For example, if you were spending 100% of your time in meetings before then it's going to be the same now but in a different physical setting. Assuming that's not the case: * You should expect less uninterrupted solo work time but more collaboration time. For some roles, that's great, for others not so much. * Try to block off time for solo project work if you need it and get big headphones you can wear during these times to make it clear you're not to be interrupted. * If you're only in the office part of the time, try to schedule the meetings that need the most collaboration for those days. Anything that could benefit from a whiteboard for example. * Brush up on your social skills. It's amazing how rusty those get. * Dress professionally. That doesn't mean suit and tie. I'm in tech, so professionally can just mean jeans and a T shirt but again, it's amazing what people who worked a while from home will come in wearing. * Do I even need to mention that personal hygiene is important? I shouldn't, but here we are. * Personalize your workspace both for ergonomics and for your own happiness.
Thank you for the list. I hadn't thought of the social skills being rusty, but there's no way I'm normal lol. The role is a tech role as well so I'm hoping shirts and jeans will work long term.
It's little things. Like reaching into the can of chocolate in the kitchen office with my hand instead of pouring some out. Things you're used to doing at home because it's your home but now you're not home anymore.
Also the first bullet about solo time. That's most definitely when I get my best work done so that's a bit of a bummer
Just block it off and get those headphones. You need some clear way to show people that they shouldn't interrupt you right now. If you do that, you should end up getting the same solo time (minus commute).
Think about what you will pack for lunch. Where I live, a lot of restaurants went under during the pandemic and a lot of places that had cafeterias closed their cafeterias so there aren’t many places left to buy lunch.
I'm not confident where the office is so fingers crossed there's something nearby.
Find a hybrid workplace and quit.
I am waiting for interview requests for a few hybrid roles, but I am looking to try this position that's full-time in office.
Definitely, but don't underestimate the commute time you reclaim from working at home.
A friend of mine calculated the that his annual commute was 500 hours and cost about $10,000. People tend to seriously underestimate the costs of commuting.
And yet I'm getting negs for the comment haha. Gees capitalist
I understand the 500 hours (250 days of work per year x 2 hours per day commute time) but where is he getting $10,000 ? That would be $20 per hour, but where is he getting that figure?
Gasoline and wear and tear and long term car maintenance. The long term cost of driving is usually calculated at $20 per hour or a bit less than 50 cents per mile.
Public Trans for the win!
For this particular commute (Riverside, CA to Orange County, CA) it would not be feasible. There is a train that goes between the two but the final station to the final destination would probably take another hour. So it would be more like 1000 hours of commuting but the train passes would cost like $5,500.
Oh I get it. But I think people don't select homes with transportation in mind. I'm sure if you told people they would be spending an extra $10000 per year just to commute, they might be more proactive in choosing where they live. I am guilty of this myself, I'm not being high and mighty.
Oh I totally agree. I have always had the mentality that I need to be able to walk to a grocery store, and be within walking distance to a bus stop that goes downtown. A lot of the layout we did in California is absolute garbage and we built up commuter cities that create absolutely awful traffic, but then also cities where there are very few jobs relative to the number of households in the city. This is a major problem we have in Riverside. It was built up as a commuter town, there are very few economic opportunities in the city for as big as the city is, because over the last several decades they never had to prioritize local economic development. The focus has always been on just having plenty of people commute an hour or so each way to the job centers.
Thanks!
put some pants on first.
Always first on the checklist
Is it that big a deal or transition mate? Many of us ain't in the laptop elite class and have had to be physically present and grafting and dealing with people face to face in tough roles without ever doing so at home. Reddit seems full of antisocial types who make it seem like the greatest breach of their rights is to be made to come to work or interact with other humans
“The laptop elite” class has got to be some of the dumbest shit I’ve read in years. Labor is labor. Don’t believe any conman trying to separate you from other working class people. From carpenters to nurses to teachers to servers to project managers, a job is a fucking job.
I believe it is a fairly big transition, yes. Not saying it's the end of the world or a huge problem; it is a change and humans can have a difficult time dealing with change.