Diary of an Office Worker (aged 44 3/4), June 2023
This post consists of two diary entries of a fictional office worker for a random week in June 2023 - i.e. when we’re well and truly into the ‘new normal’. One is based on what we all think is going to happen post-Covid, while the second is based on what is actually going to happen in reality…
Based on What we think is going to happen:
Monday 12th June 2023:
Nice relaxing day working in my home office. A few Zoom meetings with colleagues.
Tuesday 13th June 2023:
One of my two days in the office, so caught up with the team.
Wednesday 14th June 2023:
Back in the home office today. Love seeing so much of the kids!
Thursday 15th June 2023:
Second of my days in the company office this week. Great the way everything I need to do face-to-face could be coordinated and scheduled into these two days. System works really well!
Friday 16th June 2023:
Had a nice coffee with one of my neighbours in my lunch hour. Feel so much more connected with my local community now we all work from home so much of the week.
Based on what is actually going to happen:
Monday 12th June 2023:
Was meant to be at home today but it’s the marketing department awayday and they asked if I could go in. Didn’t want to be the only one who said no, but didn’t mind too much. It’s only one day.
Tuesday 13th June 2023:
Bit of a stressful day at work today. Nigel, who uses my desk on Mondays, showed up as he’d been called in unexpectedly and we had a fight over the desk! Crazy guy - he knows it’s mine on a Tuesday!
Wednesday 14th June 2023:
Had to go into the office again today. It was the big procurement decision meeting on the project. Obviously they said I could Zoom in, but it’s the Procurement Department’s day in the office, so they would all be there in person. If I wasn’t there, they’d have totally shafted me in the margins. You know what those Procurement bastards are like! On well, it was just this once and I only needed to be in for a couple of hours, so was still able to pick the kids up.
Thursday 15th June 2023:
Second of my official office days this week. Bit of a row with my other half as we both need to go into the office tomorrow so who the hell’s gonna pick the kids up?
Friday 16th June 2023:
Had to cancel planned coffee with neighbour as my boss rearranged our in-person 121 from yesterday. It was scheduled for my office day but he had to see the Finance Director unexpectedly. He said that he was sure I wouldn’t mind an extra trip into the office “just this once”. Really stressful finding somewhere to work while waiting for the boss. There was a rumour Nigel wouldn’t need desk 7 but Leila had nicked it by the time I got there. Then I heard that desk 83 on the 4th floor was free but it was taken by the time I got there. Couldn’t afford more Costas (spent a fortune in Costa last week on days I was meant to be at home - can’t keep doing that!) but was finally able to find a perch in the kitchen.
Do you know, I’ve hardly seen my home office this year! Almost wishing I hadn’t spent all that money on it - especially as the company didn’t contribute and the reverse tax breaks (designed by the Government to save Pret) made it so bloody expensive.
Oh well, not to worry - next week will all go according to plan!
Obviously, I have no idea what’s going to happen, any more than you do.
I think we can be pretty confident there will be a big move towards more home working: Finance Directors will see to that for one thing, and lots of parents want it. So that’s in the bag.
But whether that translates into significantly less travel into city centres: I think the jury is more out than we think.
We will almost certainly see a lot more flexible working but that might actually just be people moving from peak to off-peak (which is a good thing!).
If I was still leading the commercial department of a train company, I’d probably be trying to think up a ticket product to suit someone who thinks they’re going to do 100 trips into town but is actually going to do 250!
