I think I know how to get people back in the office. Put a bank of washers and dryers in the conference rooms.
Hear me out. I have been working remotely for nearly a year. While I sometimes miss being in an office and the camaraderie it fosters, working at home does have its advantages. First off, no commute. This saves loads of time and wear and tear on you. You can usually sleep a little later and are better rested for the work day. You save money on lunches. You are generally eating at home so there’s no temptation to grab something quickly from a restaurant. You can save on clothes. If you want to, you can repeat what you wear. There’s no one there to see what you are wearing, the only exception being a zoom meeting and people don’t have the inclination to scrutinize what you are wearing.
This brings me back to the washers and dryers. When you are working outside the home, most everything is crammed into the two precious days of the fleeting weekend: Errands, activities and chores. One of them being laundry. I can’t begin to tell you just how satisfying it is to throw in a load at lunch. It is so nice to know you can get a little ahead in the chore department during the week. I do realize that it might be cumbersome for workers to lug their laundry with them, but just think of the delight of having clean laundry…
I’m Rosie Klepper and that’s my perspective.
