, Columnist
What I Got Wrong About Remote Work
Working from home offers more flexibility, which should make it easier to see our friends. That largely hasn’t happened.
Remote workers aren’t replacing commuting time with socializing.
Photographer: Marcus Chung /Getty Images
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The end of one year and the start of another is always a good time to admit one’s mistakes. And I got something wrong — really wrong — about remote work.
In 2020, when offices shuttered and many knowledge workers began routinely clocking in from home, many skeptics decried the arrangement’s loneliness and isolation. This, I argued, was shortsighted — because although remote workers might be alone much of the day, it’s perfectly possible (in normal, non-pandemic times) to have a social life outside of work.