Once workers got a taste of the work-from-home lifestyle at the start of the pandemic, it was clear that a seismic shift was about to take place in American work culture. According to a recent poll from McKinsey, 58% of polled Americans now report having the opportunity to work remotely at least one day a week. This is up from 2018, when the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that only “23.7% of the U.S. population worked at home for at least some hours.”
This is leading some like TikToker Reba (@reliablereba) to proclaim that the days of working fully in an office are over.
In a TikTok with over 911,000 views, Reba proclaims the many benefits of working from home, adding in the caption that she’s “never going into an office again.”
“Welcome to the relaxed work from home gang,” she wrote in the text overlaying the video. “We just do our jobs, mind our own business, keep our cameras off & log out by 4pm.”
“& that’s on never going into an office again,” she added in the caption.
@reliablereba & that’s on never going into an office again #workfromhome #remotework #9to5 #millennial #corporatelife #corporatehumor #MyFallStarbucksOrder ♬ original sound – Donna Rosalene Dixon
In the comment section, many workers agreed with Reba’s assessment of work-from-home’s many benefits.
“It’s so peaceful working from home in my PJs,” wrote one user.
“I work 630 until 3 and I love it,” added another.
“Camera off is KEY,” noted a third.
“Honestly remote work is the best thing to come out of Covid,” stated a fourth.
However, some said that their employers still haven’t gotten the message.
“My office is bringing us back into the office full-time after being fully remote,” shared a commenter. “I’m desperately searching for a new job.”
“Mine is trying to bring us back to the office 40% of our time,” claimed a second. “Needless to say im looking for a new job.”
In contrast, some admitted they missed the camaraderie of an office environment.
“I love going into the office; the camaraderie and moral support and being around human beings,” confessed a user. “We are already losing connections enough.”
“I do all of that in my cubical. Plus talk to my friends,” contributed a further TikToker.
In response to comments like these, Reba noted that everybody’s working style is different.
“That’s awesome if that works for you,” she explained, adding in another comment, “I miss in person work connections! But I have so much free time now I just see my friends more… #balance.”
Update 10:31am CT, Oct. 24: In a TikTok DM exchange with Daily Dot, Reba explained why she’s so pro-work-from-home.
“I think working from home is valuable for my personal and mental health, especially as a parent,” Reba details. “I have more time flexibility now than ever to care for my child when he is home sick, I don’t need to schedule days off to attend appointments because I can make up the time later, and my home doesn’t feel as chaotic because I’m able to slowly tend to chores throughout the week. There are so many other benefits to my mental health including the flexibility to incorporate regular exercise into my routine, being able to set my own schedule and work from the comfort of my sweatpants if I wish to do so.”
She also says she has no hate for those who enjoy working in an office.
“To those who still enjoy an office environment — that’s fantastic if you thrive under that environment, some even prefer hybrid which is also a great option! Some of the best years of my career were spent in an office building relationships at a technology company,” she shares. “My only advice is to make sure you achieve balance: and what I mean by this is don’t create a life around your work, work to create a life.”For those attempting to pivot away from the office, Reba has some advice.”
To those trying to leave an office environment, invest in your skills and online profiles – especially LinkedIn,” she states. “Today, recruiters use LinkedIn as a primary tool to source talent and it’s an incredible way to get found for remote roles. Go into detail about what inspires you, show examples of your work, ask for recommendations from colleagues or managers to beef up the the trust factor. There’s also the ability to let recruiters know you are open to work on your profile. When I did this exact thing I received hundreds of messages from recruiters with remote opportunities.”
