Returning to the office (only briefly)

After a long hot summer and the pandemic winding down a little, the client I am working for is asking people to gradually return to the office 40% of the time following the government guideline. As for me, the journey started two weeks ago.

It was refreshing with a back-to-school vibe when I first got into the office, of course with a lot of new changes and measures in place, like marks and signs on the floor, to keep people socially distanced, as well as sanitisers dotted everywhere in the office. And I was really excited about the fact that I can now have a nice cup of coffee.

Getting into the office area, there's a one-way system so that people don't walk into each other, which does happen often back in the olden days. Despite it being a bit annoying, people do following the rules, at least in the beginning.


When I got to the workspace where my team usually sits, it's refreshing to see everyone smiling again, and there's definitely a back-to-school vibe that everyone is very excited to each other, knowing our colleagues are still alive and well. Even though we do see each other on a daily basis virtually, it still feels different when we can come into such close contact with another in a familiar yet somehow strange environment. Perhaps it's a sign of life going to normal that everyone's longing for. But after spending a whole day in the office, it's hard to deny life just isn't the same anymore.

Social distancing in the office

There are physical implementations to keeping a socially distanced manner, such as every other desk is unavailable to keep people apart, some meetings rooms are not open, and the canteen tables are so spaced out that almost the whole chamber is empty.



But it doesn't stop there, the work station setup means pairing and sharing the paring station is impossible. Therefore, we have to go back to the new fashion remote working paradigm, despite the fact that we might be sitting two meters away from each other. I have to admit that feels pretty wired.


If pairing is wired, then meetings have really gone from wired to awkward. Implementing this remote-first approach isn't a problem, but having some people in the office sitting in close proximity and some working from home means there's a constant echo going on, on top of the usual background noise working in an open-plan office environment.

Just to add to the awkwardness, there's a physical Kanban board in front of us, but we are not allowed to use it, so is the same for use of the whiteboard. All that really demises the point of being in the office in person, because what we like is not just the timely manner of conversation between people, but also the whiteboard sessions and being able to draw and point at things and people can then see and understand.

I think we might just have to accept it's not all gone hokie dory, but being able to see each other again, have that face-to-face contact, and even have lunch and after-work drink together under the sun is already well worth the trip to the office.

I understand some people might think I am exaggerating, but given the latest announcement "people should work from home if they can" from the government, and life seems to be taking another dramatic turn from bad to worse, I would like to share this one last photo to remind us of the good old days, and keep us warm in the approaching cold winter days. 

See you on the other side!




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