Love, Productivity, and Cave Syndrome: The Return to Workplaces
The slow ending of Covid isolation continues. Several years after the big shutdown, one big consequence is a return to the workplace.
By this point, 80% of US workers go to the office every day. The work culture shift comes with pushback as companies such as AT&T, Bank of America, and Google have started requiring in-person attendance at the office.
People with Cave Syndrome are having a particularly hard time going back. Cave syndrome is an unofficial term for a Covid-centric form of agoraphobia which has for years now kept a substantial number of people cloistered in at home. Whether due to a general preference for working at home or a real fear of germs, the unofficial syndrome is even causing some to sacrifice their job.
One way to keep workers happy and keep business productive may be negotiation of a hybrid schedule: some number of days required at the office with the rest done from home.
However some jobs gain real benefit from workers in-office. Corporate brainstorming, creative collaborations, fast paced service industry jobs - these will no doubt benefit from some degree of regular meeting. Industry by industry, new rules are implemented attempting a return to normalcy.
There are certainly good things about the office/workplace.Humans are social animals. There could be psycho-social benefits to working alongside peers. When we work in a designated space separate from our residence we tend to go into a “work mode” that drives self discipline. Tasks and duties take on more urgency and we have more control over what happens in real time.
An obvious benefit to in-person work is better communication. Instead of waiting for a text, a call back - in some instances from someone in another time zone - at the office we can speak directly and handle problems much faster.
Sometimes people need a little extra motivation. Indeed, there’s another element that may entice some back to the office. Whether seen as a pro or con, workplace romances have begun to flourish again. A study found ? of office workers claimed to be involved in office romance at some point. A large amount of these were between a boss and subordinate which may be problematic - of course the rules for each company are different. Tricky situations can be avoided by following company policies and using common sense.
Care should be taken especially in the case of break-ups. Break-ups can be a real test of one’s ability to stay professional in the face of awkward feelings or bruised egos at work.
People with Cave Syndrome may have less opportunities to meet others, so they return to a workplace seen as fertile grounds for romance.
Return to the office is being pursued by companies for good reason, but challenges to sufferers of Cave Syndrome or those simply accustomed to working from home are inciting an uphill battle. Even if better productivity, socialization, mental health, and a love life are some of the upsides.
For more discussion please go check out our podcast The Breakdown with Dr. B available on your favorite streaming platforms! We sat down with special guest, journalist James McClure, to speak about related topics including benefits and pitfalls or returning to work, the involvement of Cave Syndrome, and finding love in the workplace.
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