When I started working as a programmer, my days began with a ritual that felt entirely normal at the time: over an hour of inbound commuting into the city, and then another long outbound journey home. Time, energy, money — all drained in the process. It was the cost of doing business, or so I thought.
Then the pandemic hit, and everything changed. Practically overnight, that daily routine vanished. The entire company transitioned to remote work in just a few days. Luckily, we had already laid some of the groundwork — tools, systems, and workflows that supported remote access. All we had to do was scale up.
And it worked. Customers experienced very little disruption, and internally, we barely missed a beat.
Now, years later, we’re still working remotely. And — here’s the thing — it still works.
Not just for the company, but for me. Personally. Deeply. In ways I didn’t expect.
More Time, More Focus, Less Waste
The first and most obvious benefit? I got my time back. No more two-hour round trips, no more standing on packed trains or sitting in traffic. That reclaimed time went straight back into my life — and into my work.
I’m more productive now. I’m more focused. I’m in control of my time, my energy, my attention. Sure, life shows up — a doorbell, a neighbour, or an unexpected distraction — but the tradeoff is still massively in my favour. I’ve spent time building out a dedicated workspace at home, optimized for deep concentration and comfort. It’s not a makeshift setup at the kitchen table. It’s mine, and it’s built for what I do.
With that setup, and without the daily grind of commuting, I find I spend more time at my desk, more time on task, and the quality of that time is better. It's not just about more hours; it's about more effective hours. My brain arrives to work fresh instead of depleted.
The Return-to-Office Push: A Puzzle
Despite all of this, there’s a message echoing out there in the corporate world: return to the office. The tone ranges from gentle encouragement to stern mandates. But I keep asking myself — why?
Why bring people back into expensive office buildings? Why shoulder the cost of maintaining spaces built for humans — with their endless needs for coffee, heating, lighting, safety drills, and ergonomic chairs — when the alternative is already working?
If a company needs physical infrastructure, great. Build a tech hub. Keep your servers somewhere secure, your dev environments humming. Machines don’t need water coolers or office parties. But humans — we’ve figured out how to work remotely, and for many of us, it’s been a genuine upgrade.
The Uncomfortable Truths?
Maybe not everyone shares this experience. Maybe not every job translates well to remote work. Maybe some people don’t have a dedicated space at home, or they’re working at the kitchen counter while the family or flatmates buzz around. Maybe their productivity really has dropped.
And maybe, just maybe, some of the voices calling us back to the office are those for whom remote work didn’t feel good — or didn’t look productive from their side of the camera. Managers who are used to seeing bums on seats might feel unease when they can’t “see” work happening.
I get it. It’s hard to manage outcomes instead of hours. It’s hard to trust that people are working when you can’t walk by their desk. But is that really a reason to ignore all the gains?
What Does the Data Say?
I’d love to dive into studies on this — real data about productivity in remote vs. office environments. But I want more than just headline numbers. I want to know:
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What kind of work were people doing?
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Did they have a dedicated workspace at home?
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Were they experienced at remote work, or thrust into it overnight?
Because I believe my personal productivity boost comes not just from being home, but from investing in a space that lets me focus, and in habits that support remote productivity. Without that, maybe the experience would be different.
It’s Not One-Size-Fits-All
This isn’t a blanket statement that everyone should work remotely, or that every company should shut its offices. But it is a reminder that — for many of us — the shift to remote wasn’t a compromise. It was an evolution.
We cut out inefficiencies, reduced stress, and created more sustainable workdays. And that’s not nothing.
So, when I hear the call to return to the office, I pause. Not out of resistance, but out of honest curiosity: What are we returning for? Is it about culture? Control? Collaboration?
Because if it’s about productivity — well, for some of us, remote work already won that argument.
My Conclusion
Remote work isn’t perfect. But it’s real, and it’s working. At least for me — and I suspect for many others too.
Maybe it’s time to stop viewing remote work as a temporary measure or a compromise, and start treating it as what it has proven to be: a legitimate, powerful, and in many cases superior way to work.
Let’s be thoughtful. Let’s look at the data. Let’s listen to the wide variety of experiences out there.
But let’s not forget: commuting two hours a day wasn’t normal. It was just what we got used to.
