A lot of workplace culture died after Covid and never recovered. Yes, working from home is probably bad for you as a whole - but I’ve noticed in my own workplace that nobody uses the environment as a social launchpad anymore - which should be its biggest utility. I remember in pre Covid times there were at least moments of serendipitous fun. In this post Covid era rife with economic pessimism, I get the sense that people are generally afraid to take any sort of liberties in the workplace, even if it’s something as benign as taking a long lunch. Fridays used to have a good energy to them. Now I dread them. You can hear a pin drop in my office most Fridays. Small talk has been killed in the name of productivity. I know this isn’t all workplaces but I have a feeling I’m not alone here. If you’re lucky enough to work somewhere that hasn’t been managed-to-death, count your blessings. Otherwise I am forced conclude that working from home is the lesser evil, even if not by much.