People focusing on specifics about his particular workspace are very much missing the point. People calling him antisocial, as if he's somehow defective are very much missing the point.
Look, you might enjoy working in an office. That's fine, I don't think anybody's saying you're not allowed to return to an office. But for many people, probably most people, productivity is lower in an office, despite more time being spent "working." This has been demonstrated and reported on many, many, many times. To say that you don't care, you enjoy yourself more in an office is fine, but it doesn't mean an office is better for everyone, or even for you.
I have friends, I have family, I have activities in my neighborhood, and I would gladly never see any coworker in person ever again for the extra hour per day I can spend with my family and friends vs commuting. That doesn't make me anti-social any more than it does Mr Mercer. My office didn't suck, but I think the entire concept of a shared office kinda sucks. It's just so normalized that we don't realize how much it sucks until we step away for a year.
I mean, I was spending an hour a day to relocate to a place where I could be overall less productive for my company. Maybe some days I enjoyed myself more, sure, but that's an separate issue. If you want to spend time with coworkers, go ahead! Just don't pretend it's providing value for your company.
Look, you might enjoy working in an office. That's fine, I don't think anybody's saying you're not allowed to return to an office. But for many people, probably most people, productivity is lower in an office, despite more time being spent "working." This has been demonstrated and reported on many, many, many times. To say that you don't care, you enjoy yourself more in an office is fine, but it doesn't mean an office is better for everyone, or even for you.
I have friends, I have family, I have activities in my neighborhood, and I would gladly never see any coworker in person ever again for the extra hour per day I can spend with my family and friends vs commuting. That doesn't make me anti-social any more than it does Mr Mercer. My office didn't suck, but I think the entire concept of a shared office kinda sucks. It's just so normalized that we don't realize how much it sucks until we step away for a year.
I mean, I was spending an hour a day to relocate to a place where I could be overall less productive for my company. Maybe some days I enjoyed myself more, sure, but that's an separate issue. If you want to spend time with coworkers, go ahead! Just don't pretend it's providing value for your company.