The social and economic costs borne by young people without offices
<i>This article appears in the October 2020 print edition with the headline “A Cubicle Never Looked So Good.”</i><p>To be honest, I&#x27;ve never really had a cubicle.  Usually just a desk in a bullpin type arrangement.  No privacy.  Distractions galore.  The sound of co-workers flushing the toilets in the restrooms nearby.  Nothing to reflect fondly upon in my opinion.<p><i>If I had wanted or needed a new job, completely changing careers would probably have been easier than getting another gig in my field with the experience I’d accrued at home.</i><p>No doubt my experience is different doing technical work, but I have never relied on my co-workers to line up my next position.  I flip the switch on linkedin to let recruiters know I&#x27;m looking and call or email the recruiters I have worked with in the past.  Sometimes an employer might ask for a reference.  I suppose I do have a short list of those.<p><i>“Outside of immediate family, people’s co-workers become their most consistent opportunity for social interaction,” Peditto told me. “What happens when you lose that is one of my greater concerns.”</i><p>My social interactions really do revolve around my family and long time friends.  It&#x27;s not a large group, but I&#x27;m not a social butterfly either.  I have a hard enough time keeping up with those social interactions.  Who knows, maybe I was born for remote work.<p>Overall this feels like yet another hit piece against remote work with a lot of anecdotes and not much else.  Here I am arguing against it with my own anecdotes.  I really don&#x27;t understand why these keep cropping up.  Are commercial real-estate conglomerates paying for these?<p>Personally, I am happier than I have ever been working remotely.  I don&#x27;t struggle to keep a routine or maintain separation between my work life and my home life.  I don&#x27;t feel starved for social interaction either.  I would hate to see the sentiments these articles convey ruin something that has been very positive for myself and my partner (and my dog).