Why Return to the Office? Only If You Want to Spend Less Time with Your Family

Why Return to the Office? Only If You Want to Spend Less Time with Your Family.

My son is currently working on a social studies project where he has to debate Amazon's return-to-office policy. His task? Present the pros and cons from different perspectives.

So far, he's struggling to find a single "pro."

The irony of his assignment isn't lost on me. Especially since I just recently told my kids about what it was like when I worked at Amazon.

Did I solve cool problems and do meaningful work? Absolutely.

But here's the part I'm less proud of:

When I worked in the office, I'd get up early, catch the bus, spend a full day in meetings, then come home to my 2 and 4-year-old children.

You know how much time I got to spend with them? About 2 hours a day. Maybe.

That wasn't parenting. It was merely existing together.

Now, I asked my kids if they remembered this time. And they don't. They were too little.

But for the last 8 years, it's been different.

• I'm the one dropping them off and picking them up from school. I get to hear about what's actually happening in their life.
• I'm at the basketball games. I'm the obnoxiously loud mom yelling "defense!"
• I'm there for laser tag and musical sing-along birthdays.
• I haven't missed the little - but turn out to be BIG - milestones.

Recently, I saw someone comment that they don't understand why people don't want to return to the office.

Let me explain it for them: it's not because employees don't want to work.

It's because they've proven they can deliver results remotely - without being babysat.

It's because forcing people into a cubicle for optics is a waste of time, energy, and resources.

It's because commuting steals precious hours that could be spent pursuing health, happiness, and time with loved ones.

The bottom line? Returning to the office for the sake of returning doesn't benefit employees - it robs them.

For years, we've been told the goal of a career is to provide for your family. But if your job is stealing time away from that family, isn't something broken?

The pursuit of happiness, connection, and health is not negotiable.

I'll never go back to spending two hours with my kids while losing my own joy in the process.

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