Sian, back to office: 5 things we'll miss about WFH

Since April 5, working from home has officially been removed as the default working arrangement for employees in Singapore, with up to 75 per cent of staff allowed to return to their claustrophobic office cubicles. Cue inner-screaming from all work-from-homers.

As much as we sorely miss interacting with other colleagues in person, we can’t lie – there will be things we’ll miss about the work from home experience that most of us have enjoyed for the past year.

Yes, we all want to maintain our sanity after being cooped up in our homes 5 days a week – but we can’t say working from home was completely a bad thing!

For those who got caught in the crossfire and got summoned to return to the workplace, here’s a list we’ve prepared to reminisce about the “good ol’ days”.

We will miss... getting to enjoy more sleep

Did you know? Singapore is the third-most sleep-deprived country in the world. Which is a fancy way of saying, we reeeeally need to sleep more. Ai koon liao.

Thankfully, working from home afforded us that luxury. Dolling up takes time. Commuting to the office takes time. Working from home meant you we didn’t have to do both, which gave us plenty of extra time to catch a few more valuable Zs.

As a heavy sleeper who suffers from self-diagnosed sleep deprivation, I speak for my fellow sleep-needy individuals when I say - return us our sleep!

We will miss... not having to commute

I live in Pasir Ris and my office is in Aljunied, so I’d say I already have it better than some. But still, the commute to and from work not only destroys your schedule but also your soul!

Sitting or standing in a constant position, coupled with traffic and constant vehicular movement can irritate and mess with the psychology and physiology of the body.

Working from home helped to alleviate all these issues and afforded us more time and personal freedom. Stepping into the office every day already feels like we’ve walked a thousand miles (shoutout Vanessa Carlton).

We will miss... saving money

Dolla dolla bills, y’all. Let’s face it - working from home saved us plenty of money. Transport costs? Waived. Pressured to follow the office hive mind and eat overpriced cafe food for lunch? Now you’re free to eat cai png. Need to buy new office wear/dress shoes/perfume to look good in front of your boss?

Why bother when every day was a pyjama party in your house.

Disclaimer: We are not liable if you spent excessively on online shopping.

We will miss… not having to dress up

I don’t know about you, but my office wear gets soaked by the time I get to my workplace on a hot, sunny morning. Sweaty and sticky - not the best combination to start the day.

Working from home gave us the luxury of wearing whatever we found comfortable and cozy. Gone were the days of sweating through your shirt when you could wear something light with the breeze of your fan/air con blowing straight at you.

Such creature comforts certainly made our working experience better, boosting our morale and productivity.

Maybe someone should start a petition to change office dress codes permanently.

We will miss... freedom

Working from home meant that there were fewer boundaries or restrictions. Needed to squeeze in a quick home workout during lunchtime? We would simply go ahead. A delivery from Shopee coming in the middle of the day?

You were at home to receive it. Wanted to spend more time with your loved ones? You were ever closer to them. Done with your daily tasks early? You didn’t have to knock off at your stipulated time.

Working from home afforded us the time and flexibility to do more with our lives – that is something working in the office will never provide.

This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.