I just read “Remote: Office Not Required (2013)” and I’d recommend it for anyone who is having these talks at work. It’s a quick read and I found my copy at the library. We have to advocate for your interests. I will take an in person meeting over a video call any day of the week, but that in no way means that you can’t get the same work done virtually as you can in person and it is significantly less pleasant spending life in an office than having to do a video call zero or more times a day.

It is clear that remote work works just fine. I think the problem runs deeper than productivity or social needs and is more about some unknown insecurities and values that workers and managers have about work. Traditionally work is something that happens above all else. We orchestrate our lives around work. Remote work changes this and that’s a huge deal. IMO that’s why it’s hard to debate this topic using facts around productivity or mental health or even company success, because it’s a philosophical debate about how we live.