The February edition of Holiday Heat comes out this Thursday, the 15th. Pre-order it now!

I’ve bemoaned countless times since last summer that my company made me come back into the office three days a week. Well, after dozens and dozens of attempts to get through to our boss’s boss, who hates telecommuting and doesn’t think anyone should get to do it, our CFO (who is the executive head of my department, if you go high enough) has decided that his entire organization only has to come in twice a week.

Halle-FUCKING-lujah.

Do you know how much less stress I feel on Sundays now? I don’t have to worry about waking up super-early Monday morning to schlep into the office, and that’s one less day of doggy daycare I have to pay for each week. Plus, I can get my blogging done on Mondays so that I can (hopefully) write on Thursdays and Fridays. And my dog will be happier because I’ll be less exhausted and more able to walk her on the days I don’t have to go in.

It’s amazing just how much better things can be when one small change is made.

And I don’t even have it the worst — my boss has a 90-minute commute without traffic, and several members of our team are at an hour or more, again without traffic. Now that they don’t have to come in three times per week they’re probably just as relieved as I am. Of course, I know some of them will come in more than twice a week anyway because they like to be in the office, but now that we have hoteling spaces that are completely devoid of any personalization or comfort there’s nothing to make us feel like we’re in a pleasant place to work. My office (oh, and I think I’ve said this before, but my office was taken away and now I’m back in a cubicle) had things on the walls, action figures on the shelves, and the ability to dim the fluorescent lights to a manageable level. My cube has none of those things — I have to bring in my backpack every day, plus another bag with food, a sweater, medications, and my seat cushion, plus a water cup (I used to keep a reusable cup at my desk and swap it out every week or so). I feel like a pack mule sometimes.

COVID fundamentally changed the way people work. Executives didn’t like that — they didn’t like not being able to see work being done — and corporate drones fought against them. Finally we have a win, at least at my company. It’ll make me more apt to put my job search on hold now that I feel more relaxed and happy. This is the best thing that could have been done, other than sending us home permanently and selling off the buildings.

I’ll take it.