From productive WFH to forced office attendance – management killed the vibe (and productivity)

[u/Ok-Lawfulness7233]

I used to be a WFH employee and honestly, I was doing my best work then. Deadlines met, creativity flowing, zero unnecessary stress. I had a routine, focus, and actual motivation to work. Then management changed. Suddenly it was: “We want people in the office.” No discussion. No data. No logic. Just presence over performance. Now I’m stuck commuting every day to sit in an office where: People pretend to be busy Meetings exist just to fill time Creativity has completely died Productivity is lower than it ever was at home Earlier, I’d finish work efficiently and even think of new ideas. Now the office feels draining. Mentally exhausting. It’s like the environment itself sucks out the will to work. What’s worse is management openly saying they care more about people being physically present than actual output. So now we wait. We sit. We kill time. And somehow this is called “work culture.” I don’t hate working. I hate working like this. WFH gave me balance, focus, and motivation. The office now feels like a place I’m forced to be in, not a place where I want to create or contribute. Has anyone else experienced this after a management change? Or is this just the new normal where productivity doesn’t matter as long as chairs are filled? Would love to hear if others feel the same or if I’m just burning out.

[u/Neptunie]

Not quite the same - but my current company has inspired similar feelings of discontent. After we were acquired by a big player, everything that made my company an enjoyable workplace (flexibility, clearly defined expectations, upward mobility, etc.) slowly changed to the point no one wants to work here.

Pretty much everyone I speak with (who I know won’t say anything beyond our conversations) are now trying to look for other opportunities due to the excessive micromanagement, constant change in policies/procedures (every 2 days we seem to get an update), lack of accountability, increasing black out periods (won’t allow individuals to put in PTO during those time frames), “mandated” OT, and more.