Emotional Investment in Remote Work

One perspective I would like to see discussed more in the remote vs. in-person work debate:

Emotional investment in work

Before everything went crazy with COVID-19, my family accepted that I work in-person at the full time, every day of the weekday.

After adjusting to remote work with my family, my family cannot fathom that I work in-person for any regular period.

What happened??

I am guessing the emotional investment my family and I have in the benefits of remote work over in-person work.

Working in-person full time, I barely saw my family. My child knew me as the person that’s around on the weekend. My partner had to do everything on her own while I worked.

Working remotely, I see my family all the time. My child knows me as his “Daddy” every day of the week. My partner asks me what I want to have for lunch when we eat together.

Imagine losing all of this after the family’s emotional investment into remote work?

Families would be mad as hell (and that’s exactly what’s going on now.)

Personally, I did not see much of my father growing up. As a father now, if I have the opportunity to be with my child more than just the weekend, I would take it in a heartbeat.

Remote work creates an emotional investment that is hard to overcome with in-person work.