The Great Debate of 2021: WFH or RTO?

You might be someone who has spent a majority of the past year working from home. A survey from October 2020 found 71 percent of American workers turned their apartments into office spaces. But starting this fall, companies are opening up their offices again. The C.E.O. of Morgan Stanley made it clear that its employees have to be back by September. Amazon is hoping for the same. But is returning to in-office work the right move for everyone? Over the next three weeks, we’re going to be focusing on what work could and should look like as we begin to emerge from the pandemic. This week, Jane Coaston is joined by Sean Bisceglia, the C.E.O. of Curion, a consumer insights company, and Anne Helen Petersen, the writer of the newsletter “Culture Study” and the author of “Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation,” to debate the pros and cons of returning to the office. Mentioned in this episode: Sean Bisceglia’s interview with CNN: “Why Some Companies Want Everyone Back in the Office” “Imagine Your Flexible Office Work Future,” by Anne Helen Petersen The Slate podcast episode of “What Next: TBD”: So, What Happens to WFH Now?