After a year and a half of remote working, many are finding it difficult to adjust to returning to an office environment.
Remote working was great in terms of being able to live in sweatpants and not having to spoon strangers on packed trains during rush hour, but it has meant we’ve maybe gotten a little too comfortable in our introverted dens.
Belgian satirical current events show De Ideale Wereld captured this perfectly with a hilarious sketch showing children encouraging their parents as they return to their first day back at the office.
In the video, a young girl is leading her dad back to the door of his office.
“I don’t want to go,” he protests in a childish voice.
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His daughter tries to encourage him, saying “c’mon, you’ll see your friends again”, listing names while her father shakes his head. She then excitedly points out one of his other friends, Steve from accounting, who is also being led reluctantly to the office door by his child.
His boss, embodying big teacher energy, encourages him to come inside saying: “We’re going to have fun today. We’re going to draw spreadsheets, have meetings about quarterly results.” His boss then leads him back into the office by the hand and he begins to sob as his daughter leaves.
“Hey, she’ll be back later,” his boss soothes.
When pickup time arrives, a row of children greet their lively parents. He definitely seemed to have a good first day at the office, telling his daughter how it was “supercool” and boasting about how he got to take meeting notes.
Steve from accounting didn’t have such a good day however, as he had a “little accident”.
Walking home, his daughter promises to let him have spaghetti for dinner and watch the news on TV because he was so brave.
The video was shared to Reddit and people loved it.
One of the top comments quoted the spaghetti for dinner and news on the TV treat, remarking: “Holy s*** my sides.”
Another user said it reminds them of a joke about a child’s first day at school. When the kid realised they would have to stay in school until they’re 18, the child said: "Dad, you will remember to come and get me when I’m 18, won’t you?"
Another comment read: “Hilarious. Would have been more accurate though if he came storming out at the end screaming ‘I’m never going back there again, you can’t make me!’”
According to a 2021 Ipsos survey for the World Economic Forum, almost a third of workers would consider finding a new job if they were “forced” to go back to the office full-time.
The survey found that most people want to work from home for two and a half days a week, with Belgian respondents only wanting to work remotely an average of 1.9 days a week.
In fact, 40 per cent of Belgium-based professionals surveyed would rather not work from home at all once the pandemic is over and restrictions have been lifted.
Whether or not we’ll ever be back in offices full-time, we’re certain most remote workers would feel comforted if a little pint-sized person held their hand on their first day back, too.
