My thoughts about office/remote work

Commonly people ask me what are my opinion about working from ofice versus working from home and my opinion never changed since my first job.

Let me be perfectly clear, this is my opinion as a Software Engineer. This opinion works for me due to the type of work I do. I only share it with the ones that do the same type of work, and I assume will not work with everyone.

Monday and Thursday at office. Rest of week at home.

I just gave my opinion, you just need to read the next to understand why…

Since I started working after university, I immediately saw this as the logical path. I personally like to work in a quiet environment but I also need social interaction.
I never needed the Pandemic to change this opinion and even after Pandemic, I kept it.

The Pros:

Social Interaction : Face-to-face interaction builds relationships, team spirit, and trust much faster than Zoom ever can. It’s easier to understand what others are really thinking and if they are struggling with some kind of problem. Colleagues become friends faster and new opportunities occur faster;
Company Commitment : By spending time in my workplace, this brings a sense of entanglement and commitment to the company and colleagues;
Spontaneous Collaboration : Quick whiteboard sessions, hallway conversations, and overheard discussions often lead to creative breakthroughs or fast decisions;
Clear Separation of Work and Life : You leave your work physically at the office — it’s easier to mentally “log off” at the end of the day;

The Cons:

Commute Stress and Time Waste : Sitting in traffic or on crowded public transport can drain your energy before your day even starts. I typically spend 1h30m in traffic each time I need to go to office. If I multiply 1h30 x 5 days = 7h30, it’s almost a day of work lost in commute;
Schedule stress – Considering that I need to at office between 9-18, I’ll be feeling stressed even before I reach office if I’m feeling late. You cannot predict traffic or traffic accidents, so this is a random scenario. The same occurs at the end of the day. If I need to deal with something after work and I need to be at home early, I’ll start to be anxious about leaving the workplace;
Distractions from Coworkers : Office noise, impromptu chats, meetings that could have been emails — it’s not always the productivity paradise it’s made out to be.
Less Autonomy : Fixed hours, micromanagement, or “face time” culture can stifle your flow and flexibility.
Dress Code and Social Pressures : Some people thrive in sweatpants and slippers. On-site work often require you to be more “presentable” — which can be exhausting for introverts or neurodivergent folks;
Company setup – You’ll be limited by company equipment (computer, desk, chair)

The Pros:

Schedule Flexibility : You can tailor your workday to your natural rhythm — whether you’re a morning person or night owl, you can code when you feel most productive (assuming the company allows flexibility);
No Commute : You save time, energy, and money by skipping traffic, parking, and public transportation. Those extra 1–2 hours a day can be spent on rest, hobbies, or even learning new tech;
Comfortable Environment : You’re in control of your setup — ergonomic chair, dual monitors, the perfect lighting, and a fridge full of your favorite snacks;
Fewer Interruptions : No random desk visits or noisy open-office distractions. You can get into deep focus mode more easily;

The Cons:

Isolation and Loneliness : You can go days without meaningful social interaction, which impacts mental health and even your sense of team belonging;
Blurry Work-Life Boundaries : Without a physical separation, it’s easy to keep working late or feel “always on.”;
Communication Friction : Conversations that would take 30 seconds in person may require multiple messages or scheduled calls. Misunderstandings are more common;
Career Visibility and Growth : Being remote can sometimes make it harder to get noticed for promotions or mentorship, especially in companies that favor in-person presence;

However

For almost any negative feeling about working from Office, i can overcome it with positive feelings, like:
- Commute Stress and Time Waste : I see sunrise, listen to morning radio shows, i can use this time to listen to podcasts and at end of day or, instead of returning home, i go for a run near the river;
- Schedule stress : I usually work more than I’m asked to, so shutting down my computer at 18h, allows me more personal time at end of day (this is personal as I could do the same at home, however I don’t);
- Distractions from Coworkers : This leads to be more aware of what others are doing, how they interact and how can I approach them;
- Dress Code and Social Pressures : Those are the days I listen to my wife saying “Why are you so pretty and well dressed?”;
In the Pandemic, we were forced to stay home and this removed the benefits of working at office. To me, the biggest problems arise by loosing Social Interaction and Company Commitment. I lost company ties and the ones that I started to see as a friends, went back to being just colleagues. I begun to feel that working for my company or any other was the same;

So why Monday and Thursday?

Monday is the first day of the week, so it’s when you return from Weekend and might need a collaborative spirit to start your week, remember what you were doing last Friday and create a plan for the rest of the week. Sometimes you might need to align your peers and this personal interaction is preferable over a simple call.

Thursday, because if you have some blockers that might constraint your week planning, interacting with your peers can be more productive and this alignment can lead you to reach your week goals.
Also, I agree that you should never do Friday at office because some have weekend plans that start late Friday and working from home it’s easier to manage.