Announcements are rolling in and it is tense for white collar world. Firms are in a battle to get employees back into the office. Articles about the issue or individual company’s efforts are a near daily occurrence now. Previously, I tackled the big commercial real estate interests concerned about this. A new problem has shifted the problem into a new phase. Companies are sitting on their own empty buildings.
The reason this is now a thornier problem is that 2022 employee head counts provided expectations, and Boomer retirements in ‘23 gave firms cause for hiring freezes, targeted backfilling hires and even layoffs. Firms could see their needs and made proactive moves anticipating a recession or slowdown. They know hypothetical space they need. Return to Office has stalled so this new propaganda narrative is needed.
As we worked through covid, firms evaluated if WFH affected productivity. For many firms, there was no change. Smaller firms could make decisions about leased space and did so with an eye on cutting overhead. We are now looking at over a year’s worth of lease terminations or modifications. Those leases are long term but do have fine print clauses that allow exit with small penalties. Many of those corporate towers owned by specific firms are leased for prestige floors or views. Not even towers, satellite office buildings are real estate plays by large companies. They spent a year looking for new tenants and are lacking revenue.
These firms may have played rent arbitrage with smaller offices for their employees while they pulled higher rent from tenants in their prime location buildings. Large firms are consolidating their scattered rentals and decreeing that X location is the new office. Hybrid work schedules are maintained to balance WFH preferences and justify their buildings with the potential for +50% occupancy.
Mega corporations like Meta announcing Return to Office initiatives influence everyone downstream their industry. It is a copycat culture. Firms are in a bind because WFH is the one definite quality of life improvement for white collar workers in the 21st century. Anyone who can offer full time remote now has a non-pecuniary pull for employees to join their firm. Force employees back or create hybrid schedules and a firm loses its edge compared to any other company that is willing to deviate. Coordination is difficult because with Boomer retirements, there is a huge demand for skilled white collar workers.
I recently visited a company caught in this trap. They lost tenants. They decided to term their own small leases and consolidate employees into a big office building. Hybrid schedules started July 1st. In their building with 3000 employee capacity, they claimed 30% each day. We walked through it, did a count and found it to be under 2%. We had an honest dialogue. Enforcement is difficult. Monday was 50% because they focus meetings on Monday but yeah, uh ummm every other day is unknown. American industry concentrated unnecessarily a lot of white collar work into the same ten metro areas so there is always a competitor offering full WFH.
Other firms have implemented rules like if you live within 25 or 50 miles of an anchor office, you have to work hybrid 2 or 3 days a week. What happens when your employee’s day care is 10 miles in the opposite direction? Hardship exemption? Firms are micromanaging these decisions and creating more strife and work managing employees.
They do this because they are facing revenue loss and holding fat dead real estate on their books. They cannot sell it because who will buy in this market? They cannot fill the spaces. They also have an entire class of middle management that needs the face to face contact to feel justified in their jobs.
There is an element of control in all of this. Prior to covid, corporate America recycled the ‘70s concept of the open office. Make sure all employees could watch their peers and not allow one moment of relaxation. No one liked it but it turned the office into a panopticon. This was the beauty of remote jobs and WFH. The little guy could become a mercenary in return for years of callous management behavior. The WFH-Return to Office battle is about control. Do not bet against those in control wanting to maintain a firm grip, but do not be surprised if the solitary white collar grunt can eek out a win for once.
The American Sun 
“Let’s stake our fortunes on making people’s lives as miserable as possible and assume zero disruption forever.”
-Smart money
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I wonder at what point does the commercial real estate market get so desperate that ordinary people can buy distressed assets?
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I don’t read WFH as a win for the little man. Sure, commuting sucks, and I suspect a good half of the country would prefer not to put pants on in the morning, but workers are alienated and atomized as it is, and WFH reduces a good 8 hours of actual human interaction to at best the parasocial. Some short-term studies might not have shown a marked reduction in productivity, but it’s clear that it’s not a boon for it, and outlets for workers to goof off are now limited to doomscrolling. I can only imagine it being a hit to general well-being for workers. I don’t know any visionaries who saw happy men pent up in their houses all day.
I suspect WFH will become the norm for white collar work simply because it broadens the pool for employees from commuting distance to anyone on the planet. And that’s the real evil of it– not only destroying the work community (as though HR needs any help with the task) but also the benefits of white collar work to local communities. For every veteran sysadmin who gets to enjoy moving to rural ND, there will be another 3 local workers who will be passed over for a role with a local company for a New Yorker with a shinier resume and Diversity creds, or worse, outsourced to some Indian for a fifth of the price.
Globalization will march on either way.
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Yeah, we probably aren’t appreciating how much the back-to-work initiatives are keeping native whites employed in white-collar role, accidentally keeping the lights on in the process. You know it’s not because they’re hiring for ability to do the jobs, I’ve observed HR too long to believe they’re simply incompetent.
As for being pent-up, I recommend working at the library.
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Libraries where they are functional are a real treasure, and we should cherish them while they last. Unfortunately they are being handed over by liberals with “library science” degrees to illiterate hordes for whom the quiet and dignified atmosphere of study is impossible and therefore resented. There are still libraries conducive to work (I’ve been to a few recently myself) but it’s yet another institution that will inevitably crumble under the regime.
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People working from home have families, knucklehead. “Work Spouse” shit is parasocial (and an invitation to sin), not homeschooling your kids.
Stop being autistic.
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most evil incarnate, the point is to destroy the anglo system not artificially extended it to even worse destruction of everything else.
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Fucking boomer already in the comments claiming office is good for you. These fucking obnoxious middle managers are the worst. Being home with my family is way better than listening to Sally gossip and Matt complain about his wife.
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The house is the domain of the housewife who rules over her children and servants. Sorry to say that if you spend all day in your pajamas in a spare bedroom with mom/wifey giving you a sandwich at 12 you are functionally a child. At least have the dignity to work at a library or coffee shop or other appropriate place and dress like you are employable. Boomers have their faults, but their sense of work ethic isn’t one of them, pace leftist manchildren.
Contemporary office culture is of course abysmal but men are still called to toil together with other men in a spirit of camaraderie with their fellow laborers. The great men before us both delighted in labor and cultivated an esprit de corps that gave them boundless power. Small-souled bugmen resent work as a shameful exigency and view maintaining relationships as an emotionally draining chore. Nodding along with your boss as he rants about the game last night and making small talk about whichever video game just came out with your normie coworker makes work tolerable and a career possible.
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Your argument is literally go to the office so you can goof off and get away from your family.
No thanks, I don’t need to goof off to make work tolerable, I like my career path. Not to mention Joe and Sally normie don’t share my interests, why would I want to be around them? There’s other avenues to socialization.
I think I’d be productive at home and spend my downtime with my wife and kids, instead of goofing off at the office.
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I see the resident “anglo” is bleating about his return to the comfortable satanism of his youth. you and tucker carlson are always desperate to climb back up a cliff and stop half way. the 1950’s were satanic too, you were just insulted from it by your coven.
Yes, you are meant to Love your Wife and Children and not abandon them to satan because your lodge told you so between sodomy sessions. No, it’s not a Good thing to be a wage slave.
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I’m WFH since 2018, thanks no to the cubicles and gossip. Not to mention I’m in the country.
Office? NAH.
And they will find it difficult to replace skilled techs, so I’m not worried. Sometimes years of study and practice pays off.
Not to mention the office sounds like a foreclosure waiting to happen, maybe taking the firm with it.
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Very Interesting article and comments. Thank you, gentlemen.
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The corporate wing of the managerial class are liferuined if WFH becomes standard for White collar work because:
1. They produce nothing.
2. WFH metrics and chat makes it obvious to upper management that they produce nothing.
We could permanently destroy the lives of an entire faction of parasites with WFH, no naturally all the big thunkers of Le Right oppose it.
You have bizarre social psychology hot takes in this thread.
Nigzorg – who has never had a blue collar job in his entire life & subsists entirely on benefits fraud and diversity quota white collar makework jobs – calls white collar workers parasites. As if our industrial society wasn’t built by both blue collar blacksmiths and white collar engineers (and often both at the same time) tinkering with steam engines. His arrogance is exceeded only by his ignorance of White people’s history, and his encyclopedic knowledge of weeb shit.
Having destroyed my body with blue collar work, I assure you that suffering doesn’t make you a better person. If anything, it makes you worse.
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There is no Salvation without suffering.
As for your post here, you seem to simply be an earlier version of stellardo’s 1990’s liberal.
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Spoken like someone who has never suffered.
You’re clearly a bad actor, why are you here?
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Spoken like a Catholic, hellbeggar.
I repeat, there is no Salvation without suffering.
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Excellent example of D&C.
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I have no idea what d&c is, but your curses are returned back to whence they came with A St Michael Prayer and A St Benedict Prayer.
seems you work very hard to ensure your self-described suffering is just a taste of what awaits
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D&C stands for Divide & Conquer, a common intel gayop. In your case you demonstrate:
1. Catholic vs Protestant.
2. “Anglo” vs whatever you are (I assume a turd worlder given your thin skin & big ego).
3. Blue vs White collar.
The only Catholics I’ve met who act like you are terminally online e-Catholics trend followers.
I wish we had moderation on the comments, too many low quality posters.
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you are unable to understand anything about Reality because you honestly think the prison that was “suburban life” during the devil’s century was somehow Naturally occurring and not the ultimate “psyop” to prepare the ultimate evil for their final use. that’s you.
prots are the third horseman, and you are the synthesis of all heresies.
“anglos” are the freemasons, the chosen people of the devil and all heresies at once.
you will birth the antichrist, you are simply being prepared for that moment.
your curses are returned back to whence they came with A St Michael Prayer and A St Benedict Prayer.
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https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-symptoms
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post-1950 when the gulags had to be shut down because people found out about them, and so long-closed hospitals (since there were no doctors) were repurposed as “mental hospitals” for political prisoners to be lobotomized and tortured and experimented on. accusations of “paranoia” and “schitzophrenia” “delusion” and “derangement” and such were used as flags.
the sovi*ts used that to try to Martyr those like me. you do so for the same reason, but as it seems a nervous tic. though where did a s*c*dal and soon to be exterminated suburban r*t like yourself learn sov*et ex*cution words (even down to using them the EXACT way the sov*ets did) except via demonic p*ss*ssion? you don’t strike as intelligent or even well deals, least of all in History
when the capital sin of pride is threatened, it turns to despair. the mortal sin of despair has three forms:
1) hopelessness
2) trying to d*mn others in your place by projection.
3) trying to “normalize” your sin to claim all are guilty of your sin (and therefore are d*mned with you).
The five steps of the reprobate are:
1) giving yourself over to so because you were brainw*shed into thinking you had usurped Divine Will.
2) realizing that was a mistake, you erroneously think denying God will make your shame over sin go away.
3) realizing that doesn’t work, you erroneously think attacking Christians will make your shame over sin go away.
4) realizing that doesn’t work, you erroneously think Martyring Christians will make your shame over sin go away.
5) realizing that doesn’t work, s*c*de.
Mercifully for your intended victims, five happens right after 4 is attempted and you have tried it on me. I can’t possibly describe to you how much better things will be once you Repent and stop this tyrannical crusade of yours.
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your curses are returned back to whence they came with A St Michael Prayer and A St Benedict Prayer.
you have a Rosary such that your eyes will be opened or Permanently Closed.
any demon you attempt to contact will be sent straight to h*ll and annihilated. any demon that attempts to contact you will be sent straight to h*ll and annihilated.
should you (or ANYONE in your coven, no matter how tangential) EVER even think of harming me, my family, or ANYONE in The Church again all your curses will be returned upon you (and ALL of them) in full until you are all no more. Even if you (or ANY of them) have done so between when you posted this message and when I have sent this one. Period. By My Final Authority.
Contrition, Conversion, Confession, Penance, Repentance. death, Judgement, Heaven, or hell. PERIOD. END OF.
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Speaking as someone who is currently on anti-psychotics (and metformin to prevent weight gain associated with them) for schizophrenia, I recommend you get back on your meds.
2nd generation anti-psychotics have fewer side effects than 1st generation ones, and the ones they have are usually less severe.
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you openly admit that you are nuts in every sense of the word and instead of some self reflection. Like saying “hey I’m nuts and clearly I’m wrong about everything so I should shut up and listen,” you hack away at the only Foundation possible to claim I somehow have what YOU openly admit to having.
I repeat, there is no Salvation without suffering and your curses are returned back to whence they came with A St Michael Prayer and A St Benedict Prayer.
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I’ll be the bigger man here and let you have the last word.
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you are an unforgivably blaspheming, open schitzophrenic. Meaning either your brain has so many crossed wires that demons can come in and out like a carnival ride, or you have a live-in colony. But worse, you face this with total cowardice, unable to see anything besides what your demons demand you to see.
you call this demon-forced myopia as “freedom” and actual Freedom as “slavery” and a whole other host of blasphemous terms. Woe Eternal on those who call Good as “evil” and evil as “good.”
Do not do that, Please.
you are not, nor ever will be, “the bigger man” in ANY context. the saddest thing is that your one gateway to Salvation in embracing your suffering and offering it up, you not only totally reject but try to Martyr me for pointing it out.
Contrition, Conversion, Confession, Penance, Repentance. death, Judgement, Heaven, or hell. PERIOD. END OF.
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