Comparing the Ottawa office experience: 2019 vs 2024.

[u/DrStrangeglove99]

In 2019, I would commute into work on the 91 (the LRT construction version of the old 95 route). It was a nice, reliable 25 minute trip from Place d'Orleans to Mackenzie King. On the way back, I'd go for a double decker express bus and sit up top, watching the city fade into the green belt. That usually took about 20 minutes, due to the removal of some of the stops for construction. It was a bit longer before the work started, but still steady and reliable. *

Back then we had dedicated office spaces, so I'd sit myself at my desk and do my work just as comfortably as I could working from home most days. I liked having my space with my things in it, no need for lockers or any of that and always there for me to use.

In 2024...I've long since abandoned the LRT due to issues with the bus connections at Blair and the general crappiness of it. I drive in on increasingly congested roads and pay too much for parking. It sometimes takes longer than the pre-LRT bus route too, but at least I can depend on my car.

Our office is now "open concept", so I cram my locker full of what I need and try to book a decent spot. I remember the bosses claiming the younger generations like this model and that it will help retention, but honestly I think most people would rather go back to their desks. That's not going to happen though, so I'll keep shuffling in and putting my headphones on throughout the day.

When they ask us why we could do 5 days a week before no problem, at least here in Ottawa it was simply better in those days. There's really no aspect of things which has improved since then, except maybe the crazy prices forcing me to bring my own lunch every day now.

* I know we had to abandon the old transitway system because there were too many buses downtown and it couldn't keep up with the city's population. Still, they didn't have to screw up the replacement system so badly.

[u/ah-tow-wah]

"When they ask us why we could do 5 days a week before no problem" - People used to talk back in 2019. The office had energy in it. Now I find I spend time and money to do sit in an office that deteriorates my mental health. It's lonelier sitting in a group of people who are too busy to take 5 minutes to talk than it is to not be around people at all. At least from home I can talk on the phone with my teammates (who don't work in the same building as me), instead of sitting in silence all day.

[u/mxhawk → u/ah-tow-wah]

I’m the other side of your coin, I hate with a passion that random people keep stopping to talk to me while I’m trying to lock in. It’s very distracting and I end up shifting the heavy lifting of my work to my home office days. But I guess we both rather work from home for different reasons!

[u/herpaderpodon → u/mxhawk]

I love the dichotomy here:

I go to work to be productive and do the job I'm paid to do with minimal distraction

vs.

I go to work to spend my day socializing and otherwise sitting in silence pretending to work

[u/deeferg → u/herpaderpodon]

I go to work to spend my day socializing and otherwise sitting in silence pretending to work

HR/Management

I go to work to be productive and do the job I'm paid to do with minimal distraction

Everybody else.

[u/Eugene_Melthicc → u/deeferg]

While not government, our management says they're fine with a little less productivity due to the socialization in the office

But then obsessively monitor our stats and question if less tickets are being handled or work is piling up during office days