Afraid I'm also in the "WfH can go fuck itself" camp. I'm not denigrating other people for liking it - if you do, great. I just can't do it. I'm aware I'm probably in the minority on this subject but I'm not entirely happy with some people who seem to think that working from home is universally loved.
I was already at a big advantage compared to most people in that I already have a dedicated study in which to do all my hobby stuff, so it was easy enough to repurpose some of this for a home working setup. But I was a new starter (only began the job a five weeks before lockdown) so I'd had little opportunity to grok the company structure before we were all sent home (getting your feet under the table of even a moderately complex infrastructure usually takes at least six months), and one of my key responsibilities being the remote working infrastructure (!!!) certainly helped pile on some stress. Doing my job in the same place as my hobbies eventually culminated in me detesting doing either; I couldn't get in to work mode in the morning, I couldn't concentrate on work during the day and I couldn't switch off from thinking about all the work I wasn't able to do once the work day had supposedly finished (a behaviour that I felt was leading me straight back to earlier career-and-sanity-shattering bouts of insomnia) and I rapidly found myself running out of leisure activities that succeeded in relaxing me at all.
There were certainly other factors involved as well (father being ill in a pandemic and having a partner despondent over losing their job being fairly major external ones) but several minor meltdowns happened, to the extent I was convinced I was completely incapable of doing the job I was hired for and, amongst other worrisome behaviour, was considering resigning. Thankfully I was talked out of resigning by my boss (who's a very good and approachable egg) and it became evident some trick cycling needed to be done.
I was lucky enough to get my vaccine early (spare jab from the vaccination centre my partner was volunteering in) so I've been going back in to the office every day since the middle of june and almost immediately the cloud started to lift - the commute essentially serves as a solid bookend between work and non-work and it's much easier to stop myself spinning round in circles, unable to think.
Work just came out with their future which are much kinder than anyone really expected (remote working was not a thing at all prior to the pandemic), people like me who prefer to work in the office are being given extra holidays but still get the option of a limited number of WfH days if we want them.
It is a horses for courses thing. My daughter started a whole new post-uni career in lockdown. It's tough for her, so I get it. I have colleagues I haven't met, and a guy I'm supposed to be training as my replacement who I haven't spoken to face to face. It's not easy in those circumstances.
And yes, I have an "office" at home, that was the box room, but it does help having the space, and not everyone will.
I also have experienced colleagues with young children who will either tell you they have loved every minute of lockdown as it means they have spent so much more time with their kids, and others who can't wait to get back to the office* cos they can't stand a minute more at home doing year 5 maths.
Sunak's point of view is that vast parts of the economy will collapse if we are not all paying through the nose for public transport, buying lunch at Pret or the local sandwich shop, buying "office clothes" etc etc. I can live without any of that, but it might put the Albion by the train station out of business, as no one pops in there for a swift pint on their way home from work any more. And that would be sad.
The calls to cut wages for workers not going in, is just the usual attacking the workers thing. My employer pays London office people 20% more than where I work in Reading. It's supposed to cover higher housing costs/commuting costs. I can see that being whittled away for everyone in time.
The only reason I want to go to work one day soon is that I'll go in, take the afternoon off and go to the Alehouse.
(* we have been told, yesterday, that it is no longer an office. It is a "hub"
.)
Though I guess local pubs might see a bit of an uptick in trade instead?
