Why working from home isn’t for everyone: ‘I feel like I lost a piece of my identity’

– Missing the office.  It’s practically become the consensus that remote work is the preferred arrangement for employees, particularly women. But some haven’t thrived in a virtual setting, and many say the concomitant isolation and burnout now outweigh the benefits.

In a candid article, Fortune executive editor Lindsey Stanberry unpacks how remote work gradually made her feel like her identity as an ambitious journalist, with husband and child in tow, slowly eroded away. Below is an excerpt from her essay, out this morning.

I am holding tight to a deeply unpopular opinion: I want to go back to the office. And I want everyone to come back with me.

I’m fairly vocal about this opinion with close-knit colleagues. Most think I’m crazy and many disagree with me. They’re surprised to find me aligning myself with Elon Musk and David Solomon. I guess I’m more surprised that I’m so alone in the desire to be back.

I’m well aware of all the reasons why no one else is interested in returning to the office—though some excuses are more valid than others: The pandemic isn’t over; childcare is unpredictable; the commute is terrible; a typical 9-to-5 day at the office isn’t sustainable for working parents; the pets will miss us; work clothes are uncomfortable; and people are more productive at home. 

I get it. But I don’t like it. And I can’t help but wonder if it’s inertia that’s keeping us all from putting on some hard pants and resuming our daily commutes. Yes, we just spent the last two-plus years proving that we could successfully work from home, but those were extraordinary years. Arguably, we had no other choice. Even those among us who never, ever want to step into an office again can likely agree that the last two years absolutely sucked.

There’s a deeply personal reason why I want to go back to the office. It’s selfish, but I don’t care. I feel like I lost a piece of my identity in the pandemic—the busy, thriving editor and New Yorker who had a packed calendar and plenty of reasons to throw on a dress and a cute pair of shoes. I’m worried that I won’t truly find myself again if I have to work from home for the rest of my life.

I think a lot about life before the pandemic, and I marvel at all I used to get done. How did I do it all? And will I ever be that successful again?

Read the full, riveting essay from Lindsey here.

Paige McGlauflin
paige.mcglauflin@fortune.com
@paidion

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ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- Bombshell testimony. Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, took the stand Tuesday as the January 6 committee's surprise witness. In her testimony, Hutchinson disclosed that former President Donald Trump intended to go to the Capitol after his speech that morning and attacked a secret service member when he realized those plans were blocked. She also revealed that Meadows said things could get “real bad” days before the insurrection took place. Vox

- 20 years. Ghislaine Maxwell, the former socialite who was convicted of conspiring to recruit, groom, and abuse underage girls with Jeffrey Epstein, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday. The sentence was less than the 30 years recommended by the federal government, but it's still likely Maxwell will spend the rest of her life in prison or be released in her late 70s should she see any sentence deduction for good behavior. New York Times

- Continuing treatment. Abortion clinics in Texas can temporarily resume operations following a judge’s order to block the enforcement of a pre-Roe law next month. The order comes one day after a judge in Louisiana temporarily blocked its trigger law from taking effect until July 8. Axios

- Money matters. Several companies that have announced plans to help employees obtain abortion access have also donated to a political organization that helped overturn Roe. JPMorgan, Match Group, and T-Mobile are among the corporations that have donated to the Republican Attorneys General Association, which helps elect Republicans to state attorney general offices, including Mississippi AG Lynn Fitch, who was in charge of the legal strategy challenging abortion in Dobbs. Popular Information

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Coaching and development platform Torch has hired Heather Conklin as chief operating officer. Theorem head of credit and risk Tina Chan Reich has been named to Bill.com's board of directors. Constant Contact has appointed Mary Rusterholz as chief people officer and Stephanie Ting as chief strategy officer. Aleph Farms has hired Yifat Gavriel as chief of regulatory affairs and quality assurance. Chomps has appointed Goli Nutrition chief financial officer Elizabeth Carter to its board of directors. Function of Beauty has hired Marianna Trofimova as chief marketing officer.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

- Team reduction. Backstage Capital founder Arlan Hamilton announced over the weekend that the firm, which invests in underrepresented founders, reduced its staff from 12 to three employees, just three months after it announced it was narrowing its investment strategy. In response to outlets reporting the firm had cut 75% of its staff, Hamilton tweeted on Tuesday, “I want to remind you that we started with 12… They’re making it sound like we’re Netflix. Let’s all calm down.” TechCrunch

- Abortion across the pond. Following the overturn of Roe in the U.S., British Labour MP Stella Creasy wants her fellow parliamentarians to vote on abortion rights as part of the country’s forthcoming bill of rights. Abortions are legal in the U.K. but not guaranteed as a right anywhere except for Northern Ireland, where access is still limited. To obtain an abortion, a patient must receive approval from two doctors who agree that there is a mental or physical health risk to the patient. Guardian

- New executive strategy. More growth-stage companies are adding temporary or fractional chief marketing officers to their executive lineup. Companies benefit from opting out of hiring traditional CMOs because they're more focused on performance-based marketing. But the practice is more intimate than tapping outside consultants. For marketing veterans stepping in as fractional CMOs, the role offers more flexibility in client selection and schedule building. Wall Street Journal

ON MY RADAR

You shouldn’t have to ask your boss for an abortion Vox

Winona Ryder is still processing Harper’s Bazaar

“Our metric isn’t Rachel's numbers or bust”: Can Alex Wagner keep the Maddow faithful tuned in? Vanity Fair

PARTING WORDS

"Parents should really think hard about not just what the repeal of Roe is going to mean for their daughters, but what it's going to mean for their sons. [They] may become dads much earlier than they're prepared for."

-Dr. Bethany Everett, a professor of sociology at the University of Utah, on the under-discussed economic impact abortion bans will have on men.