I know from my own experience that I worked harder as a teleworker than I ever did in the office - that was just in the nature of being at home and having to do much more by computer and ‘phone. And many of us took it even more seriously and conscientiously, because we knew we were being entrusted with that independence and wanted to prove ourselves and live up to that trust.
But I would never say that for many positions it was anywhere near as efficient as working in the office. That just wasn’t true. Nothing takes the place of face-to-face interaction and the immediacy of that.
I’ve seen some people who got used to it wanting to continue it - some haven’t been able to sustain working in the office again. But lots of others were anxious to get back INTO the office.
1. Yes, "And many of us took it even more seriously and conscientiously, because we knew we were being entrusted with that independence and wanted to prove ourselves and live up to that trust." I am of the same mind, and my immediate supervisors know I won't jilt them. I put in an honest days work, whether here at home or in the office.
Yet, 2. "But I would never say that for many positions it was anywhere near as efficient as working in the office. That just wasn’t true. Nothing takes the place of face-to-face interaction and the immediacy of that." There are some things that absolutely need to take place in the office, face-to-face. I am competent enough to know when that needs to take place, and my immediate supervisor realizes that. It's the bozos above him that nixed my teleworking because they aren't in direct control and don't trust that I make those kinds of determinations, and that's the part that infuriates me, it's them not trusting folks under them to do their jobs to "their liking."