We’re not returning to the office — here’s why

When we made the decision to work remotely for “at least two weeks” on March 13, 2020, I never imagined it would be my last day in the office. We had poured a lot of love into the space itself in recent years, including doubling the square footage, painting the walls in vibrant colors, and even becoming Gold Certified by the City of Portland for Sustainability at Work.

But here’s the thing: after our Portland team became fully vaccinated, no one was chomping at the bit to return to the office. We missed opportunities for in-person connection, to be sure, but the prospect of once again commuting downtown every day was not particularly appealing.

During COVID, we had also hired two new staff members—one in Atlanta, Georgia and one in Medellín, Colombia. Before COVID, we already had team members in Estelí, Nicaragua and Quito, Ecuador. Plus, most of our Portland staff worked remotely at least one day a week, and we were accustomed to meeting clients via Zoom from all over the country.

That’s all to say, the transition to an all-remote workplace was certainly a little more seamless for us than for other companies. But making a final decision to forego an office altogether is a new reality that will require some acclimation.

 

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