Why PR professionals are dreading a return to the office

To say the past 15 months have been challenging is an understatement. Now that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, instead of feeling hopeful, countless PR professionals are dreading a return to the office.

It’s not because they’ve grown accustomed to wearing pajama pants at work or because they’re physically unable to get out of bed more than 10 minutes before the day’s first meeting. Most are terrified that the companies and organizations they work for will revert to the unsustainable norms of a pre-COVID world with unrealistic expectations and far less flexibility than they’ve enjoyed over the past year.

The life of a working professional before March 2020 typically consisted of draining daily commutes, limited time with friends and family, chores that piled up because they were never home and an inability to prioritize mental or physical health—all to sit in an office for 40+ hours per week.

It was tolerated because everyone believed there was no other way. The pandemic showed us that wasn’t true.

Public relations is one of the most stressful career fields an individual can choose, but many didn’t realize how stressed they were until forced to slow down. I know this from my own experience—and also from having dozens of conversations with PR pros.