Company forces employees back to the office, then builds ‘collaboration pods’ so they can take the same Zoom calls they took at home: 'I drove across town to do remote work in a closet'

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Cata Holmes • Writer
Jun 21, 2026 1:00 PM EDT

When did RTO become more expensive than going to a nice dinner?

We all had heard those crazy stories of workers going back to the office, only to find out that their productivity decreased or it wasn't really necessary. However, nothing really struck me like the story I'm about to share with you today. This anecdote was posted in r/remotework, and many Redditors were so confused as to why these people had to go back to an office only to work isolated.

Let me explain a bit more about this situation. According to u/Embarrassed-War9550, the company insisted on going back to work collaboratively, so everyone packed their laptops and went to the office, like every other person. When they arrived, they realized that management had built these "collaborative pods" to enhance concentration. As you can imagine, the goal was another one.

Essentially, those were actually phone booths, with a telephone, a desk, and a chair, created for people to take Zoom calls, etcetera. In other words, workers were commuting to the office, paying for parking… only to end up working exactly like they did at home. Is that the best way to start the week? Or even your "back to the office" story? (Sarcasm, please).

The best part for me, and what made me feel a bit better about the story, is that every employee had to fill out a survey after the workday, exposing their thoughts on that "genius" phone booth idea. And let me just say that the majority didn't keep their mouth shut, and just played around with the options, the same way leadership had played with them.

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  • A representation of an employee working on a laptop while talking on a smartphone.
    via Unsplash+ (via Getty Images)

    A representation of an employee working on a laptop while talking on a smartphone.

  • My company built "collaboration pods" for the return to office and I have never felt dumber in my life
    via Embarrassed-War9550
  • They're phone booths. They built nine phone booths. Each one has a QR code so you can reserve it in 30 minute blocks through an app.
    via Embarrassed-War9550
  • We had an all-hands about it. The VP of People put up a slide with a stock photo of a woman laughing inside one of the pods. He said the pods would "enable focused collaboration in a vibrant in-person environment," which is a sentence that means nothing if you read it twice.
    via Embarrassed-War9550
  • My manager is in Denver. The two people I work with most are in Lisbon and Chennai. I drove 22 miles this morning, paid $14 to park, and sat in a soundproof box to have the exact Slack huddle I would have had from my desk at home. It's like little adult cosplay. I drove across town to do remote work in a closet.
    via Embarrassed-War9550
  • A representation of a group of employees gathered around a conference table during a team meeting.
    via Unsplash+ (via Getty Images)

    A representation of a group of employees gathered around a conference table during a team meeting.

  • Walked past the other pods on the way to the bathroom. Every single one had someone on Zoom inside it.
    via Embarrassed-War9550
  • End of day they sent a survey.
    via Embarrassed-War9550
  • □ The collaboration pods improve my focus □ The collaboration pods support team connection □ The collaboration pods enhance my in-office experience ☐ Other
    via Embarrassed-War9550
  • Clicked Other. Didn't fill in the box.
    via Embarrassed-War9550
  • A representation of an empty open-plan office with rows of workstations and office chairs.
    via Unsplash+ (via kate.sade)

    A representation of an empty open-plan office with rows of workstations and office chairs.

  • Now, the moment all have been waiting for: the comments. Honestly, if you're like me, this is the best part. Not only to see if there's anyone out there that thinks just like you about this matter, but also, it's great to share your thoughts on a stranger's story, am I right? Some of them are very funny, and others can show how upset the reader feels. Because, at the end of the day, we're all people working and commuting to an office. So, this could have happened to the best of us.

  • adamosity1 The world would be better off if QR codes and surveys that they intend to do nothing to change anything didn't exist. My last company sent out so many surveys but absolutely nothing ever changed for the better.
    via Embarrassed-War9550
  • joel1618 They do stuff like that so when the VPs jump to the next shitshow they can say they did something.
    via Embarrassed-War9550
  • V3CTORVII I got a few for the apartment.
    via Embarrassed-War9550
  • Lopsterbliss Heard this before. Bot. De d Internet Theory.
    via Embarrassed-War9550
  • MBILC The people who come up with these concepts, I feel like they just saw some feed on their TikTok or Insta and went "WOW! this would be so modern and perfect for our company, let me implement it!" meanwhile said person has their own office, or WFH....
    via Embarrassed-War9550
  • wake071 They're going to get pred when no one uses them, email reminders sent to encourage you to use them, then initiate plans to force you to use them a certain amount per week.
    via Embarrassed-War9550

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