While it was once commonplace for employees to spend countless hours in the office during the workweek, the pandemic opened the doors to millions of people working remotely from home. However, one worker took to TikTok to vent his frustrations about being the only employee to work in an empty office while everyone else could work from home.
While some would argue that working in an office setting provides team-building opportunities and boosts company morale, there are many perks to working from home. Sleeping in, avoiding the dreaded morning commute, and overall comfort are just a few reasons why people prefer to work from their own residence rather than an office building. Now that the pandemic has come to an end, many companies have insisted that their employees return to corporate offices.
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A TikToker who goes by the handle @gmastuff took to the platform to share a video that has since amassed over 1.1 million views. He posted a video of his lonely work environment as he shows himself in an empty office along with the caption, “Disclaimer this a joke please don’t fire me for this I have so much student loan debt.” In the clip, the worker can be seen poking fun at his unique set of circumstances. The audio for the video features the TikToker singing the lyrics, “I work in a place where everyone else works from home, but I still have to go to the office.” He then sings, “I could easily complete all my tasks working from home, but instead, I’m here and I’m wasting company resources.”
In order to fully illustrate just how vacant his office building is, the TikToker stares into the camera and spins it around to show that nobody else is there. He shows himself running down the hallway at full speed and by the end of the video, he fires up a PowerPoint presentation titled, “How to get fired for making a TikTok. Part 1: There’s cameras everywhere.” The viral video received thousands of comments from confused viewers who couldn’t believe that a company would require a lone employee to work in a sprawling office while everyone else enjoyed the luxury of working remotely.
Several commenters were curious to understand why a company would keep an entire office open just for one employee, as the cost of renting out a facility is likely not cheap. “I’m dying to know how much they spend on keeping the building maintained just for YOU,” inquired one person. Another commenter pointed out that there can be unexpected perks to working in an empty office, writing, “Take advantage. Since they need you there, make a mega desk.” Another commenter came up with a creative solution to the TikToker’s interesting predicament. “If no one else comes in… maybe just move in. New free apartment,” they said.
While being the only person in an uninhabited office seems like an obscure business practice, a few commenters said they have encountered similar experiences. “My friend moved to a different city for this new job, got there and is the only person in the office,” one commenter shared. A separate commenter seemed to echo similar sentiments. “I’m also ‘essential onsite personnel. I manage an office that no one works at,” they wrote.
