Remote Worker Returns to Office After 6 Years, Heartbroken Over Dalmatian

A man who has returned to full-time office work after six years of working remotely has captured the attention of many on Instagram's Threads. His candid account of the transition and its impact on both him and his dog has gone viral, sparking discussions about the challenges of returning to the workplace.

The man, who shares his experiences under the handle @jegebhardt, recently shared his reflections after resuming office life in Columbus, Ohio. His post quickly gained traction, receiving over 10,000 likes. While many commented on his workplace frustrations, others focused on his six-year-old Dalmatian, who had grown used to having him at home every day.

He adopted his dog in 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when many Americans shifted to remote work. According to a Total.vet survey of 400 U.S. dog owners who worked remotely, 35 percent said they adopted their current dog during that time.

“My dog has been by my side every workday in my home,” he wrote, adding that the moment he left for work earlier this week was especially painful. “The way he hung his head and didn’t want to go in his crate Monday before I left for work broke my heart.”

Six Things He Dislikes About the Office

In his post, he listed six reasons why he is "not a fan" of returning to the office:

• It took him three hours to get his headphones working on his first day back, after realizing the USB ports under his monitors were "apparently for show, not for actual use."
• Public restrooms, something he never thought much about before, have become a major annoyance. "I've now had to share a bathroom with hundreds of people throughout the day," he wrote. "I intensely dislike it."
• The 35-minute commute each way has felt like wasted time, especially when combined with the extra 15 minutes spent preparing coffee at home to avoid what he described as "lousy office coffee" or "burnt" options in the building.
• While he previously didn't mind working past his 5 p.m. end time, Gebhardt said that's no longer realistic. "Now, I'm going to log off at 5 p.m. exactly," he wrote, noting the walk to his car, the drive home, and the fact that his dogs "desperately need to pee."
• Despite being surrounded by colleagues, he spends most of the day on Zoom calls anyway. He described sitting in an office with people he doesn't know, while video-calling coworkers across the country—and even colleagues sitting just a few desks away because the company operates globally and booking a meeting room feels like more trouble than it's worth.
• He also criticized the office’s food options, saying that while the cafeterias and vendors "look ok," he rarely has time to use them. He added that it irritates him that both the company and vendors profit from on-site food, leaving employees to spend "2x or 3x" more than they would grabbing something from their own fridge at home.

Comments Zero In on One Thing

While many users said they related to Gebhardt's frustrations, the comments section quickly turned into a debate about his dog's well-being.

One commenter wrote: "I agree with every single one of these points. Office work has become unbearable and unnecessary. But as a dog walker, I humbly ask that you please get someone to give your dogs a quick potty break."

Another was more critical, saying: "Crating a dog for eight–10 hours a day is cruel. I hope you hire someone to come in and let it out."

Others came to the man’s defense, who now has another Dalmatian. "Being in a crate for [eight] hours a day is better than being in a shelter for 24," said a third user.

The post has since become a lightning rod for broader conversations about remote work, office mandates—and the unexpected impact those shifts can have on the pets adopted during the pandemic years.