Being the only one in an otherwise empty office feels much lonelier than working alone in the attic on a work-from-home day. I experience it firsthand: normally, like almost everyone in my department, I work from home on Wednesdays. But because my neighbors are doing noisy renovations, I came to the office on Wednesday to be able to work in peace.

I love a work-from-home day in the middle of the week: starting the morning a bit more slowly, no trains, and working in socks behind the laptop. Besides, why would I come to the office? There’s hardly anyone there. Tuesday and Thursday are the busiest days at the office. To motivate people to come in, it would be better if work-from-home and part-time days were better spread out. On the other hand, it’s nice to have days when the team is almost complete.

I’m the first one in the department. The swinging doors are still closed. The lights flick on as I walk to my desk. I might as well start breaking the silence with a coffee from the machine. Luckily, the cleaning lady stops by for a moment. Later, when I grab another coffee, I see a few students working—both on my floor and on the open floor below us.

There’s something nice about a quiet day. The luxury of two monitors, a sit-stand desk, and being able to work undisturbed with some music in the background. A little buzz of activity coming from the teaching area. And then I hear it: someone is drilling into the concrete pillars. The sound isn’t as bad as at home, but there’s work being done here too. Gezellig!