Pre-Covid I was remote 80%. No real set days in office usually, just sync up with people to come in once a week or less even. Then Covid hit and we were 100% fully remote. Covid subsided and now we are IN office 100%, mandatory. Make it make sense.
Also while it was advantageous for both worker and the company to work from home during Covid, the company paid $0 for my home setup. I paid for my Internet and electricity. I upgraded my desk, chair, monitors. While I wanted to do this anyway it benefited the company and they got it completely free.
I did a cost analysis when my work had our RTO mandate (minimum 3days in office). I can easily believe these numbers based on what I was able to calculate for myself (taking into account no salary adjustment for going 100% remote to having a 30 min commute each way, new fuel spending, extra maintenance for the car, dealing with house hold costs like daycare).
None until I am allowed to be fully remote at which point I would be willing to accept like half salary or even less. Working from home a few days a week actually increases my expenses (home office, commuting, office clothing, lunch out, etc.). Being fully remote lets me live near family in flyover country with massively lower cost of living (mainly real estate, also childcare) compared to the main centers of tech employment -- it's worth a LOT.
Been remote for 8+ years in my career, and there's always another 100% remote job to jump to if you search hard enough and don't settle. Luckily, the longest I've been without work is 3 months, during which time I had savings to see me through.
Looking for remote jobs is also a great filter for bad companies - an old-school micromanager-run company would never allow remote work in the first place.
If I need geographic advantage to gain a competitive edge, what am I even doing in that field? I just maximize my employee value and everything has worked out fine so far.
Also while it was advantageous for both worker and the company to work from home during Covid, the company paid $0 for my home setup. I paid for my Internet and electricity. I upgraded my desk, chair, monitors. While I wanted to do this anyway it benefited the company and they got it completely free.