The end of one year and the start of another is always a good time to admit one’s mistakes. And I got something wrong – really wrong – about remote work.

In 2020, when offices shuttered and many knowledge workers began routinely clocking in from home, many sceptics decried the arrangement’s loneliness and isolation. This, I argued, was short-sighted – because although remote workers might be alone much of the day, it’s perfectly possible (in normal, non-pandemic times) to have a social life outside of work.