A gym receptionist said remote work is making people bring 'insane energy' into public spaces, as people who work from home said they feel more awkward and anxious
- Alec Flynn, a receptionist at a rock-climbing gym, said remote work has rendered patrons socially inept.
- People are either "cats" (stammeringly shy) or "golden retrievers" (overeager for interaction), he said in a viral TikTok.
A man who works at the front desk at a rock climbing gym said in a viral TikTok that people who work from home all day are now bringing "insane energy into public spaces."
Speaking on behalf of fellow hospitality and retail workers, the TikToker Alec Flynn told 1.4 million viewers last week: "If you're working from home all day, you need to have at least one more conversation or interaction before you come to a public place."
Flynn — who's also a TikTok creator with nearly 119,000 followers — explained that the new, strange energy he's observed typically falls into two categories. "You either are like complete cat mode," he said in his video, "or you're golden retriever energy and there's no in-between."
By "cat mode," Flynn means when gym-goers are stammeringly shy, he explained. "Golden retriever energy" is when someone comes off as overeager for human interaction. The social commentary resonated widely, as roughly 3,000 commenters commiserated on both sides of the aisle.
"WFH is the new homeschool kids of adults," one commenter wrote.
"I'm like 97% feral now. There's no way back," another said.
A third commenter wrote, "There's a third option, which is the most unhinged animosity I've ever experienced in public. Stay safe out there."
Flynn told Insider that he was compelled to post about the topic to shed light on the consequences of remote work.
"We now just have to deal with absolute hermit people," he said. "All of us who are still outside breathing and walking around whatever air is left — we now have to deal with you and your lack of social skills."
According to the most recent data on teleworking from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of September 30, 2022, at least 3% of the workforce is working completely remotely.
While it remains a highly desirable offering for some workers, who told Insider in August that they'd quit six-figure roles because of return-to-office mandates, research has suggested people who work from home can be less productive.
And large companies — from Meta to Google to Amazon — are navigating the bumpy waters of a hybrid model. Most recently, for instance, the LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr lost half of its staff amid a return-to-office order requiring employees to come in two days per week.