Just as before the pandemic, I would prefer to have the choice. As long as the work is fully digital and a computer is the only tool I need for work, communication, and collaboration, if I want to work from home for a day, a week, a month or a year it should be my choice and not an allowance or an exception or a favour or anything.

A remote-only job can become very isolating. On the other hand, mandatory office presence is forced socialization. Most of the times humans accept it as a cost of living but there are many cases where it creates unneeded stress and reduces productivity.

If one is unsociable and surrounded by sociable people this can be perceived as pressure, under threat of becoming an outcast, tensions build on either side, resulting in burnout.

If one is sociable and surrounded by unsociable people (my case at my last job) it becomes very draining to have to spend 8h a day with people who do not reciprocate the energy, frustrations build on either side also resulting in burnout.

If ones sociability is incompatible with others in terms of language/views/manners/etc., then the group splits into subgroups, each subgroup gossiping about the others.

If the group is all around compatible (my second to last job), there are some options:

It either becomes a very fun place to work at where each members frustrations are being dampened by the enthusiasm of colleagues, and tensions between members are being dampened by the other members. The social agreement that rules the place is like "we are all in this together".

Or it becomes a very peaceful, efficient but cold place where work is leanly getting done ruled by an implicit agreement like an armistice, "I won't bother or disturb you and you won't bother or disturb me".

Allowing unrestricted work from home means an acknowledgement that work and socialization are separate and each employee has freedom of association. If a group clicks together, great, they can be like the legendary dream team of VmWare. If they don't, then it's just a professional relationship, and it's best to keep it that way and for digitalized professions, there is no need for this to include physical proximity.

This is not a rant against offices. Separating work and leisure space is very important. It is a rant against centralised offices. People who are sociable and get along are better served by a shared working space like a company office, a nearby coworking space, rotating work parties or some other form of shared space. People who treat the job as just a means to an end for a salary and as soon as the shift ends there is nothing they would rather do than go home are better served by rented work pods/cubicles at neighbourhood office buildings.

What makes a team efficient is compatibility, not a certain style of office. The default should be being professional and remote work is perfect for that. It's easier to be professional online. If there is room for socializing, great, but forcing this is counterproductive as a business. Some people only want a quiet cubicle. Great, for those people you save money on teambuildings and events and other stuff. Some people want an open-space office and plants and nerf-guns and group playlists and negociating complomises and team events. Great, with these people you save on floorspace and soundproofing. Just don't force them to mix.