I've been working remotely for three years, and my employer is now requiring everyone to return to the office. Is it worth negotiating, or is it better to start looking elsewhere?

Honestly, if it’s like other companies which are slowly incorporating the RTO (Return to Office) policy and canceling remote work, it may not be up... for negotiation. It happened to me too and personally, it’s been somewhat of a struggle. I think I had become so accustomed to working from home, that going back to the long commutes in traffic, the toxic office environment complete with gossip and politics, unsupportive micro-management, etc., has proven to be stressful, frustrating and negatively impacting on our entire team! It’s not a healthy place to be every day and it’s definitely inspiring me to look for other opportunities. Not that there will be many which are fully remote anymore, but perhaps even a hybrid position could be feasible. It never hurts to see what is out there.  more

So I’ve got this situation at work, it’s bad enough I’m thinking of quitting. I forgot my lunch at home a couple of times, and my mom brought it over for me. Now everyone at the office keeps joking...

I would smile and recognize that "misery loves company." You have a mom who is sweet enough to do this for you. Sadly, it sounds like you're working... with a group of jealous adolescents instead of mature adults. (Do any of them still have a mom around to who would love them enough to do this type of thing for them?) Don't allow their ignorance to cause you to feel like you need to leave. (Not unless you really want to.)
In my opinion, your Mom is awesome and you should wear the knowledge of that blessing on your face every day!
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