>aimlessly wandering/engaging people looks like productive work.
Indeed, even though it might actually be _negative_ work, if one of those people would have otherwise been productive. Which was one of my major gripes with being in the office.
That negative work is so true. Like you, that's my main complaint.
I'm a local celebrity due to putting out all the Big Fires - so now, whenever people see me on-site as a trapped/captive audience, I hear about every hint of smoke.
Thankfully our mandates are currently more... suggestions, giving credit to the "layoffs but not really" story IMO.
It's annoying to even re-negotiate. I've been remote for years, pre-pandemic, only appearing when required.
Indeed - just today I joked with my manager that being forced on-site has perks; aimlessly wandering/engaging people looks like productive work.
You can run a gambit with this; nobody expects you to be able to really prove Useful Conversations happened.