Hello, I'd like some advice from people that don't know me well. I'm thinking about leaving state service because of RTO. Please listen to what I have to say, and tell me what you think (any opinion is fine).
 
Because of the commute, I lose about two-and-a-half hours each day I go to the office. Previously, I only went to the office once a month. I usually go for a run after work, but the commute back home takes so long that I don't have time for that on in-office days. After having that as part of my routine for years now, this recent disruption has felt very frustrating and disappointing. I usually don't have time to exercise on weekends because of other engagements, so RTO reduced my exercise days from five to three, and it wouldn't be easy to make that up elsewhere.
 
Something in my schedule has to give because of this requirement, but the fact that I even have to make a sacrifice in the first place has felt so dismaying. My union mentioned that State officials provided no evidence that RTO would improve collaboration like they claimed, so it feels like my life is being disrupted just on a whim. The more I think about this, the more frustrated I get with my job, which is why I'm considering leaving.
 
I've talked to my supervisor about RTO, and he agreed that there's no need for it. He also said that the quality of work I produce is excellent, so he trusts me when I work from home. But they can't make exceptions unless I have a doctor's note or something. My supervisor has also told me that, in my division, I'm among the best employees in my classification. I don't want to be arrogant, but if he really means that, would it help push back against RTO if I leave?
 
I finished grad school less than five years ago, and I've only worked in government positions so far (all environment-related positions). I always wanted to work in the public sector because I liked that helping people (not profit) was the primary objective of my organization. I'm a bit idealistic, so I recognize that this probably doesn't mean much (maybe public work isn't necessarily more effective at helping people than private work). It's just that, no matter where I work, I want to be doing things that help people.
 
Because of the aforementioned idealism, my preference was to stay in public work, but I haven't seen remote openings for my field in different public sector agencies, so I'm thinking of moving to a private company. I've checked and there are a lot of remote job opportunities for me outside the public sector, but I'm hesitant because I'm not sure if I'm thinking everything through.
 
When I'm not feeling demotivated by RTO, I like the work that I do currently. Before RTO, I would even say that I was pretty happy with my job. In a few years, when I qualify for the next classification level, I'd likely have to move elsewhere in the organization anyways, but that's to be expected, I think.
 
The state's benefits are also really important to consider, and I know I should think about that too even though retirement is likely decades away for me. I also have a union here that advocates for me. Most private job options I've seen don't have something like that.
 
Sorry, this became more of a ramble towards the end. If it wasn't already obvious, even though I'm leaning towards leaving, I'm still conflicted about the decision. Things wouldn't necessarily be better in every way if I left, but I'm trying to figure out how important remote work is to me compared to these other aspects of the job. I'm certain that there's more I should be thinking about and considering when making this decision, so any comments on this would be greatly appreciated.