We have the option to work remotely or from the office, besides our print and mail room that has to be in the office. 90+% of the workforce has chosen to work from home.
Our CEO is there everyday, so I go in 2-3 days per week. It’s mostly to get some FaceTime with other execs, but I am also more productive from the office.
I really like the hybrid model of days at home where I can go for a run at lunch or take care of other items I normally can’t do when I’m in the office.
There is a lost connection of using Zoom or Teams versus real interaction. 2 days is about the sweet spot in my experience.
I’ve worked from home for 20 years. It is great. The people that hate it;
- Extraverts that need other people around all the time to be happy.
- CEOs and other bosses with low trust that want to watch over employees.
- People that can’t stay on task on their own. Often this is accompanied by the belief that everyone else is as well.
- People with no family or social groups outside of work.
Agree about bosses wanting to watch over employees. One of our Executives, early 60s, still walks around the building about 4:45 each day making comments like "well I guess so-and-so was done for the day..." Dude is worth millions and he's worried about some 25 year old doing data entry. Some of the next level of management below him have followed his lead and couldn't wait to get their employees back in their cubicles. "If ya ain't sitting at your desk, you're not working!!"
The reckoning for WFH will come when we return to a historic norm for unemployment rate in this company. I know a lot of people like WFH, but it’s been tolerated by employers mostly because they have been afraid of losing people in a 3% unemployment rate market. When employers get the upper hand back, it will end for all but the few employees that are legitimately special and capable of productive WFH.
Anybody with any professional ambition should be in the office, building a network, and demonstrating a commitment to the company and their own development.
The reckoning for WFH will come when we return to a historic norm for unemployment rate in this company. I know a lot of people like WFH, but it’s been tolerated by employers mostly because they have been afraid of losing people in a 3% unemployment rate market. When employers get the upper hand back, it will end for all but the few employees that are legitimately special and capable of productive WFH.
Anybody with any professional ambition should be in the office, building a network, and demonstrating a commitment to the company and their own development.
How much money can a company save in commercial real estate by having most of their staff WFH? And yes, I'm sure for upper management and those in charge it does make sense to have face to face meetings, but for most front line office workers that are putting in a 9-5... nope.
Also I'd like to know if the number of sexual harassment claims, workers comp claims, and general discord between co-workers goes down with WFH. I would think it would have to. No more complaints about X playing music too louds, having "cube parties", stinking food in the break room, dress code violations, just the general interaction of people that causes such problems for managers.
My wife has been WFH for over a year. She has loved it because the company has a horrible office culture and WFH has insulated her from a lot of the general idiocy. She now has a new boss who was an outside hire and has precious little clue how to do his job well. When she went into the office last week, he basically pressured her to start working a more hybrid model so she could be there to help him do his job more. At least we got an electric car in the meanwhile so the commute will be cheaper. It's also motivating her to return emails from other companies' recruiters.