Once the Toothpaste is Out of the Tube

 

Because of the Pandemic, many workers, the white collar workers that could, were forced to work from home.  It was a shock at first to be certain.  There were issues with parents who had to work and also had to manage their children and their remote chaos.  Slowly, chaos of the first days subsided, the children returned to in-person school, and workers invested in better and more comfortable home offices.  People got over the “zoom fatique,” appreciated not having to commute, and began to enjoy the new normal of working from home. 

As we have declared the Pandemic over, the workers that got used to working from home actually prefer to work from home.  As some corporate leaders are trying to get people back into the office, they are finding push back from their employees.  People have adjusted their lives and lifestyles around remote working.  We all know people who have moved to more scenic, rural, or lower cost of living locales because they can and still effectively do their jobs.

I remember in the last days of my corporate life in 2007 when I would be in our division president’s office with the VP of HR and our CFO for a morning meeting.  Now and then, we would look out his window over the parking lot and they would all comment on who was coming in at 8:30, 9:00, or even 9:30.  They thought people were slacking off if they weren’t at their desks right at 8.  They were adamantly against anyone working from home.  I once raised the notion, “Wouldn’t it be OK to work from home now and then if the work still got done?”  The reaction from the rest of the leadership team was short, adamant, and a most resounding “NO!”  I never brought it up again.

It wasn’t only the company I was working at then, it was true of everyplace I ever worked.  Management wanted people in the office, at their desks, under their watchful eyes, and at their beck and call.  This made a lot of sense in the days before everyone had a laptop.  It progressively made less sense with the popularity of the internet, remote access via the cloud to the everything anyone needed to do their job, and texting/video meeting platforms.  Remote working has been possible for at least ten years, but management was not.  The Pandemic changed all that.

Now management is having a tough time reversing the trend.  Part of this is due to the employment market.  Workers can push back on management because there is still low unemployment.  They can and will find other employment if they need or choose to.  Management will have more leverage If and when unemployment increases.

There are advantages to working in an office with everyone.  The advantages are beyond just getting the job done.   There is the comradery and informal team building from people just being together all day.  It is the informal conversations, having lunch or coffee, or hanging out after work.  Trust and alliances facilitated by such interactions.  Even when socializing, work is still somehow discussed.  Younger folk that only know remote work may be missing out on this important aspect of work life.

Basically, I see a mix of work; a split between the office and working remotely.  It would be the best of both worlds.  It is not easy to put the toothpaste back in the tube.