During the COVID-19 epidemic, people were advised to work at their homes. It was more secure.
What most companies didn't anticipate was that employees would love wearing sweatpants to work. They would appreciate being able to grab their lunch from the fridge without having to meet with their colleagues. As people sat in the comforts of their own home, their productivity increased.
There's enough technology to allow the majority of people to be productive from home, which means there's usually no need to get into the office. Except for an unwelcome in-office requirement from the corporate world.
A lot of companies are working to get their business “back to normal” now by requiring that all employees be in the office. But, do they really mandate this? Many refuse to follow the directives.
Today's workers know they are ahead. It's difficult to find decent, skilled employees who are willing to put in the hours. Employers don't want to deal with the hassle of training and recruiting new employees. It's too expensive, particularly when you consider the rising costs across all industries.
In the end, many employees are simply not heeding the office rules. It's like encouraging their employees to take action to change it.
WFH Research conducted the “Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes,” which entails conducting monthly polls beginning in 2020. A recent survey has found that 35% of employees think that their employer will “likely do nothing if they or their peers didn't go into the office as much as required.”
Many businesses are more on how the work gets completed than the location it is completed. The survey found that 17% of respondents said there aren't any consequences for work that isn't completed in a timely manner.
However, not all companies are created equal. There are some who have claimed that they are subject to verbal reprimands, reduction in their pay, or having their bonus removed.
Employers are taking threats but aren't following through in their threat. There's a threat of termination of 15.6 percent, while the actual termination rate is 12.4 percent.
Goldman Sachs experienced the resistance in person. When the CEO David Solomon required a fully in-person week, the bank's junior employees threatened to leave. Some did not show up for work.
Apple employees wanted to go also after the company's CEO Tim Cook implemented a hybrid policy that allowed some employees to work at the workplace, and others work outside of the office.
A researcher that conducted the study, Steven J. Davis said: “For employees to return happily to the office, the boss needs a compelling answer to this question: Why must I spend 30, 60, 90 minutes a day commuting, when I've shown I can do my job from home?”
Davis has a valid point. What's the issue with insisting that employees attend the office when work is completed at home? With the rise in fuel prices, the expense of travel is harder than many workers can bear.
The truth is that COVID-19 brought about many changes and some of them are easier to take in than others. The days of wanting to meet in small offices to eat meals at a buffet for an employee meeting are over.
A few companies are following Biden's suggestion to go back to work. Biden has stated that it's the right time for remote work to cease. In March, President Trump declared “It's time for America to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again with people.”
But…why?
Certain industries depend on workers working from their offices such as the restaurants that host luncheons for employees, catering companies who handle meals for board meetings as well as all the other companies that profit from an influx of workers going into and out of workplaces.
Every business benefits not just because employees are in offices, but rather because employees can spend their money.
We're facing the effects of inflation. It's a tight budget. It's not wise to spend cash on fuel to make it to work or a mocha latte when we get to work because it is needed for our expenses.
Do you want us to work in the office? Fix inflation. Maybe then, people may consider returning to work. At present, it appears like a lot of employees are prepared to challenge the validity of mandates in the office, regardless of the consequences.
