TWEP - Episiode 17 - Working From Home 100% - Comes At A Cost

The Workplace Experience

As 2023 is drawing to a close lets have a chat this week around the topic on everyone lips this year, Working From Home vs Working From The Office.
For the record, for the bulk of my professional life I have worked from home. It is real art, successful mainly if you work autonomisly or you work in a client facing or sales role and you work from home to do all your admin or concentration work instead of using the office.
But in saying that I don’t necessarly think that working from home 100% of the time is good for anyone. Not just from a professional point of view but also socially and personally.
The office is a place that fosters creativity, collaboration and a healthy team culture. Often these three outcomes from the being in the office are a by-product of attending office.
However, we also know that different environments bring out the best work in different individuals. As we have discussed in some of our recent podcasts over the last few weeks the place to work is a competitive market in itself and people do now have real choices between the HQ, home, co-working, cafes, libraries, yachts or in transit.
Its up to employers to remind their people of the sensitivity that needs to be at front of mind when working in these public spaces and the risks of people overhearing telephone conversations or discussions when people are meeting face to face. Its even worse when you are on public transport, in the back of an Uber or taxi or even on the bus.
I was going across town in Sydney on a bus a few weeks ago to hear a woman on a phone discussing with what appeared to be a workmate about one of their peers and her demise from the firm over a transaction that went pear shaped and some personal issues that that contributed her performance at work. The woman on the phone mentioned the lady by name. The only issue was this lady that was the subject of this conversation was a close friend for about 20 years. Not cool, tasteless and disrespectful, not just for my friend but for anyone who knew the landmark asset that was at the centre of the failed transaction.
A bit of googling would allow anyone interest, healthy or otherwise to join the dots and then it becomes small talk at the bar or the Sunday afternoon barbeque.
Mandating officework isn't the answer. Some CEO's have tackled the return to office that way to find the masses have not returned. Its all about the messaging, why it is preferred to work from the office a few days a weeks, the benefit for the employee and also for the organisation.
No one likes to work in a dictatorship, but I hate to say it but getting real results by people returning to the office will mean those days of being in the office may need to be agreed by consensus or set by management. This will ensure that the benefit if collaboration and sharing is powered by having not just a few people in this day or that day, but people's calendars align.
Lets not also forget that people often need "guard rails" to protect them from short sighted decisions. In times when cost of living is putting the screws into peoples personal budgets, the thought of saving money on travel costs, travel time, child care and other direct costs can be seen to be attractive, but remember out if sight is out of mind and when your out of mind these are the first people to get knocked over by the Redundancy grim reaper. Don't think it cant happen to you.
Beyond the grim reaper issue I have written an extensive white paper about the workplace and COVID 19 back in November 2020, specifically talking about the impact on your career development when you work from home all the time . Do not under estimate the career glass ceiling. It effects men and women who are not actively seen at the office or participating as a active member of your team or organisation.
It often means those opportunities fo