The workout class thing is so interesting! I have 6pm dance classes one or two nights a week, which means I need to leave my desk shortly after 5.00 (which is, theoretically, when I finish). I’m totally happy to dial into phone calls while I walk to dance, or check my emails once I get there and again after class, but those are a fixture in my week, which, similar to the case study, I need to give about 24 hours notice to cancel without losing class credit.
Even still, why should you do those things. You finish at 5 and stop being paid at 5. End of. If it were a lawyer or window cleaner - whoever - if you asked them to do more work after their paid project was finished, fheyd charge again. I appreciate you’re being flexible but I feel like companies take advantage of kindness
This is a really great article. I feel many companies think that a RTO mandate will solve all their problems. They're blaming lack of innovation and collaboration and productivity on their remote workers. They are not digging deep enough. Remote work is NOT the problem - you have other issues that need solving. Yes, bringing people back to the office will improve connection and teamwork and psychological safety too, so there are good reasons to do it, but RTO is not the only solution. Companies need to be a bit more creative, RTO to me is the lazy option.
What fascinates me about this is that we are starting a two-class society at work: Those who have the ability to work from home and those who do not.
I have worked in manufacturing and mining where the 'dry workplace' extended to everyone. None of us were allowed to have a drink during work hours. So when I was taken out to lunch, it was sparkling water for me.
While I am completely on board with flexibility, we have not seen the full impact of WFM on the workforce. I know that I am incredibly lonely and unmotivated when I work from home alone. To get productive, I head to the cafe to be surrounded by noise as I now work for myself. I REALLY miss the office.
It's interesting - when I chat to organisations who have onsite staff who need to be there the biggest driver isn't necessarily envy about people working from home, but a desire to have flexibility in their own jobs.
For many workers the easy of swapping shifts, or requesting more or less hours via an app is highly desirable. When you look at shift workers the ability to know their hours two months in advance is a massive ask of them.
The loneliness of remote workers is a real thing though. I can empathise with that myself.
Brilliant article. And interesting news about RTO. My role ends in the next 18 months and I'm wondering what I might do if the role I want to take on and the organisation I want to do it in, doesn't offer hybrid working as standard....
The workout class thing is so interesting! I have 6pm dance classes one or two nights a week, which means I need to leave my desk shortly after 5.00 (which is, theoretically, when I finish). I’m totally happy to dial into phone calls while I walk to dance, or check my emails once I get there and again after class, but those are a fixture in my week, which, similar to the case study, I need to give about 24 hours notice to cancel without losing class credit.
Even still, why should you do those things. You finish at 5 and stop being paid at 5. End of. If it were a lawyer or window cleaner - whoever - if you asked them to do more work after their paid project was finished, fheyd charge again. I appreciate you’re being flexible but I feel like companies take advantage of kindness
This is a really great article. I feel many companies think that a RTO mandate will solve all their problems. They're blaming lack of innovation and collaboration and productivity on their remote workers. They are not digging deep enough. Remote work is NOT the problem - you have other issues that need solving. Yes, bringing people back to the office will improve connection and teamwork and psychological safety too, so there are good reasons to do it, but RTO is not the only solution. Companies need to be a bit more creative, RTO to me is the lazy option.
What fascinates me about this is that we are starting a two-class society at work: Those who have the ability to work from home and those who do not.
I have worked in manufacturing and mining where the 'dry workplace' extended to everyone. None of us were allowed to have a drink during work hours. So when I was taken out to lunch, it was sparkling water for me.
While I am completely on board with flexibility, we have not seen the full impact of WFM on the workforce. I know that I am incredibly lonely and unmotivated when I work from home alone. To get productive, I head to the cafe to be surrounded by noise as I now work for myself. I REALLY miss the office.
It's interesting - when I chat to organisations who have onsite staff who need to be there the biggest driver isn't necessarily envy about people working from home, but a desire to have flexibility in their own jobs.
For many workers the easy of swapping shifts, or requesting more or less hours via an app is highly desirable. When you look at shift workers the ability to know their hours two months in advance is a massive ask of them.
The loneliness of remote workers is a real thing though. I can empathise with that myself.
Brilliant article. And interesting news about RTO. My role ends in the next 18 months and I'm wondering what I might do if the role I want to take on and the organisation I want to do it in, doesn't offer hybrid working as standard....