To office, or not to office, that’s the question

The hot topic over the past couple of years has been the debate about working from home after the pandemic.

Before 2020, the last big change in the world of work was the introduction of free weekends almost a hundred years ago, and it became popular as “it was embraced by employers who found that the full Saturday and Sunday break reduced absenteeism and improved efficiency.” (bbc.com)

As I’m sure you know, after the pandemic, there was a trial for a 4-day work week, which was trying to look into many things, including what kind of effect that would have on those absenteeism and improved efficiency. We now know the companies taking part were very happy with the results, and almost all of them kept their new normal after the trial, but that is a subject for another blog.

The time we spend working was only one of the aspects the workforce was questioning after the pandemic, another being where we work. Where can we get the best results, and is that ‘best’ for the company, for the employee, or both?

When you follow the debate in the press, you notice two things. Most people have very strong opinions, and their points of view tend to be black and white. For the most enthusiastic defenders of either only remote working or only office working, there is only one right answer for the reasons that matter to them. However, there are many aspects to take into account in any company.

So, who benefits from working from home?

1) New parents - more time to spend with the new family member by both parents. The benefit from this varies from family to family, but for all, instead of travelling to and from work, who wouldn’t prefer spending that time with the baby instead? If the decisions of returning to office are made by people who are not able to relate to the issue or don’t understand the importance of it for others, they might end up losing staff for it.

2) Another reason for anyone to benefit from working from home is the cost of travel there. If you live far from the office - or just anywhere in London really - the time and amount of money you spend to get there don’t make much sense. If someone can save money by not going to the office and spending it to improve the quality of their life instead, they will likely do the latter. If you want your staff to get to the office, would giving them a pay raise to cover it or covering the travel cost in another way be an option?

3) The next group to benefit are people who work in an open office and struggle because of noise or constant interruptions. It is a lot easier to be productive when you can work in a quiet environment and the interruptions come through an IM that you can control to an extent. Especially for Highly Sensitive People this is crucial and working from home can get them on par with others when it comes to the working environment.

4) We cannot forget people with physical or mental issues that can affect their work if not addressed in some way. You can have a sheer genius working for you, and rightly so if you are looking for the best staff, but unless they have a suitable environment for them how can they bring 100% of their geniusness to the company?

Home is a better place to work for someone when a family member (human or pet) has just passed away, with serious relationship trouble, health problems including a cold, depression, IBS, heavy period etc. Sometimes you are capable (and willing) to work, but having to do it in a shared space might take your energy from work to keeping it together in front of other people. It is not in a company’s interest when the employee’s focus is on anything else than work, so it makes sense to consider if the benefits of forcing someone to the office outweigh the downsides. Especially if we are talking about temporary measures.

What are the pros of getting people to the office then?

1) Human beings are social animals. We wither without interaction with other representatives of our species, even if they happen to get on our nerves. Of course, there are variations of how much we benefit from seeing people depending on our characteristics, but in general, it is safe to say no one would want lockdowns to go on for the rest of their lives. When it comes to work, we benefit from sharing ideas, whether it is in meetings or at the water cooler or coffee machine. It is a lot easier and more natural for us to bounce ideas when we meet people rather than message someone online. The delay in the interaction does not help when you are in a flow, so face-to-face interaction is crucial when we get into creation mode.

Networking is another perk in the traditional way of work. It has been a great way to find friendships, as well as future roles, for as long as offices have existed.

2) Face-to-face interaction is also irreplaceable for younger staff who need to learn from the more experienced staff and maybe need guidance and support in their duties. Especially if you need instant assistance, there is never a guarantee of that when relying on online messaging. It is impossible to develop and learn, as well as to network, when everything is done remotely compared to in-office experience.

3) Meetings can be more beneficial when done in person due to lack of delay, technical issues, someone on mute (again) etc. Ideating can take off a lot easier when everyone is gathered in the same room and can jump in when they have something to say, which doesn’t work when trying to chip in from the other side of the world.

4) There is no mental support like colleague support. If work stresses you out, whether it is due to internal or external factors, no one will be able to provide you support like a colleague who knows what you are talking about. That is a lot harder - even asking for it is harder - if you are in different locations. The whole work experience is different for all when teams are not in the same building.

5) Teamwork doesn’t quite work if people are not interacting. It might work to an extent in a team that has worked together for a longer time, but especially when new people are joining, a complete lack of face-to-face interaction will take a lot from the results. A team needs teamwork, and a fully remote team will not work the same way as one in an office.

6) Online security is a big issue. Its importance varies from team to team and company to company, but we all know a home setup is not quite the same thing as the one that has been built for the office by the IT team. When a company deals with confidential information, this aspect cannot be ignored.

"The ability for a group of people to do remarkable things hinges on how well those people can pull together as a team." - Simon Sinek

How about the hybrid option? Can we justify a compromise solution of sorts?

1) Best of both worlds, the benefits from both groups above, so what’s not to like? Not a 100% perfect solution, but then again, what is?

2) Hybrid solution gives a cost benefit for the staff and in the best case also for the company. If you can move to a smaller and cheaper office with the need for fewer desks, that should win over the board too, no?

Speaking of office cost, how about fully remote?

1) You can truly hire the best talent as they won’t be tied to any location, nor is there a need to pay relocation costs. The world is your talent oyster.

2) Is presence in an office needed for any role in your organisation? What is it that the best talent cannot do where they are?

3) If you can hire staff with a lower salary as they are located in countries where they can still live well with it, why not do it? You save on office and salary costs, have a wider skill pool at your disposal, and your staff is happy and productive because they can work in a way that suits them. Sounds like a pretty good deal.

I do feel sorry for companies that have paid long leases and renovated amazing offices before the pandemic if they now find they don’t need them, but should people be forced to get back in them just for that reason? That can be a trap if the possible consequences are not taken into account.

Every company needs to make decisions based on what are the best options for them. We should still never force our take on something without taking into account other people’s opinions and needs as there are many. It is easier than ever before to find a workplace that takes your needs into account if your current one doesn't, and this is the best chance we have had to learn how to make working truly work for everyone.