Brigette Hyacinth’s Post

I think a hybrid schedule is a good way to go. Provides for those who get more work done at home to do that, but also gives the needed face-to-face team building and collaboration that is very valuable. I think flexibility is valuable too, so even if in the office you can go to dental appts, kids’ school functions, etc. while still getting your work done and not having to spend PTO on those things if possible. I’d rather work OT a few other days to cover the 2 hours I need to be away on another day. I do feel less micromanagement is needed though.

Working from home can reduce stress levels by eliminating the hassle of commuting, the pressure of office politics, and the distractions of a noisy environment. Employees who work from home can enjoy more flexibility in managing their time, tasks, and personal life. They can choose when and how to work, as long as they meet their deadlines and goals. Working from home can also increase employee happiness and satisfaction, as they can have more autonomy, creativity, and balance in their work. They can also save money and time on transportation, clothing, and food. I love to work from home :D

I observed that while working from home, people take fewer breaks or short breaks when there are targets/deadline-based works than they do while working from the office. It is a psychological effect of being in a place. People don't want to get questioned and hence, most of the time, they work more effectively with WFH situations than with WFO situations. However, there are still a lot of professionals (or unprofessional people) who take advantage of the situation and are less productive during the WFH scenario. On the other hand, companies also take advantage of giving WFH by not keeping the boundaries intact regarding official and unofficial hours. It is both sides' responsibility to take care of these factors while discussing WFH. Holistically, it saves both costs and time when it is WFH and gives an employee a better work-life balance situation.

Definitely needs to be evaluated on an individual basis and give employees a choice. Some enjoy the office environment, some don't. Some places need the face to face interaction and collaboration for jobs to get done. It's definitely not suitable for every line of work either. But if you want to work at home, and you're able to work at home, and the work gets done. Then why not? I enjoy the days I do go in, but I still spend up to half my day in MS Teams meetings because my colleagues are all around the country. I personally mostly work from home. It saves me 4 hours of commuting, the price of public transport, allows me to get stuff done around the house in my breaks (throw a load of washing on, empty the dishwasher, start prepping dinner, etc), and it also allows me more time with my family because when I'm finished for the day, I log off, close my home office door, and go straight out to spend time with my kids instead of starting the 2 hour journey home. I could not sustain my employment if I had to go in office every day, or even every other day. I'd simply be too exhausted.

“If you can’t trust your employees to work flexibly, why hire them in the first place?” I couldn’t agree more. Babysitting someone doesn’t inspire someone to work harder, it scares them. That fear eventually becomes disdain and they’re out the door. If someone isn’t producing - whether you can see them or not - it always becomes clear eventually anyway. Why not empower people to work the way they work best?

I worked at a place that had mandatory in-offce 3 days a week, which is fine. I enjoy connecting with people face-to-face. But, no one ever showed up (not even the managers who implemented the rule). It would especially drive me nuts when I would have to go into the office for meetings on the remote days and then it would end up being a video meeting at my desk. Same situation, 3hr commute round trip on transit for what? 🙁 Frustrating.

Collaboration in person is a valuable and productive way to work. Depending on the job, the employee perhaps should not apply for a job that is a 3 hour commute if you need in person collaboration. I love working in the office, the buzz the friendship and the ability to grow my knowledge and skills.

I don't think businesses realize the impact remote work has, especially in tech. I am literally 2-3 times as productive from home as I have no traffic stress, fall out of bed into my office, I work less hours that I actually get paid for, money goes further as I dont have to eat at the office, less vehicle maintanence, less apparel expenditure, less stress and overall more happy. This equates to a massive boost in results. I can't work in an office setting and that is what I've learned fits my personality, this is why remote work is worth swopping for that extra bump in salary.

I wish it were that simple. For someone who has worked remotely for a few years even before the pandemic, remote is not the holy grail ‘flexible’ is. Effective remote work depends on the role, organisation culture, how complex information dessimation is, how big the team is, how closely you need to work with them, how distraction free your home environment is etc. Saying I don’t care how work gets done can discourage people from bringing up the challenges they might face because of working remote or otherwise.