For every success story about employers who adopted telecommuting programs, there are countless companies that regret letting employees work from home. Remote workers create challenges for in-house managers who have to supervise people, projects and deadlines without always getting regular facetime with key team members. Telecommuting often comes under fire when companies go through rough periods or changes in leadership, making it essential for remote workers to stay flexible and connected.
In recent years, major proponents, such as Yahoo, IBM and Best Buy, have ended their flexible work practices, making employers wonder if telecommuting does more harm than good in the long run. Employers who oppose these practices are often concerned that a scattered workforce weakens company culture, as teams may struggle to build strong relationships and develop innovative ideas together.
Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer made waves when she recalled 12,000 remote workers back to offices in 2013, and IBM CMO Michelle Peluso followed suit in 2017, giving 2,600 marketing employees an ultimatum to start working at physical locations or find new jobs. In both cases, company leaders were happy with the productivity level of remote workforces but firmly believed communication and collaboration suffer when teams are split apart.
For remote workers, being called back to the office can be disruptive and discouraging. When asked to work at a Capterra office after three years of telecommuting, research analyst Andrew Marder had to give up being a full-time caregiver for his young child, sacrifice privacy and endure an hour-long daily commute. Despite being highly productive at home, Marder says he struggled with time management and prioritization because he was used to working flexible hours to meet deadlines.
Many employers are aware that productivity may drop if they decide to recall remote workers. After all, managers don't monitor in-house employees every second, and people have a tendency to lose energy and output as the hours roll by in long structured workdays. However, employers are willing to sacrifice some efficiency for more visibility, camaraderie and transparency. Employees who socialize have unscripted, spontaneous conversations that yield great ideas, which is difficult to duplicate through hasty emails and collaboration apps.
Remote workers who get an ultimatum have to decide whether the benefits of keeping a stable job are more valuable than telecommuting. For some workers, the decision is easy when it's inconvenient or impossible to travel long distances or relocate a family. For others, it may be worthwhile to embrace the change to take advantage of learning experiences, mentoring and connections available in a physical workplace.
If remote workers choose to stay with the company, smart employers must be willing to guide employees through this tough transition. In Marder's case, he missed several deadlines in his first few months back at the office. With his manager's help, Marder relearned to organize his workflow and calendar to fit a typical workday.
The freedom to work from home is an attractive draw for many job seekers, so companies shouldn't automatically dismiss the benefits of telecommuting. At the same time, remote workers can easily become disconnected from in-house teams if they don't communicate regularly with managers and teammates. Companies that want to stay competitive must be willing to offer some flexibility to talented professionals who have their pick of great jobs.
Photo courtesy of Maryland GovPics at Flickr.com
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