Is home working still working?
What we learned from our latest worker survey results
Working from home has had a bad rap lately. From the civil service to Amazon and even Manchester United, bosses have been calling time on remote working for white collar workers and summoning their desk jockey employees back into the office.
It’s an emotive topic. Home office advocates are protective of their work-life balance and argue that they are more productive without the distractions of a busy workplace. Not surprisingly, they react strongly to accusations of slacking and wasting company time while they’re free from the scrutiny of managers and colleagues.
Meanwhile, proponents of on-site work make the case for enhanced team spirit: better spontaneous communication, collaboration, shared experiences and a more cohesive organisational culture, as well as greater transparency and equality in communal working arrangements.
Commuter stress vs individual isolation
Our October survey findings gave us an interesting insight. Whichever workplace individual workers prefer, it’s usually for relatively simple personal and practical reasons, rather than the sophisticated reasons relating to productivity, profitability, facilities, corporate culture or security that businesses may cite.
Over three quarters of our survey respondents prefer to work from home, with the most common reason being the lack of commute.
85% admitted that the only advantage of working in an office for them is the contact with colleagues face-to-face.
Commuting is a big issue. Now that most organisations can offer professional workers a high-quality remote experience, with access to secure systems and teleconferencing, there’s a lot less incentive to slog through an hour of rush hour road traffic to sit at an office desk to carry out tasks or attend largely online meetings.
Today, in the UK at least, rail commuters find the experience on many routes increasingly unaffordable as well as stressful, with no guarantee even of a quiet seat to work at during the journey. Many train operators are infamously unreliable, with staffing issues, creaking infrastructure and worn-out rolling stock.
Centralised working comes at a cost
Despite this, it’s understandable that organisations are cracking the whip in terms of getting staff back into the building. Tied into expensive leases and with expanses of urban space to fill, they need to make use of their assets. But at the same time, ESG concerns are driving them to reduce commuting polluting. Corporate organisations are looking hard at their policies, under pressure to make sure they’re acceptable in financial, environmental and HR terms.
Meanwhile, many employees admit that they miss regular face-to-face contact with colleagues when working remotely. It’s not about business meetings, it’s about the informal catchups, camaraderie, friendships and loyalties that are built between workers and teams who spend time side by side in the office or even the canteen or communal kitchen.
The many facets of wellbeing for individuals
Surprise surprise… as with most things in life, it’s all about achieving a balance. And not every organisation has the same resources or working practices. Different workers have different needs and preferences. There is no blueprint for the perfect working environment or location arrangements.
From age and experience to personality type and role, there are dozens of work-related factors that influence each person’s optimum workstyle, let alone their personal circumstances and wellbeing influences, including where they live and with whom.
And then there are the unanticipated benefits that some individuals discover in both office and home workstyles. We know of one executive based in the city of London whose firm is providing employees with free parking beneath the building for electric vehicles. They have found a new joy in the toll-free, season ticket-free commute, with the freedom to unwind on the way home listening to podcasts in their luxurious, rechargeable vehicle.
Another professional who took a new job with no central office has created stimulation for themself by working a couple of days a week out of a local enterprise hub, forging connections they had never previously had time for with local neighbours and co-workers. For the first time, they feel embedded in their home community and have the opportunity to integrate in local systems and groups.
Putting balances in place
Let’s be realistic. It’s impossible for employers to offer a fully personalised workstyle and contract that meets the precise requirements of every worker. When creating policies, organisations must weigh up the merits of office overheads or fully remote working practices against the needs of their customers, workforce, business activities and logistics.
If most people work remotely, it’s wise to invest in social activities and focus on teamwork training and processes, to make sure people have a fulfilling and engaging human experience at work. If most of your team is in the office, giving them some opportunities for flexibility and ensuring that they aren’t forced to commute at the most expensive and congested times can help to alleviate pressure.
Ultimately, if employees feel that their employer trusts them to work well, wherever they are, they’ll be more productive, loyal and motivated. This creates a powerful ripple effect of positivity – for reputation in the market, when it comes to recruitment and in the willingness of employees to do their best work every day.
Taking heed of workers’ wellbeing when it comes to determining how, when and where they work is more than just a kindness – it can give your organisation a true performance advantage. So be attentive about it and seek feedback and suggestions from your team.