The “Claw Back” of Remote Work
No matter how many companies make the same decision, as soon as Disney makes an announcement, it becomes big news. And that's exactly what happened recently when Bob Iger, the reinstated CEO of Disney, announced the elimination of remote work for many of Disney's employees. While this trend had been percolating over the last three-to-six months, leave it to Disney to bring it to the front page.
There are truly mixed emotions about the move to reduce remote working. There's no question, working from home has given a great deal of flexibility to many single-parent households or those with two parents working. By reducing drive time and giving slight flexibility for small household chores to be done during the day (like the simplicity but HUGE impact of just doing a load or two of laundry), it has increased the happiness of many employees.
But there's another argument. People in leadership roles are asking questions about the number of new hires who have been brought on and what everybody's actually doing. While there is evidence of continued productivity, company finances are suffering, for many reasons, and thus leaders are trying to get a handle on expenses. To make decisions, many are finding it necessary to see their employees more often.
On this issue and its repercussions, the real question isn't today but in the future. Does a diminished world of remote work hinder the best-talented people from applying for jobs that don't allow flexibility? Do individuals who lose remote privileges continue the great “reshuffling” or “resignation” by looking for jobs that do? What happens to individuals who work remotely from a great distance but are now being told they need to be in the office more often (not realistic if you live 500 miles away)?
In the end, I don't believe complete remote opportunities or 100% in person offices will be the norm in the future. It's a hybrid approach that will serve organizations, leaders, and employees best. The question becomes is this individualized per employee vs. organization around talent sets, other job responsibilities, and willingness to work in office environments? And that means this issue will continue for many years to come.
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