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I’m a CEO, and permanent WFH is coming
Are words like “permanent” and “indefinite” being used in your workplace? These are highly common words employers are communicating to their employees about working from home. Many of you have switched from a cubicle or shared workspace to a bedroom, kitchen, or DIY standing desk at home. And there are talks of this becoming a permanent approach for employers, whether corona dies down or not. Here are a few reasons why:
*Office space is expensive and you working from home essentially saves the company money.
*Employees are voicing that WFH is improving their quality of life and work flex time.
*Employers are realizing that work can still get done without having people commute into the office every day.
So get a comfy chair and please feel free to share what you think/know your company will do!
M Elizabeth Ingram
HR, administration, & benefits at work; mom of 2
731
07/06/20 at 3:54PM UTC
We've moved to a completely remote model (although we eventually plan to have an in person staff meeting each month) for those that want it. Employees have the option to go into the office for 1-2 days/week if they would like. It's been delightful; I think that our Microsoft Teams 'water cooler' tab has been a great substitute for in person interaction (but I'm a major introvert).
Cyn ArmisteadSupport Engineer
520
07/03/20 at 5:28PM UTC
I've worked from home off and on since 1990. I absolutely love it! Being at home increases my productivity and energy. My concentration is better, too.
Carolyn HipkinsOnline Community Manager | Executive Assistant
387
06/30/20 at 5:05PM UTC
I love working from home. Like others have said on this thread, ir's easier to get more work-life balance. I can concentrate better on my work and I'm more productive. My supervisor is looking things we can do to extend the time we work from home.
Andrea JanovTransforming employees into teammates
144
06/30/20 at 2:56PM UTC
I love working from home and am in a role where I would be remote regardless of Covid, but I am seeing a breakdown in communication between those who are used to working in an office. Taking video calls that end up just working through a project plan or document that could have been handled more efficiently through comments. Is anyone else running into those issues?
Kristine S
47
06/30/20 at 3:27PM UTC
Working remotely can reveal opportunities to skill-up in work methods. It may take some stepping stones conversations and modeling more efficient work habits. The more the colleagues can skill up, the stronger the distributed team.
Anonymous
06/30/20 at 12:03AM UTC
I had a full time WFH for about a year and that was as long as I could last without human to human interaction. I went back to a full time office role, but my ideal model would be a hybrid. Flexibility is key, but two or three days working remotely just makes me more productive, and once I am in the office I get to collaborate more intentionally with my team. Right now I doubt my employer would even consider giving our office personal the option to have one or two days remote. As you said, employees are all for it, for us its leadership that is not onboard yet.
Anonymous
06/29/20 at 8:50PM UTC
WFH is very well received! My compay is implementing a remote work policy soon. I will be likely working remotely which is a huge benefit since for a year I lived apart from my husband, without the flexibility I would very likely look for another job.
One thing that concerns me is career growth, it'd be interesting to see how promotions and overall career management will work going forward.
Shelley DyerAccounting, Tax, & Recruiting Professional
23
06/25/20 at 6:49PM UTC
Working from home just makes sense for so many reasons. It helps with work/life balance. I think that for work reasons, I am so much more productive. I can work late on a project and not worry about getting stuck in traffic on the way home. For personal reasons, I am able to take much better care of myself not having to leave the house at 4am to commute 2 hours into the office in the morning. I am able to eat healthy food at home all day, fruits, vegetables, home made food, which is way healthier. I am able to go for a walk for at least a half hour at lunch! The environmental impact of having the world stop for the past several months was seen online as we were all in quarantine, it was amazing to see how the air and rivers started to clear up! Less cars on the road means cleaner air, which is better for us all! I hope that our company continues to work from home for these reasons and many more!
Goalsetter352065Inspiring Leaders to Make Time to Make Change.
116
06/25/20 at 6:47PM UTC
I agree WFH has enormous benefits but I wonder how this will impact overall corporate culture? What happens to water cooler conversations? Overall, I see a benefit but I do think there are some areas that may need some work. I am curious what you think?
Gillianne HetrickHR Manager & Non-Profit Director
426
07/07/20 at 2:03AM UTC
I agree that the casual interaction is going to be missed if there is no return to the office. I do like the idea of a Slack watercooler channel.
Cyn ArmisteadSupport Engineer
520
06/29/20 at 5:53PM UTC
We created a watercooler channel in our Slack to encourage employees to continue mixing casually. I strongly suggest that any companies that have people working remotely do the same.
Goalsetter352065Inspiring Leaders to Make Time to Make Change.
116
06/29/20 at 10:52PM UTC
Great suggestion!
Rachel MinnickInnovative Nonprofit Professional/California
946
06/25/20 at 5:30PM UTC
I really hope that as many jobs as possible have a WFH option. While it isn't possible for all types of roles, moving people to WFH (where it makes sense) means fewer cars on the road (good for people who don't WFH), the ability to balance work with other life needs, and, if don't right, can improve trust among team members and leadership.
Anonymous
06/25/20 at 5:29PM UTC
I would say that I really enjoy working from home. It allows me to be more relaxed, I get more done and I get a lot more time back in my day. My company is work from home at least through the end of 2020. Not sure what the future plans are or what our CEO will decide to do moving into 2021. Kudos to you for choosing permanent work from home for your organization! I’m sure many people will love it!
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