This just in an ailing company has decided that banning telework is the way to get themselves back on track.
Yahoo! released a memo last week that tells employees that telework is no longer acceptable and that employees need to physically be in the office in order to effectively collaborate and communicate. According to Yahoo! having people at their desks and in their cubicles will help grease the wheels for an environment that’s agile, collaborative and flexible.
I know the first reaction is to say “WOAH this is a major step back” but as I sit and think about it I think I see some of the pros as well:
- I do think that I get more done when I’m in the office.
- I do think I do a better job communicating with my colleagues when I’m in the office
- I do think that having a person be out of the office puts a strain not only on themselves but their colleagues as well
- Being in the office creates a known quantity of on vs. off time
- It allows you to observe body language and the context of things
With all those pluses I do get the minuses as well:
- Can starve innovation
- Creates a 9 to 5 feeling with no sense of desire or emotion
- Can get loud
- Makes work feel less flexible and more rigid
Don’t get me wrong I think there’s a time and place for telework but I also am a strong believer that there’s a time and place for parking it at my desk or cubicle (note your workplace should strive to be a place that doesn’t feel like prison).
I know teleworks a hot topic on GovLoop right now so wondering what people’s thoughts are.