The one abbreviation that boomers, millennials, and Gen-Z alike are familiar with is WFH (also known as Work From Home). Drop WFH in a conversation, without context, and you will have everyone swarming in like bees to give their two cents about it. Remember the advent of the 2019 pandemic? When we all assumed WFH would be a fly-by-night concept that would retire even before it started? Well, looks like the only thing that is here to stay longer than the pandemic is WFH. PJs are now becoming the new power suits and coffee mugs are transforming into the ultimate work accessories. Because as of 2023, the numbers provided by Forbe illustrate how 12.7% of full-time employees work from home. Forbes also predicted that by the end of 2025, 32.6 million Americans will work remotely.
It is not a secret that the global pandemic reshaped the way that we work. Even as we move beyond the pandemic, it is evident that working from home is not just a passing trend, but a paradigm shift in the manner in which we approach work. As statistics say, around one-quarter of the global workforce will call it quits or shift to another job if they were asked to physically be present at their workplace, five days a week. Nevertheless, there are employers such as Elon Musk who are demanding that their workers show up at work for at least 40 hours per week. Whereas on the other hand, companies such as Apple are trying to negotiate with their employees to agree to report to their desks at least three days a week – with a hybrid work option. However, more and more employees are hesitant to go back to the office full-time, which is making many question as to why working from home gained such a massive momentum.
Why is ‘Working From Home’ here to stay?
- Enhanced Flexibility: Working remotely has shattered the 9 to 5 workdays and allowed employees to adapt their schedules to better suit their lives. A survey by consultancy firm McKinsey (in 2022) which asked 12,000 job seekers about their reasons for wanting to shift to a new job indicated that most of them listed flexible work right after greater pay.
- Access to a wider talent pool: WFH removed geographical barriers which enabled companies to tap into a vast talent pool beyond their local vicinity. Businesses hired the best talent regardless of their physical location, leading to a more diverse and skilled workforce. This inclusivity not only fosters innovation but also promotes a dynamic work culture.
- Cost-effective for employees and employers: Employees will save a fortune in terms of money and time by not spending on commuting. Employers will save by not having to maintain large office spaces, utilities, and other overhead expenses.
- Boosting Employee Morale: The freedom to work from home has been a morale booster for many employees.
- Business Continuity: Having a remote work option can help businesses maintain operations during emergencies or unforeseen events that may disrupt traditional office work.
- WFH is eco-friendly: With fewer employees commuting to and from the office, there is a reduction in carbon emissions and overall environmental impact, contributing to sustainability efforts.
- Can easily retain employees: When a company offers the option of working from home, it will be perceived by the employee as a valuable perk. A chance too good to pass on. Owing to the fact that employees treat flexibility and convenience akin to sleep, they will not consider the option of running away.
Pro-WFH and Anti-WFH
While working from home is accepted by most with open arms, some sectors don’t seem to like the idea very much. Because despite the fact that remote working offers many advantages, one size does not fit all. Some jobs or industries may not find this suitable. Experts believe that WFH varies quite a bit depending on the type of work. Stanford Economics Professor Nick Bloom delineates how certain organizations are adopting a tripartite policy for employees which is presented as:
100% in person: retail, service, and other front-line staff
100% remote: payroll, benefits, IT support, and, call centres
Hybrid: managers and professionals
The suggestion of the hybrid system is mainly because of a few common disadvantages of working from home. A few of them are:
- Social isolation, where remote workers may feel isolated and crave social interactions that come with working in a physical office. After all, we are humans.
- Blurred work-life boundaries: one of the major complaints about WFH is the fact that there were no clear-cut working hours and that work hours seeped into their personal hours. This problem is yet to be addressed.
- Ergonomic challenges where employees may not have access to the same ergonomic setup at home as they would in an office.
- Feeling disconnected from company culture
In addition to such common issues, Professor André Spicer who studies Organizational Behaviour at the University of London believes that “The work-from-home revolution is here to stay if you are rich, white, and live in London”. His concerns are centred around the fact that we should not assume that remote working has touched everyone’s lives in an equal manner. If the world moves forward with a misconception as such, it could lead to real danger.
Despite the existence of certain disadvantages, the vigorous search for solutions to common problems indicates how companies would rather solve them than fall back on the pre-pandemic culture of working from offices. Work from home has become so normal that there is a set of regulatory frameworks that are being developed to govern remote work. This framework is being brought to address the surge of issues that entail factors such as increased flexibility, lack of a work-life balance and employers no longer having control over the safety and stability of their employees’ work.
All in all, the existing numbers and indicators work together in tandem to denote how WFH is here for the long run. Overpowering the traditional notion of an office, with its rigid schedules and physical constraints, people are navigating themselves in this new world of work and they insist that WFH stays.
(Sandunlekha Ekanayake)