Page 2: No difference in productivity

Contents

So it's obviously not a big difference. At the same time, employees who are forcibly called back to the office are often frustrated. Why is that?

There are several reasons. First, as I mentioned earlier, the mandate signals a lack of trust for management. This damages morale.

Secondly, employees have learned during the pandemic that they can work productively from home. They have also been able to avoid the often long and arduous commute to work if they are allowed to work from home. This has many advantages. Avoiding the commute allows employees to achieve a better work-life balance.

Thirdly, many employees have made adjustments to their family life precisely because they assumed they could work from home. Forcing people back into the office changes all these assumptions and fundamentally changes people's lives.

There is a cliché that being away from the office limits career opportunities, even though we are actually in constant contact with each other via digital tools.

This is certainly true in practice. The computer company Dell, for example, has explicitly told its employees that they will not be promoted if they do not go into the office. Nevertheless, 50 percent of Dell employees choose to work from home.

How will these people react if they are called back to the office permanently? Will they be lost to the company?

I think that many people will then look for new jobs. At the same time, those who stay or have not yet found a new job will be less motivated at work.

Most people seem to enjoy working from home, even if it comes at the expense of privacy and sometimes concentration, especially when the family is involved. Why is the home office so popular?

It's the things I've already mentioned - the avoidance of long commutes and a better work-life balance that results. It also helps to avoid burnout.

Are people who work from home more productive? Or those who sit in the office?

Research indicates that there is actually no difference.

We live in a world of open-plan offices where people tend to wear headphones to concentrate. That didn't used to be the case. That's almost as isolating as working from home, isn't it?

Yes, working with lots of other people can lead to many distractions - not to mention office politics. So it's true: working from home can help employees focus better on their tasks.

There's this argument of "serendipity" - those happy coincidences when people meet in the hallway or elevator that then help the company move forward. Is there anything to it?

Personal interactions are definitely an advantage. I therefore recommend simply letting the team decide for themselves how many days a week they want to work in the office.

On these days, the people then all go to the company headquarters together or at least to an external office and hold face-to-face meetings. And on the other days, everyone decides for themselves where they want to work. (bsc)