It has been more than a year that work-from-home has become the norm and employees are getting accustomed to the arrangement, instead of the usual 9 to 5 in-office hours, 5 to 6 days a week. With lockdowns now being lifted, companies are trying to evaluate the positives and negatives of the return to offices, WFH and hybrid working arrangements. The primary factors being considered are the effects of different working conditions on the bottom line and the working conditions that the work force truly want. This is because employee job satisfaction is just as important to retain valuable human resources during these volatile times.
Going back to office spaces after such a long hiatus is an emotional decision and employees are feeling a mixed bag of emotions of everything from excitement and vigour to fear and hesitation. On the other end of the spectrum, due to the sensitivity of the times, employers are aware that they cannot enforce a hard-nosed policy to return-to-office as employees are likely to leave for a new position elsewhere where work-from-home continues to be the norm.
In the midst of these differing opinions however, some employees are slowly beginning to realize that in-office workspaces do have critical benefits which are necessary for normalized living. Some of the reasons why employees are considering shifting back to in-person, in-office working conditions are:
Socialization:
Man is a social animal and basic human-to-human, face-to-face social interaction is of critical importance. Employees working from home are beginning to crave the everyday social interactions, conversations and nuances which has now become non-existent. Office spaces also have socialization areas for employees to unwind together, which is not possible in work-from-home conditions.
Collaboration:
While it is reported that individual productivity is higher when working at home, it has created a void in interpersonal interaction, inadequate digital communication and thus a feeling of career isolation. This is having a negative effect on team collaborations, brainstorming sessions, in-office inter-department coordination/collaboration etc. Younger staff members have also reported that the remote working situation have left them feeling cut off from their teams, de-motivated and under-informed.
New staff development/training:
Training new employees depends significantly on hands-on, in-person training and communication. Conducting staff development activities and evaluating staff performance is more efficient and accurate with proximity to the resource which work-from-home is rendering impossible. Moreover, older staff members find it difficult to upgrade and update their skills from remote working conditions.
Networking/Opportunities:
Fresh staff members in companies have been worried that the lack of direct personal communication is stalling their professional development. Employees are feeling that they are missing out on valuable career opportunities due to the inability to build a professional network and career connections. According to a 6000-person survey conducted for Sharp Corp, over half of their staff of ages 21 to 30 was concerned about the importance of meeting and working with colleagues in person.
Separation of workspace and home-space:
A separate space to work in and a separate space to call home are important for employee mental health. Employees have reported that work-from-home arrangements make it difficult to set work-life boundaries and have a regular working routine. It also tends to increases daily working hours due to the illusion of relaxation created by working from home. This, lack of clear differentiation between work-life and home-life may lead to longer work hours, digital fatigue, increased stress and greater chances of experiencing a burnout.
At the moment it is clear that brick-and-mortar offices are not going anywhere, but nor is work-from-home. Companies and employees have started to understand the importance of both and are looking into flexible working conditions, balancing in-office and remote working arrangements.