Pre Covid-19, for those who remember, most companies would not even consider working from home (WFH) as an option. They would tell you that they don't believe in WFH, or that it's not a realistic way of working. However, during Covid-19, companies had to adapt. So, let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of WFH.
Pros of WFH
1. No need to commute
Since employees don't have to go to the office, they save time and energy that they would otherwise waste in getting ready, waiting in traffic and looking for a parking space. Hence, better work-life balance.
2. Less physical interruptions
Sometimes, you're deeply focused in your work and one of your colleagues interrupts you, and now you need time to get back to your zone. Sometimes you're the one interrupting!
3. Less risk of infection
Even if Covid-19 is over, we can still be infected from other viruses. Less office time means a lower risk of infection. Besides, if someone is already sick and in the office, air conditioners can often extend the recovery period.
4. Flexibility
Whether you got kids you need to take care of, or professionals working at your place and you need to check on them from time to time, appointments or errands, you have the flexibility to take care of it all.
Cons of WFH
1. Higher utility costs
Working from home means employees use water, electricity and Internet on their own cost. Some companies offer an Internet allowance but it doesn't always cover the whole cost.
2. Power & internet cuts
Most of us generally haven't signed a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the power/internet service providers. So, service interruption is to be expected at any time and this can be a major inconvenience.
3. Disturbance
Working from home doesn't mean there is no disturbance. Your family members, friends or neighbors can still disturb you.
Unreasonable Cons of WFH
There are a few arguments against WFH that I don't think are reasonable.
1. Feeling of isolation
Several employees feel isolated or depressed when they haven't met their work buddies for a while. In my opinion, one should have friends outside of work, who they hang around with. Colleagues should not be used as a replacement for friends and family.
2. Overworking
Some argue that they overwork when they are working from home. I believe we should find a balance. We have to be responsible for our working schedules, otherwise we're doomed to fail on the long run.
3. More meetings
Some companies set up meetings as a way to keep tabs on their employees. It makes sense that an employer wants to know whether their employees are performing or not. However, companies should instead use their employees' performance results after an agreed period of time to assess whether they've done their job, not the number of hours they've spent in front of a screen.
4. New hires
A popular belief is that more time needs to be spent when coaching new hires remotely. Sure, explaining stuff virtually is hard. So, that's the problem. It's a skill to be acquired. We should maybe look into the pain points on both ends: the coach and the new hire.
5. Physical workspace costs
Some companies argue that they have huge costs related to renting/owning a physical workspace and the fact that most of their employees are working from home means that a lot of money is being wasted. One solution can be to reduce their physical space requirements to accommodate less employees and implement a seat booking system to prevent too many employees from being in the office at the same time, i.e. hybrid working mode.
My solution
My solution is to offer all employees the choice to either be in office or work from home whenever they want, except if their situation requires them to be in office, e.g. IT support. As for employees who don't show up for planned meetings or don't respond to messages during working hours, the employer needs to take disciplinary actions against them, e.g. require them to go to the office, warn them about potential risks of their behavior. If a few employees are irresponsible and unethical, they should be penalized, not everyone else who is working hard consistently.