Working from home Covid-style is not a true reflection of remote work

In the past few weeks we’ve questioned whether office workers or home workers are more productive at home versus in the office and, likewise, whether their work-life balance is better achieved remotely or onsite.

We’ve read countless articles and insights on both these issues and have seen the world news spin out wildly different opinions from leaders on whether remote working is effective or catastrophic for their businesses – from those who will never go back to working in-office to those who can’t wait for it all to end.

This version of remote working is not “normal” remote working

What none of them are openly acknowledging however, is that working from home during Covid19 is not the same as working from home, or “normal” remote working.  Covid19 has given the world a taste of home working – but it’s a very peculiar tasting version of remote, not the authentic article.  For some, it’s a taste of freedom and opportunity which will set them on a course to explore further – but for others, this unique blend of remote work, with its restrictions on any kind of face to face interaction is a bitter blend indeed.

Many businesses have been fully remote for a decade or more but they, too, are struggling at the moment because the current-day remote work is not their usual version of remote work.  In happier times, they would have come together as a team, as a company, to innovate and brainstorm, to celebrate wins, to forge new connections.  They would have networked at industry events, attended industry awards. There would have been incentive trips and holidays to provide some respite in work-hard play-hard cultures.  New starters might have been onboarded in-office. There would have been client meetings, conferences, pitches, association meetings, staff lunches – life, work, living.

Imagine how much better this would be, if it were “real” remote work

All the interactions and socialisation most of us crave and need to work effectively.  But Covid19’s version of remote work has allowed for none of that.  And yet, even without these benefits and accoutrements, many businesses have still found remote working to be effective, productive and beneficial – imagine how much more effective remote work could be, if you could have the benefits of both worlds – the ability to come together when needed, the ability to connect, network, engage at will but also to take a day, or week, to complete a project without the minute-by-minute interruptions of office-life.  Imagine a work culture which allowed you to watch your child’s Nativity Play or Sports Day without guiltily checking your emails, or to virtually “turn up” an hour later than usual so you could fit in that morning swim, because your company’s focus transitioned to output over presenteeism.

Covid19 has generated lots of chat about “pivoting”.  Businesses that were once bricks and mortar pivoting to e-commerce, events that were physical pivoting to virtual – the creativity and innovation in some of the pivots we’ve seen has been awe-inspiring.  But for many businesses, the key pivot they will need to make is in recognising that working from home, working remotely, will become a permanent – if only partial – fixture in their business.

Working from home is a permanent fixture

The reality is, Covid19 has catalysed remote working in a way that only a global pandemic could and, what’s more, it’s effects will last long past any vaccine being available.  Those businesses keen to return to a wholly on-site operation will find themselves in a whole new world reality – one in which their drive to be wholly office-based will put them at a distinct competitive disadvantage in a world that has shifted on its axis, and recognised the benefits of more flexible working models, and won’t go back.

Whilst home working has been a struggle for some, it has been liberating for others.  Here in the UK, the Government urged workers to work from home for the next 6 months if possible.  Many businesses have indicated to staff that they don’t anticipate a return to the office until the latter part of 2021 – some are even suggesting 2022.  Earlier today the BBC reported on an Institute of Directors’ survey which questioned 1000 firms – 74% indicated they plan to maintain their increase in homeworking.   After 12 months and more of working remotely, it seems incomprehensible that businesses will ever return to being completely in-office once this is over – indeed, speculation over quite how long it will take for this to “be over” in itself, means there is no end in sight, to an element of remote, for most businesses.

For many, Covid19 has provided proof of concept of home working

More than anything what Covid19 has shown us is that it is entirely possible to work remotely, effectively.  How many employers turned down their employee’s requests to work from home before last year, saying that their jobs just couldn’t be achieved out of the office?  How many women in particular found themselves unable to pursue their careers, or to step up to that next promotion due to the inflexibility of enforced office-hours combined with long commutes clashing with parental responsibilities?  And yet how many employees are now more than proving their value, their commitment, their passion and their motivation by getting everything they need done – and more, due to the lack of constant in-office interruptions and unnecessary meetings?

Businesses that don’t recognise remote work is not going away are in for a shock

The business leaders suggesting they see no benefits at all of working from home are not fully in touch with their employees – and/or have failed to manage the transition effectively.  There’s no doubt remote working is not for everyone, and no doubt that working remotely full time, for some businesses, has disadvantages.  But these disadvantages can be off-set with a hybrid approach, and those businesses refusing to acknowledge that remote will be a permanent part – if even a small part – of their operation are in for a shock.  That said, hybrid remote/in-office working models have disadvantages of their own – something we’ll be focusing on in next week’s blog.