It brings us right back to 2013, when Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer brought far-flung employees back into the office for the same reason.
I find it strange, and more than a little bit contradictory, that major Silicon Valley technology companies -- the very firms the rest of us look to for cutting-edge, creative ways of enabling the use of technology for flexible work purposes -- would themselves shy away from the concept of flexible work arrangements made possible thanks to modern technology.
Aren't these the very companies that should be selling the rest of us on the dream of collaborative remote work based on technology use? Shouldn't they be leading by example in terms of implementing ever more forward-thinking workplace flexibility policies that, in effect, act as a branding extension of the technologies they offer? Shouldn't they be showing the rest of us how it's done?
To me, it feels as if large technology companies that reduce or eliminate remote work and/or flextime offerings are saying: Please implement our forward-leaning technologies that will enable your workforce to work from anywhere, but, uuuuh, we're still going to make sure our own employees trudge into the office every day and sit where we can see them all day long. Because in-person teamwork. In 2015.
Hmm. How can technology companies sell non-technology employers on the truly wonderful concept of workforce flexibility and remote collaboration through technology if they aren't willing to do it themselves? It may eventually signal a troubling trend for corporate flextime in general. At the very least, it feels like something is missing from the overall branding message.
I'm a strong proponent of flextime and telework programs in the workplace, and here are five reasons why:
1. Flextime and telework are among the best workplace inventions of the modern era. Great companies know this, and have embraced the concept. They are always looking for new, creative ways to employ telework and flextime programs instead of employing draconian measures to eliminate them. Great companies "flex" their time management muscles.
2. Flextime and telework are workplace perks that keep employees at a company. Sure, the most talented employees could leave tomorrow for another employer and potentially earn more money, but their current employer allows them to work a somewhat flexible schedule and/or telecommute either full-time or part-time, and so they stay put. They'll take flexibility over slightly more money with less flexibility, but thanks for asking.
3. Flextime and telework signal that a company is dynamic. That is, modern enough to realize that work is no longer a static activity that happens inside four walls. Rather, it's a dynamic, increasingly complex, fluid activity that can happen anywhere. Hence, their workplace policies aren't stuck in 1995. They know that their employees, and their workplace policies, are a part of their overall branding message.
4. Flextime and telework send a message to employees that a company is results-focused. These programs effectively tell employees that the employer trusts them to get the work done, and is most focused on the end result. If employees are turning in their work on time and consistently do a great job, then does it matter that they worked from home on Monday? No, it does not.
5. Flextime and telework indicate that a company trusts, and cares about, employees. By offering flexibility, a company is acknowledging the every-day employee struggles around work-life balance -- from juggling snow days and sick days to attending Junior's 1 p.m. school event to maintaining an overall quality of life. These are the things that money can't buy, as far as employees are concerned.
In sum, I am immediately impressed by any employer, whether the company employs 250,000 employees or 15 employees, that offers any sort of flexibility to employees. Because it's 2015, not 1995. Now lead by example, Silicon Valley.
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