With Remote Working now the “norm” for many companies, what effect is this having on Corporate Culture?
With a national shift back into the workplace looking unlikely in the near future, it may be the case that dependence on remote meeting tools ramps up throughout the summer. However, according to some organisations’ leaders, it will take more than returning to the physical workplace to revive corporate culture.
In fact, in some instances, business leaders have declared traditional workplace culture to be ‘dead’. This, they argue, is due to the fact that many analysts foresee the current rise in remote working to have a lasting effect on the workforce – many refusing to return to a physical workplace at all.
“Not coincidentally, employers keep pushing back their projected return dates. When offices do return, they may limit themselves—because of state orders or their own concerns about preventing employees from getting sick—to just 25 or 30% occupancy. But the quiet part of this dilemma needs to be said out loud now: When should you go back to the office? According, to some, maybe you shouldn’t!!
And whilst this may well sound far-fetched, the effects of remote working are already causing a change. Earlier this month, Twitter told its staff that they can work from home ‘forever’ if they choose to, following internal research that suggested staff found the method of working beneficial for productivity and work-life balance.
“The past few months have proven we can make that work. So, if our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen,” the brand said in a statement.
Twitter isn’t the only company promoting increased remote working. Tech giants Google and Facebook also revealed that staff would likely not be returning to the office full-time until 2021, Variety reported. The two firms stated that they would let employees work from home until at least the end of 2020, while also putting in place set timelines for gradually reopening corporate offices. That said, business leaders need to think carefully how working from home can affect corporate culture and if indeed, this may impact the whole ethos of the company moving forward.
Adapted from HR Grapevine May 2020 K. Howells.