I know that the world has changed, and many people can and want to work from home.
According to one Business Executive, 25% of white-collar workers have cemented the right
to work from home already, with more than half the workforce currently working in a
Hybrid model.
Rolling the number up encourages many of us to believe that this is the only way of the
future, and organisations might as well just get with the program.
I believe there are some jobs however, irrespective of what the employee wants, that
should not be work from home and companies should not feel obliged to bow down to the
pressure.
Some companies are locking in contracts that state employees can work from home full
time or the hybrid model, even though they know this is a substandard option for their
business at the time.
They are under the assumption that if they don’t agree to these terms, they won’t be able
to fill the position. In some instances, particularly with a tight labour market, they might be
correct?
However, some organisations are getting so incensed by these job demands that they are
looking at alternatives. They are happy to provide flexibility but not lock in contracts with
terms and conditions that are counterproductive to the workings of the organisation.
The following is a short case study on how a company was forced to think differently when
refusing to accept they had no option but to agree to working from home conditions
dictated by the potential employee.
Recently, a company was attempting to employ a Change Manager for a major
organisational change project. Their role was to understand the organisational dynamics,
build relationships, conduct workshops, and influence the change that was required.
Every candidate interviewed insisted that they could work from home on their terms and on
three times the market rate. Everyone understands the dynamics of supply and demand,
but there was a limit.
The organisation knew the importance of building trust and rapport and it did not matter
how great the technology was in this role, human to human interaction was key.
It was very tempting to just give in to the demands, not wanting to be seen as non-
progressive or labelled as “stuck in the past”.
The CEO of the organisation said we had to think outside the square, like that of the movie
Money Ball. This was where Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), General Manager of the Oakland A's, one
day has an epiphany: Baseball's conventional wisdom is all wrong. Faced with a tight budget,
Beane must reinvent his team by outsmarting the richer ball clubs. Joining forces with Ivy
League graduate Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), Beane prepares to challenge old-school traditions.
He recruits bargain-bin players whom the scouts have labelled as flawed but have game-
winning potential.
Though not the same, the organisation looked within for a person or persons with the
potential skills irrespective of the role they were in. They then decided they could backfill
the role.
They also agreed as an organisation that any contract going forward would not lock in
working from home dates, but instead agreed to mutual flexibility. This was to be
negotiated with their manager based on both the priority of the business and the
requirements of the individual.
This was particularly important because previous management had locked in management
contracts that specified what days people could work from home. Managers were refusing
to come to training sessions or major change workshops on days that did not suit,
irrespective that the company was undergoing a massive change. They had organised their
lives to take children to school and booked advanced medical appointments and would not
allow flexibility because of their contract of employment.
I can imagine some people reading this may be outraged that a company wants to priorities
the needs of the business and agree on negotiated flexibility rather than lock in contracts.
I can also imagine some people reading this may be relieved that some companies are not
bowing to pressure, but rather opting for negotiated flexibility as opposed to embedded
contract conditions.
Whatever your point of view, organisations are constantly changing. Where you work can’t
be a one-way inflexible option. If it becomes this way other options will always be found.
