Bringing Back the Office Life: A Sweet 🥕 Carrot or a Bamboo 🎋 Stick?
Do you know it’s time to return to the office? Some employers are offering incentives like a $10 donation to the charity of your choice, while others are threatening poor performance evaluations for those reluctant to make the commute. 🏢🚶♀️💰😖
Manny Medina, the CEO of a Seattle-based artificial intelligence sales company, is familiar with repetition. Over the past year, he’s frequently encountered the question: “Wait, so why was it you wanted us back in the office?” He faced the concerns of engineers about the commute and of working parents about school pickup times. In response, Mr. Medina reiterated his belief: Proximity improves work. After a three-year experiment with a combination of remote and in-office work, he concluded that ideas emerge more naturally in the office environment. 🏢💡💭🗯
“In person, you can interrupt each other without being rude,” Mr. Medina explained. “During a Zoom conversation, you have to let someone finish their thought.” 🗣💻🤐
For many office workers, the last three years have involved shifting plans for returning to in-person work — vague suggestions, no real commitments, and mostly people working wherever they prefer. But now, companies are getting serious once again. 🏢🕓💼🔄
A wave of companies this spring and summer summoned workers back to the office. Disney requested four days a week, Amazon opted for three (even facing a walkout from corporate workers), and Meta and Lyft set September deadlines for many of their employees. Others introduced novel tactics to ensure their return-to-office policies were adhered to. Google, which asks most workers to be in the office three days a week, warned that performance reviews might scrutinize unexplained lengthy absences, and badge records could reveal habitual absenteeism, according to company spokesperson Ryan Lamont. 🌊🏢🕓👨💼👩💼
Google employees will only be allowed to work remotely on a rare basis. “We want to see Googlers connecting and collaborating in person, so we’re limiting remote work to exceptions only,” Mr. Lamont clarified. 🌐🏠💻🤷♂️🤷♀️
The new rules come as business leaders accept that hybrid work (a combination of remote and in-office work) is here to stay. Currently, just over a quarter of full workdays in the country are performed at home, with office occupancy remaining at half of its pre-pandemic level. 🏠🏢💼📉👻
Salesforce, the business software giant, announced a 10-day campaign where it will donate $10 per day to charity on behalf of any employee who comes into the office (or for remote employees who attend company events). Although the company previously expressed enthusiasm for a future where many of its staff could be fully or partially remote forever, the shift in policy might seem surprising to some employees. 💰🏢💼🌐💻💡
But as we adapt to these changes, we must remember that we’re all in this together. Whether we like it or not, the 9-to-5 office life is making a comeback, at least for some. How we handle it is up to us. Just remember, we’re all navigating this new reality together. 🌺🤙🏝️🏢🕘🕔👨💼👩💼💼💻🌐🔄
NOW IN ENGLISH
Bringing Back the Office Life: A Sweet 🥕 Carrot or a Bamboo 🎋 Stick?
“Are you aware that it’s time to head back to the office? Certain bosses are providing perks such as a $10 donation to a charity of your choosing, however, others are issuing warnings of poor performance evaluations for those who are hesitant to return. 🏢🚶♀️💰😖
Manny Medina, the leader of a Seattle-based artificial intelligence sales firm, is no stranger to repeating himself. It’s part of his job, right? Throughout the year, he’s faced the same question numerous times:
Wait, why did you want us back in the office again?
Engineers highlighted the issue of commuting, while working parents talked about the challenges of school pickup timings. Mr. Medina responded with arguments he had used so often they seemed like personal mantras: Physical proximity improves the quality of work. After a three-year trial period of a mixed remote and office work system, he found that ideas naturally flowed better in the bustling environment of the office. 🏢💡💭🗯
“You can interrupt each other without being rude when you’re physically present,” said Mr. Medina. “In a Zoom meeting, you have to let the person finish their thought.” 🗣💻🤐
For a large number of office employees, the past three years have been a blend of plans to return to in-person work – summoning people back, but not really enforcing it, with everyone basically working from wherever they want. Now, for what feels like the umpteenth time, businesses are preparing to get serious. 🏢🕓💼🔄
This spring and summer, companies across the spectrum called employees back to their offices: Disney asked for four days a week, Amazon suggested three (which even led to a corporate walkout), while Meta and Lyft are targeting September for many of their employees to return. Others have come up with new tactics to ensure their return-to-office policies are enforced. Google, asking most workers to be in the office three days a week, announced that performance reviews might take into account lengthy unexplained absences, and badge records could be scrutinised for consistent absences, according to Ryan Lamont, a company spokesperson. 🌊🏢🕓👨💼👩💼
Google will only allow employees to work remotely on an exceptional basis. “We want to see Googlers connecting and collaborating in person, so we’re limiting remote work to exceptions only,” Mr. Lamont stated. 🌐🏠💻🤷♂️🤷♀️
These new rules arrive as business leaders acknowledge that hybrid work is here to stay, with just over a quarter of all workdays in the country now being done from home, and office occupancy still at half of what it was pre-pandemic. 🏠🏢💼📉👻
Salesforce, the business software titan, announced a ten-day campaign, pledging to donate $10 per day on behalf of any employee who comes into the office or for remote employees who attend company events. But to some employees, this may feel like a shift in tune, given that the company’s previous workplace plans were announced with fanfare for a future in which many of its staff could be fully or partially remote forever. 💰🏢💼🌐💻💡
So, brothers and sisters, the time for change is here. Whether we welcome it or not, the 9-to-5 office life is making a return, at least for some. How we navigate this is up to each of us. Let’s remember, we’re all in this together, and we’ll figure it out. 🌺🤙🏝️🏢🕘🕔👨💼👩💼💼💻🌐🔄”
