WaPo opinion piece from a CEO who wants people back in the office

[Anonymous]

My favorite part is when she threatens to turn work-from-homers into contractors and take away their health insurance.

Also: I never realized that celebrating someone's birthday in the office was part of my job. I now hate that practice even more than I did before.

Predictably, she gets flamed in the comments.


Opinion: As a CEO, I worry about the erosion of office culture with more remote work

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/06/ceo-i-want-my-employees-understand-risks-not-returning-work-office/

[...]

While some employees might like to continue to work from home and pop in only when necessary, that presents executives with a tempting economic option the employees might not like. I estimate that about 20 percent of every office job is outside one’s core responsibilities — “extra.” It involves helping a colleague, mentoring more junior people, celebrating someone’s birthday — things that drive office culture. If the employee is rarely around to participate in those extras, management has a strong incentive to change their status to “contractor.” Instead of receiving a set salary, contractors are paid only for the work they do, either hourly or by appropriate output metrics. That would also mean not having to pay for health care, a 401(k) match and our share of FICA and Medicare taxes — benefits that in my company’s case add up roughly to an extra 15 percent of compensation. Not to mention the potential savings of reduced office space and extras such as bonuses and parking fees.


Furthermore, we need feedback — good and bad — to successfully manage employees, and they need it to succeed. A friend at a Fortune 500 company tells of a colleague who was hired just as the pandemic hit. He struggled. He wasn’t getting the job done. It was very hard for the leadership team to tell what the problem was. Was it because he was new? Was he not up to the work? What was the specific issue? Worse, no one wanted to give him feedback over Zoom when they hadn’t even met him. Professional development is hard to do remotely.

People considering just dropping into their office should also think about FOMO, fear of missing out. Those who work from home probably won’t have FOMO, they will just have MO. The casual meetings that take place during the workday. The “Do you have three minutes to discuss X?” These encounters will happen. Information will be shared. Decisions will be made. Maybe if you are at home you’ll be Zoomed in, but probably not. As one CEO put it, “There is no such thing as a three-minute Zoom.” Being out of that informal loop is likely to make you a less valuable employee.

While remote working is certainly industry- and job-dependent, and the future employment scene will probably be some type of hybrid, the CEOs I have spoken with fear erosion of collaboration, creativity and culture. So although there might be some pains and anxiety going back into the office, the biggest benefit for workers may be simple job security. Remember something every manager knows: The hardest people to let go are the ones you know.

[Anonymous]

This was such a lousy article and quite frankly she sounds like a lousy CEO.

First of all, the words “contractor” and “employee” have specific definitions and a CEO can’t just decide everyone who works for them is now a contractor because they are at home and missing office birthday parties. That is such a bafflingly stupid assertion.

Second, everything she references about “office culture” and “three minute conversations” is also obsolete and stupid. No one needs “office culture.” No one who is actually doing their work likes being interrupted every half hour by someone who wants to have a “three minute conversation.” I can’t even.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was such a lousy article and quite frankly she sounds like a lousy CEO.

First of all, the words “contractor” and “employee” have specific definitions and a CEO can’t just decide everyone who works for them is now a contractor because they are at home and missing office birthday parties. That is such a bafflingly stupid assertion.

Second, everything she references about “office culture” and “three minute conversations” is also obsolete and stupid. No one needs “office culture.” No one who is actually doing their work likes being interrupted every half hour by someone who wants to have a “three minute conversation.” I can’t even.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This was such a lousy article and quite frankly she sounds like a lousy CEO.

First of all, the words “contractor” and “employee” have specific definitions and a CEO can’t just decide everyone who works for them is now a contractor because they are at home and missing office birthday parties. That is such a bafflingly stupid assertion.

Second, everything she references about “office culture” and “three minute conversations” is also obsolete and stupid. No one needs “office culture.” No one who is actually doing their work likes being interrupted every half hour by someone who wants to have a “three minute conversation.” I can’t even.

+1

+2 this piece read as thinly veiled threats. I especially liked when she was like "maybe we won't pay bonuses any more" as though any normal bonus program is tied to face time vs output.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My favorite part is when she threatens to turn work-from-homers into contractors and take away their health insurance.

Also: I never realized that celebrating someone's birthday in the office was part of my job. I now hate that practice even more than I did before.

Predictably, she gets flamed in the comments.


Opinion: As a CEO, I worry about the erosion of office culture with more remote work

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/06/ceo-i-want-my-employees-understand-risks-not-returning-work-office/

[...]

While some employees might like to continue to work from home and pop in only when necessary, that presents executives with a tempting economic option the employees might not like. I estimate that about 20 percent of every office job is outside one’s core responsibilities — “extra.” It involves helping a colleague, mentoring more junior people, celebrating someone’s birthday — things that drive office culture. If the employee is rarely around to participate in those extras, management has a strong incentive to change their status to “contractor.” Instead of receiving a set salary, contractors are paid only for the work they do, either hourly or by appropriate output metrics. That would also mean not having to pay for health care, a 401(k) match and our share of FICA and Medicare taxes — benefits that in my company’s case add up roughly to an extra 15 percent of compensation. Not to mention the potential savings of reduced office space and extras such as bonuses and parking fees.


Furthermore, we need feedback — good and bad — to successfully manage employees, and they need it to succeed. A friend at a Fortune 500 company tells of a colleague who was hired just as the pandemic hit. He struggled. He wasn’t getting the job done. It was very hard for the leadership team to tell what the problem was. Was it because he was new? Was he not up to the work? What was the specific issue? Worse, no one wanted to give him feedback over Zoom when they hadn’t even met him. Professional development is hard to do remotely.

People considering just dropping into their office should also think about FOMO, fear of missing out. Those who work from home probably won’t have FOMO, they will just have MO. The casual meetings that take place during the workday. The “Do you have three minutes to discuss X?” These encounters will happen. Information will be shared. Decisions will be made. Maybe if you are at home you’ll be Zoomed in, but probably not. As one CEO put it, “There is no such thing as a three-minute Zoom.” Being out of that informal loop is likely to make you a less valuable employee.

While remote working is certainly industry- and job-dependent, and the future employment scene will probably be some type of hybrid, the CEOs I have spoken with fear erosion of collaboration, creativity and culture. So although there might be some pains and anxiety going back into the office, the biggest benefit for workers may be simple job security. Remember something every manager knows: The hardest people to let go are the ones you know.

Same. How disgusting.

[Anonymous]

The writers at Washingtonian are participating in a social media blackout in response to this op-ed. They’ve all posted on Twitter,
“As members of the Washingtonian editorial staff, we want our CEO to understand the risks of not valuing our labor. We are dismayed by Cathy Merrill’s public threat to our livelihoods. We will not be publishing today.”

[Anonymous]

The whole thing read as tone deaf. Perhaps the work culture could adapt as well? That seems outside her limited bandwidth.

[Anonymous]

"there's no such thing as a 3 minute zoom"

Uh, duh. It's called a phone call. I have 3 minute phone calls all the time.

[Anonymous]

The best response I saw to this was that if your employees are spending 20 percent of their time on activities that "promote office culture," you should just institute a four-day workweek and you'd have the highest employee retention and satisfaction levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The writers at Washingtonian are participating in a social media blackout in response to this op-ed. They’ve all posted on Twitter,
“As members of the Washingtonian editorial staff, we want our CEO to understand the risks of not valuing our labor. We are dismayed by Cathy Merrill’s public threat to our livelihoods. We will not be publishing today.”

Good for them.

There are certainly things I miss about office life, that I've had to adjust to as we spend so much time remote. But the added VALUE to my own life has been incredible. I do not miss celebrating any of the stupid office parties at ALL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"there's no such thing as a 3 minute zoom"

Uh, duh. It's called a phone call. I have 3 minute phone calls all the time.

I send an IM often to someone saying "have 5min?" and we either IM or have a quick call. It's the online equivalent of poking your head in someone's office.

[Anonymous]

This is pathetic. The pandemic has lifted the veil on the fact that people DONT need to be in an office all the time, but CEOs like a little power trip of seeing all kinds of people there.

Its like that scene from Austin Powers, Dr Evil says "you, carry stuff back and forth across the room" basically "look busy".

[Anonymous]

I bet she considers herself quite erudite, progressive, and sophisticated.

Then threatens their health care.

Nice. Nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"there's no such thing as a 3 minute zoom"

Uh, duh. It's called a phone call. I have 3 minute phone calls all the time.

That's what Microsoft Teams is for. Co-workers call me all day.

I also receive plenty of performance reviews and feedback while virtual.

Agree she sounds like a terrible CEO with lack of new insight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is pathetic. The pandemic has lifted the veil on the fact that people DONT need to be in an office all the time, but CEOs like a little power trip of seeing all kinds of people there.

Its like that scene from Austin Powers, Dr Evil says "you, carry stuff back and forth across the room" basically "look busy".

What good is a corner office if there is no-one around to see you in there?