Reply to I truly do not understand the anti WFH sentiment

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am a big proponent of both WFH and flexible schedules, and have actually prioritized WFH has an option for the last 15 years, so was doing it regularly well before the pandemic.

That said, I've noticed that since the pandemic that many people who shifted to WFH during the pandemic are bad at it. Working from home requires self-discipline. A lot of people don't have it, and they don't "go hard" for 9 hours. I think it has also made people who have social anxiety issues worse because they can avoid face to face interaction so much. I am a consultant and I've had client contacts who are incredibly flaky and unreliable in the last few years (far more common than it was pre-pandemic) and with many of my clients, it's typical for no one to be on camera during even important calls that were set up specifically to help people get to know each other.

I'm not anti-WFH at all, but the last few years have taught me that for many people, being in an office is a critical component to them being able to perform their jobs.

And the annoying thing to me is that people who slack off and become avoidant when working from home give the entire concept of WFH a bad name, so I have client now who are adamant about bringing everyone back into the office.

I think it's a training and hiring issue -- you need to set proper expectations for WFH and you need to hire people who can handle it. Also you need managers who know how to manage people remotely -- many don't and have no idea how to motivate and facilitate without in person. You can't just send everyone home and hope for the best.[/quote]

How do you know they are bad at it? It’s not like you are in their living rooms. [/quote]

If you can tell when a person you communicate with a lot for work is at home versus in the office, and their WFH days are marked by slow responses to emails and calls, slipped deadlines, and other unprofessional behavior, it's easy to figure out they are bad at WFH.

I once worked with a guy who, on his WFH days, was simply MIA until 10 or 10:30. This is in contrast to many people who thrive with WFH, who often log on early to get a bit of work done before maybe getting in a workout or taking their kids to school, so that they benefit from a jump on morning emails or setting up their day.

WFH really is not for everyone and a lot of people have just never developed the skill set needed to manage themselves without external motivators (like knowing that if they aren't working, their colleagues and bosses will be able to see it).[/quote]

Poor performance has nothing to do WFH vs in office though. Are you saying these folks were too performers in person before Covid? I doubt that. I think WFH magnifies these little things that you didn’t used to think about in the office. More of misperception than anything [/quote]

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