Encouraging people to return to the office is an ongoing struggle. Some organizations are navigating these uncharted waters better than others. Instead of cooperative negotiation, many are now resorting to scare tactics. Reports stressing the awful damage work-from-home (WFH) is doing to our bodies, our families, and society in general.
Some Examples
For instance, if you keep working from home instead of going to the office, you’ll wind up hunchbacked and alone. You’ll never get promoted. Not to mention the increased chance of contracting rickets from malnutrition.
The most blatant example of this was an article in the NY Post last month. A UK furniture company, Furniture at Work, released a 3D model projection of the average remote worker in 2100.
The avatar, Anna, is overweight, red-eyed, hunchbacked, and has fingers like chicken feet. The pictures show a pot-bellied woman sitting cross-legged in bed with food spread out around her. She’s looking upward from her open laptop, begging for what I can only assume is the sweet release of death.
Several business leaders have not been shy in directly and pointedly stating their intent. They’re going to promote those working from the office over those choosing to work from home, even part-time. And let’s not forget Chase Bank CEO Jamie Dimon’s famous screed. “You’re either on the work track or the career track,” is still echoing through Wall Street.
Additionally, nutritional experts are claiming work from home actually increases the chance of unhealthy eating and even malnutrition. Apparently, we snack more, eat less healthily, and exercise less when we work from home than when we commute.
Truth or Fiction?
Here’s the thing. None of these points is completely without merit. Yes, working from home presents ergonomic challenges. The infamous “Anna” video is from a company whose business is selling office equipment, so a little skepticism is warranted. JP Morgan Chase has billions of dollars invested in commercial real estate and infrastructure. Never mind their 200-year-old business model tied to in-person networking and mentoring. Americans haven’t been eating right for generations, but the odds of a beriberi outbreak are remote. So you’re saying the stuff from the food cart or the vending machines at work is better for us?
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t address many of these concerns:
- The ergonomic concerns about remote work are real. Comfortable keyboards, good chairs, and a flat working surface are essential, no matter where they are. Most people are aware of this. In many countries, companies are expected to train and equip people to work in healthy ways, including from their homes.
- People will have to adjust how they build relationships, both at work and in the world generally. And they are.
- Now more than ever, networking and career advancement will be a dual effort. A partnership between employers looking for the best people and employees who want more flexibility in their lives. More responsibility will fall on the individuals, but studies show people are willing to take that trade-off. Furthermore, organizations that don’t offer flexibility will be less enticing to potential candidates.
- We all need to eat better, exercise more, and take better care of our physical and mental health. The good news is that we have more resources to help us do that than ever before.
There are plenty of legitimate concerns as we navigate the new world of work. Scare tactics don’t look good on employers who want to maintain credibility as the 21st Century unfolds.
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