Why Have Companies Failed to Get Employees Back to Offices

Originally published by Chicago Now. Reposted with permission.

With most Covid-19 restrictions lifted by governments and the world opening back up, a sense of normalcy has returned. This is, however, not the case when it comes to the employment world. 

Employers are expecting employees to resume their normal work schedules in the office. It has been met with a lot of hostility from the employees, with them having several arguments to back up remote working. Here are some of the reasons why employees prefer working from home.

Restrictive working conditions

The ban on most interactions being lifted doesn’t mean we have reached a Covid-free world yet. There are still many restrictions placed in the workplace to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Their restrictions on movement, interaction with workmates, even their visitors who use the visitor sign in app from Greetly that presents their information are still restricted. 

The app prevents unnecessary contact with people and devices as it is touchless. It stores information on the visitor, making it easy for contact tracing if someone contracts the virus. Even with all these measures put in place, there are several restrictions in the workplace that people will not have to deal with if they work remotely.

Unhealthy work environment

Employees complain that most work environments are hostile and affect their productivity often. They would constantly be anxious, irritable, and even depressed due to the pressure presented by the environment they were in. 

Working from home saves them from all this pressure in the workplace and they are more productive this way. Employees get to work in an environment they like, a place that is peaceful, comfortable, and convenient. They can still finish their tasks and beat deadlines in this environment. With workers enjoying all these benefits of remote working, it is hard to convince them to return to physical offices.

There is equal efficiency

Working remotely is equally efficient and perhaps even more than working physically in the office. Employees can still do good quality work and finish it as they would in the office. They can meet required deadlines just as they would in an office setting. Research suggests that there has been an increased level of efficiency and productivity in roles done by those working remotely. 

Employees were able to finish work on time and take on more tasks. This brings up the question of whether it is really necessary to work in the office. Employees argue that if the job is getting done, it doesn’t matter where.

Less environmental pollution

Working from home poses less threat to environmental pollution caused by cars. Carbon monoxide gas from car exhaust fumes is the major cause of air pollution. Motor vehicles release about four metric tonnes of carbon into the environment every day. This has a significant effect on the ozone layer, causing more environmental problems. 

Everyone should contribute to environmental conservation and working remotely is a very efficient method of doing it. Organizations and businesses also reap numerous benefits from the government for being active in climate change issues. Employers can be key contributors to sustainability agendas by allowing employees to work remotely.

Flexibility

There is more flexibility with remote working. People can multitask when working from home. This has been more advantageous to parents who had to incur costs on housekeepers and babysitters when going to work. Parents can now manage their home affairs, finish tasks and beat deadlines. 

They can take care of their children, prepare meals, do laundry, and still get the work done. This makes working from home very efficient for them. Going back to work would mean hiring a nanny, trying to vet them on a busy schedule, and an added cost.