Although many major companies like Facebook and Twitter have committed to offering remote working options permanently, some organizations are still apprehensive about fully adopting this work arrangement.
While it could be assumed that this is due to leaders thinking working from home hinders productivity, it is more nuanced than that.
Firstly, there are many real estate costs to keep in mind when going remote. For instance, Pinterest recently paid $90 million to exit a San Francisco lease agreement.
Leases are typically long-term, and walking away from them can often be costly as seen in Pinterest’s situation. While large, established companies may be able to hand over millions to exit a lease, this is not the case for most.
However, companies who are keeping most of their real estate are still making adjustments to their operations. For example, Microsoft recently announced a new hybrid program that allows employees the choice to work from home or in the office.
Additionally, leaders have expressed issues about maintaining workplace culture in a virtual setting. Unfortunately, socializing online does not properly replicate in-person interactions.
These connections are highly valuable to many workers as they help employees feel part of a community, which leads them to be satisfied and ultimately more productive.
However, despite these factors causing companies to rethink their operational strategies in the future, remote working has many upsides that could outweigh the cons.
