Today I want to talk to you about return-to-office mandates, specifically the one that just began in the City of Philadelphia. If you've been reading any posts from me over the last few years, you know which side of this I sit on, but let's get to it!
On July 15, city employees returned to the office by order of Mayor Cherelle Parker. She made the decree on May 20 with this word salad (per ABC News).
Employee presence at the workplace allows for more personal and productive interactions, It facilitates communication. It promotes social connections as well as collaboration, innovation and inclusion.
She is right about one point: employee presence does allow for more personal interaction. But not all of those interactions are productive. I work at my office one day a month and it is by far my least-productive work day. People are stopping by to say hello. Someone brings pretzels. We have to go sit in a conference room for an hour or more for trainings. And do you know what is not happening, for all of us, during those times? Actual work!
It also does not promote inclusion for people with disabilities, but we'll get to that shortly.
She mentioned elsewhere some nonsense about "equity" because not everyone can work from home. And you know? That's a fair point to make. But bringing the IT crew back because the sanitation workers are out and about is not equitable. Because that's exactly what all of this is: utter nonsense.
👎
Her reasoning being "to create a more visible and accessible government" is such a politician answer. First of all, those two concepts are not mutually exclusive. And second, about 80% of the city workforce has been working on-site. And it's not like work has stopped since 2021 - a common argument against remote work. The city hasn't shuttered in the last three years because of full telework or hybrid work. If business isn't getting done, that's a people problem. You don't need to relocate your workforce. You need people who will actually do the work.
I work for the Commonwealth, so I'm not a city employee but still a civil servant. In 2023, when I was working from home every single day, I won an award for excellence from the secretary of my agency. So the "teleworkers don't get stuff done" point will never stick with me. I have been so much more productive and the numbers prove it outright. The idea that we all have to cram into a dilapidated building is so antiquated. I just want them to admit this has nothing to do with the workers. Just tell us your friends who own the spaces offered you perks or something. Sure it's unethical, but at least it wouldn't be bullshit.
🏢
Okay so let's get to the meat here: City of Philadelphia employees are back in their offices every day and it has gone, as predicted, terribly so far. Per this piece on WHYY, workers have been crammed into ill-equipped conference rooms and storage closets. Instead of returning to actual workspaces, employees were situated in spots without enough space to sit and no outlets for their devices. How are they expected to get work done if they're working on couches and in closets, sometimes with no power or Internet?
Imagine you need an accommodation for a disability and you come back to your site to that. There is no way for you to feasibly get your work done. And we haven't even touched on the issue of commuting. Just about every SEPTA post on social media is one saying a route is delayed for hours or outright canceled due to operator unavailability. So if you can even get to work, you may not be able to successfully complete your tasks once you're there. This entire plan seems to have been based on "we have to do it this way because it's how we did it before" with zero consideration for the problems that teleworking solves.
An employee interviewed in the WHYY piece had this to say about their return.
I think the best path forward is to stop picking fights with your own employees and to stop infantilizing them. I don’t want to continue to work for someone who seems to think that I’m an idiot.
The idea that workers need to be in an office to collaborate is simply not true. We all have email, chat, and phones. We are all reachable in a number of ways, and we have figured out how to get the work done outside of the office. And the fact that many employers provide "perks" like free fries, drink samples, and water ice is downright insulting. Yes, that shot of a Dunkin drink and cup of fries during a heatwave totally makes up for having to waste hours commuting to and from a building that has no space or Wi-Fi for me. Thanks, boss!
That person also mentioned that in-office work "increases sexual harassment, sexism and racism in the workplace." The outdated approach of needing to be in an office to work can create a hostile environment for many. But the higher-ups likely did not consider that. Yes, the work is important and it needs to get done. No one is disputing that. But for that work to get done, you need to create a space where it can happen efficiently and effectively. So far, these cramped and unprepared rooms are not that. Beyond the physical limitations, many workers are now placed back in uncomfortable or unsafe work environments.
📝
Again, I just wish the people making these decisions were honest about the reasons. "Fostering collaboration" is not it. The real estate developers complained loudly enough and you caved. That seems to be the motive here. The work was getting done outside the walls and the investments began to depreciate. What a shame! Maybe these rich dweebs should pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get real jobs.
And if your middle-management types are sad because they no longer have people to lord over? The solution is not to force teleworkers to return. Tell those managers to deal with it or find another place to work. We are all doing just fine having lunch with our families and saving dollars & hours not having to commute. Unless our productivity starts to suffer, leave us be.
But if the problem really is productivity (it isn't, but go with me)? Let those bad workers go and hire new workers in hybrid roles. Everyone wins. You don't need to punish everyone who is teleworking because some aren't pulling their weight. Find the problem and solve it directly. I'm a union guy, but I fully understand if they can't protect me if I just don't do my work - and they should not be doing that.
Just please be honest about it. And stop trying to entice people back to work with happy hours and pizza. We don't need that. We have cultivated our ideal workspaces and we are still handling all of the business. Unless there is a real problem, don't disrupt that. Treat us like people and let us do our thing. Happy employees will stick around longer and be more motivated to do the work.
And isn't that the whole point?
💡
⇩
No comments:
Post a Comment