UK's Labour Party plans to make working from home a legal right...
And what a disaster this would be.
According to The Telegraph, Labour is considering including in its election manifesto a legal right to work from home.
The policy to make flexible working the default option is featured in an extensive list of proposals being formally weighed up.
The key line proposes: 'Make flexible working the default from day one for all workers, except where it is not reasonably feasible.'
I’m a 100% supporter of flexible working. Having the option to work from home when needed is invaluable, especially for parents who are balancing children’s schedules. Indeed, having the ability to work from home can increase productivity, enable focused document work and enable teams who work across multiple geographies. Two years of a global pandemic has embedded hybrid working as a viable new normal. Managerial mindsets are adapting, and we have the technology to facilitate a thriving virtual working world.
To a point.
I can’t help reflecting on my formative working years and comparing that to what working from home’s impact might be on the younger Millennials of today and Gen Z. The unquestioned norm used to be: you get up early, you make yourself presentable, you get out of the house and make your way into the office, ready for a full day’s work. Every day. No matter what. Hungover, in terrible weather, feeling tired or in a bad mood! You get up and you get out, you hit the commute. No choice.
There’s something to be said about this. Isn’t there?
You then face each day, at the office, dealing with people face-to-face, learning from senior colleagues, getting your work done, having great and not-so-great interactions, good productive days, strenuous ones. It’s character forming. It teaches you tenacity, perseverance, endurance and…well…grit!
I wonder how many of those days I would have headed to the office if the default was working from home as my ‘human right’? Sometimes having a forcing factor is beneficial in life! A bit like having to walk my dog day after day in all weathers – and no, I don’t always feel like it, but I always feel great afterwards.
Research clearly shows that our young people are already struggling with social interaction. Their ability to negotiate, network, build meaningful relationships and handle conflict is impaired by the predominantly online world they inhabit. We are social animals. We already know we are facing a mental health pandemic on the back of Covid19.
Not to mention basic working/communication skills. I recently coached the CEO of a medium-sized law firm who openly shared with me his frustration with his younger members of staff. Some of his soundbites:
- “Pick up the phone and dial their number!”
- “Arrange a meeting and have an actual conversation!"
- “Do we all need to watch 20 ping-pong emails clog up our inboxes when a short chat will nail it?”
And what about Corporate Culture?
A company’s culture is the glue that holds teams together. It’s the rituals, routines, norms and behaviours that make you feel you belong. The culture of a company is reflected in the office space, working atmosphere and serves to enrich one’s working life. Culture is a result of corporate strategy (or arguably the other way around, but that’s a subject for another article!), point being – they are linked, and culture is important.
How can cultures manifest and endure if no one is legally required to leave their homes? Not least to determine if someone is a good cultural fit. Integrating and training talented staff will become harder, as will ensuring employees have a thriving working experience. Industries that rely on creativity and innovation through interaction will suffer the most.
In closing, I hope that our politicians give proper consideration to the WFH research and look carefully at current trends and the potential negative impact on the bright minds of the future - and not least the potential negative impact on UK plc’s productivity - rather than suggesting laws designed to attract short-term votes.