Frank, a former employee of a global technology company’s Irish branch, likens American CEOs to symphony conductors, insinuating their inherent need for their team to be present before them. Once his firm began reintegrating employees into the standard office working conditions post-Covid, Frank opted to become self-employed, motivated by his in-home familial obligations.
Frank describes the current dispute surrounding remote working as deep-rooted, appearing almost like a transcendental conflict. He portrays the scenario where workers are mandated to return to office spaces and their promotional opportunities are tied to the frequency of their security access card use.
Another tech professional, Gerry, currently job-hunting after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, categorically discards any employment opportunity that mandates a minimum of four days on-site each week. His initial queries for prospective employers include salary details followed by the onsite working hours each week.
Most individuals acknowledge the notable advantages of a work-from-home arrangement. This includes responsibilities at home, evasion of long daily travel, personal health benefits, and even some reporting increased productivity. Although their perspectives on remote work remain unchanged, the shifting viewpoints of their employers have been noted. Some share their approval of part-time office work, while others express dissatisfaction towards hasty policy implementations devoid of substantially proven benefits.
The world of work has indisputably undergone significant transformation throughout, and post, the pandemic.
Trish reminisces on how she used to take swimming breaks and conduct virtual meetings whilst taking leisurely strolls. She feels this casual approach isn’t as acceptable now, although she remains fully remote, employed by a U.S. multinational company. She appreciates the advantages of scheduling doctors’ appointments and other engagements, then making up for lost work time without hassle.
The challenge of distinguishing between work and leisure time is a persistent struggle for many. The one perk of commuting was creating a mental switch between the workspace and home. Presently, time allocation for familial affairs requires intentional management, just like work timings.
The government’s plan addressing post-pandemic work conditions is majorly encapsulated in the established guidelines, which encompass the right to ask for remote work and the right to logout, unveiled in 2021. The recently elected British Labour government suggests it might model after the Irish policy, although it might recognise that policies and implementation sometimes diverge. While the actual code allows considerable flexibility, it reminds employers of their duties as per numerous legislations, states Laura Bambrick from Ictu.
However, empirical data indicates that employer-employee discussions regarding work-from-home protocols can be uncomfortable, with ambiguity revolving around issues such as monitoring, flexibility, illness, and time-off. Trish admits that illness guidelines become fuzzy. The threshold for when a person is considered too unwell to go to office versus too sick to join an online meeting from home remains undefined. The question remains if one should take calls while rest-ridden. She claims that sometimes colleagues need to remind each other to rest while on Teams interactions if they appear too unwell.
Mary Connaughton, Director of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), acknowledges, “The risk levels have escalated due to current work dynamics. Remote working has caused a shift where individuals are evaluated based on their results rather than presence during fixed office hours.”
The potential implications on mental health and other areas should be viewed as a health and safety concern by supervisors, she suggests. This can be a tricky issue as both businesses and their employees attempt to adapt to the rapidly changing context.
The interest for remote working, however, consistently remains strong. Research conducted by Ibec suggests that among potential employees, the option to work remotely is a crucial factor during recruitment. Connaughton provides the example of a technology sector company that had difficulties in hiring until a nearby competitor began ushering people back into the office. According to CIPD’s findings, a third of companies have their employees for two days a week and another third for three days a week in cases where remote working is an option, public sector employers make up a larger percentage in the former group.
Despite this, the broader evidence indicates a steady shift back to office work. A case brought to the Workplace Relations Commission confirmed employers’ absolute authority to have the final say on the matter of remote working, causing some concern among workers. The right to disconnect didn’t even receive a mention in the commission’s annual report from the previous year, which documented nearly 70,000 calls, over 6,500 inspection visits, and more than 14,000 specific complaints.
However, this shouldn’t be interpreted as a sign of satisfaction among white-collar workers with the current situation. As it stands, they are mostly in control. However, should there be a shift in the vibrant job market, tension may rise as these issues become sources of conflict.