In the “Ask Amy” advice column this week, a nurse noted that when the pandemic started, people who were forced to work from home complained about how difficult it was, and now that employers want staff to return to the office, those same people are complaining about going back. As a health professional who never had the choice to work remotely, she was asking for advice on how to deal with the whining.
I don’t think the complaints are about being in the building or not. People were uncomfortable with the first change in part simply because it was a change, and now they are uncomfortable with returning because it too is a change. It’s so easy to get into a routine (aka: rut) and any attempt at disruption is met with resistance.
Working from home has also provided people with a higher degree of autonomy and flexibility than they have in an office or cubicle. Autonomy — freedom to choose when you do the work — is one of the key levers of employee satisfaction, and there is admittedly more of it at home sweet home.
Another key driver of engagement is understanding why. If the work itself or the policies that surround it have a purpose and make sense, people accept them more readily and without complaint.
Everyone understood why the offices closed in 2020. If employers are receiving pushback about a return, it would help if the employer would articulate why in-office is being reinstated and what advantages they expect to realize from the shift.
Employees want meaningful work and choices in how they go about accomplishing it. Whether from home, an office building, or some combination, employers benefit when they provide both.
