Rigid rules on working from home are frustrating: “It doesn’t make sense”
Well-being survey reveals that employees are hit hard when the possibility of working from home is reduced. “To be able to work from home is more important than higher pay,” says one respondent.
Forget the rigid rules
Some find the rigid rules frustrating and believe they do not make sense in practice.
“I don’t think it’s fair that taking a day off means you can’t work from home that same week,” writes one member while explaining that the rule at their workplace is four days in the office. So, taking a day off means you lose the possibility of working from home on another day of the week.
Others see it as a reflection of management not trusting employees to get enough work done when working from home.
“Decisions on working from home are illogical and characterised by a lack of trust in employees,” according to one respondent, while another states:
“There’s a lack of trust from the top! We give so much to the company, but get nothing in return.”
Many respondents also find it frustrating that the rules cannot be tailored to individual employees and the diverse needs of employees at a workplace.
“See each person as an individual – we are all different. Working from home needs to be more flexible. Some of us need to work from home more often (to clear our heads and recharge), while others prefer to work in the office full‑time, where they feel energised. We’re not all the same, and it would be nice if employers realised that,” one member says.
“More important then pay"
The well-being survey indicates that a reduction in the number of homeworking days has a negative impact on well-being.
Only 20 per cent of those whose possibility of working from home has been reduced feel happy. That is half as many as in the group whose possibilities have not changed and who still enjoy the same options as before. The open-ended responses provide a similar picture.
“The combination of less freedom to make choices and set priorities at work and the reduced possibility of working from home has been the main cause of increased stress, pressure, feeling less motivated in our work and all the things that result in a poor environment in the workplace and poor mental health for me and my colleagues,” one respondent says.
The practicalities of life as parents of young children are also cited as an important reason not to limit the possibility of working from home.
“Many employees (myself included) are disappointed by the reduced possibility of working from home, and it affects my mental well-being.
Having a family and a busy schedule, I recharge and work more efficiently at home so I can contribute even more to my colleagues on the three days I’m in the office,” one respondent claims, while another tries to explain just how important working from home really is:
“It's more important than pay – especially when you have young children.”
Deal with the seating issue
Many respondents also find it frustrating to have to go into offices where there is insufficient seating.
One respondent writes:
“Management will soon have to realise that either more workstations are needed, or they’ll have to allow more work from home. There's no point going into the office if I can't sit near my colleagues."
Another respondent emphasises the opposite problem:
“We’re required to go into the office during all holiday periods, which means that if you don’t take time off during school breaks, you have to work from the (almost empty) office.”
Have your colleagues' well-being in mind
However, some employees enjoy going to office every day. And some also argue that the number of days worked from home should be reduced even further.
“Working from home has a negative impact on teamwork. Currently, people are prioritising their own flexibility and interests over their colleagues’ well-being,” one member says.
Another member explains how the number of workstations is insufficient, which means they need approval from another team to secure a seat every day.
"It's a bit sad, and I don't feel welcome. In my opinion, this undermines cooperation and team spirit within the team. But I'm also aware that my colleagues really like working from home, and that I'm pretty much the only one on my team who feels this way," the member says.