My daughter's company has a special project running right now that requires her and several other employees to work seven days a week as they assist another group within the company.  She is in her early 20s and obviously at the beginning of her career in the corporate world, so we’ve had a few conversations about the implications of working seven days a week and how she feels as an employee that’s given little or no choice in the matter.

The contrast with recent trends, including work-from-home and four-day work week is rather stark.  

A recent survey published in New Zealand and the United Kingdom which is getting a lot of press highlights employee and employer benefits of a four-day workweek. The report was sponsored by an organization whose objective is to create a four-day workweek culture, so it’s obviously biased in that direction. However, the general attitude of employees has been towards working shorter weeks and, where possible, working from home. 

The pandemic dramatically changed how people think about working from home through the use of technology, such as Zoom or Teams, to facilitate a work-from-home processes. Pressure from employees to continue working from home and other flexible work arrangements are not abating despite the desire of CEOs to get employees back into the office five days a week.

As a leader, what are your responsibilities, and what Is your best strategy to achieve your goals in this environment?

First, your role as a leader is to produce a disproportionate impact from the resources that you have at your disposal. The most important resource you have is your people.  Understanding the type of work they do and how they do that work is critical to your success and the success of your organization.  Some workers don’t need to be in the office; knowledge workers such as consultants, customer service representatives, and computer programmers can do their work almost anywhere. I am a great example of this; I can work from anywhere and be highly productive and impactful to my benefit and sometimes to my detriment. 

Second, visible doesn't mean valuable.  Just because an employee is in the office does not make them more valuable than a work-from-home coworker.  Studies have shown that managers are biased toward employees that are in the office versus remote workers.  In fact, recent layoffs have highlighted the risk of remote work and the anxieties that remote workers feel during a downturn, emphasizing that managers frequently have stronger relationships and value in-person workers more than remote team members.

Third, virtual tools can enhance collaboration and innovation.  One of the most powerful aspects of tools like Zoom and Slack is the ability to bring coworkers and other resources together regardless of geography and various time zones.  This is a powerful new driver of innovation and a disruptor of traditional organizational boundaries.  I frequently hold meetings simultaneously with people in multiple states and countries; this would not be possible without technology. Some of the relationships I have built using virtual technology with people I have never physically met are personally valuable to me and vibrant business relationships.

Finally, some jobs must be in person five days a week. Although my daughter's example is extreme, the work she and her team are doing cannot be done remotely; it must be done in person with groups collaborating in real time.  Understand that these workers may well see remote workers as having special privileges like being able to sleep in and get their children off the bus.  At the same time, remote workers may well perceive in-person workers as having some unique connection to you as the leader and, therefore, some advantage when it comes to promotions, compensation, or even job elimination. As a leader, you must carefully balance these perceptions and realities to create the best working environment and the most effective team possible.

Through all of this, it is critical that you, as a leader, remember that you have two of the most important skills: communication and empathy. You must communicate with every team member about their role and how that role can most effectively contribute to the team’s impact.

Be happy and healthy, 

Ron

Footnote:  Our daughter will be fine; we have given her the old “that which doesn’t kill you speech” and sent her on her way.  You know, old-school parenting.