We reported here a few months ago that IBM decided to recall employees from their home office, shutting down the work-from-home policy that the company had established as long ago as 1980. It is now a trend, with Aetna, Bank of America, Best Buy and Reddit following IBM’s lead.
This is not a small issue for many employees, who will have to make considerable adjustments to trudge to work, follow a more regimented schedule and experience greater oversight during their work day. Employers are making this change to promote collaboration, establish closer contact with customers and control workflow and performance. Not only will this impact the employee, but it will also disrupt their family routine.
This is an important sea-change and an indicator that businesses are trying to find ways to enhance performance at a time when employees, especially the growing millennial workforce, are looking for personal flexibility. This will be a trend that we will want to follow.