As reported by many news sources, it has been stated that Marissa Mayer, the infamous Yahoo CEO that returned to work less than a week after having her baby, has instituted the new "anti-working remotely" rules at Yahoo. In this -- what they call BOLD, but I call RIDICULOUS move, several hundred employees could face mandatory relocation should they not want to get fired.
While I agree with Marissa's reasoning that being a part of the physical workplace creates unique "interactions and experiences". However, she also states that people are "more productive working side-by-side" - to which I completely 100% disagree with.
First and foremost, I couldn't stand 96% of my co-workers that I worked with on a daily basis. I didn't dread the jobs, I dreaded the assholes that worked beside me. I could care less about the "water-cooler" discussions and being a part of the 8,734 weekly "touch-point" sessions. I just wanted to get my work done and be left alone. Truth be told, I could have gotten all of my daily work done in 4 hours a day if I had been left alone! I shared this info with HR on my exit-interview as well letting them know they wasted half my salary on bullshit meetings and should consider consolidating my job with another to save them $. YOU'RE WELCOME!
To me, this brings us back in time to when we didn't have the computers, cell phones and all around amazing technology that allows such flexibility today. Furthermore, it automatically positions women lower on the totem pole when interviewing for a potential job as it's common practice for women to require more time off or "at-home work time" to tend to the needs of their children. Just because I'm being a good mother, doesn't mean I should be punished professionally, ESPECIALLY when I'm meeting all expectations and reaching any benchmarks that may be set forth.
Working from home can actually allow you to be more productive. Yes, this requires prioritizing, self-control and designation of time to specific task, but it happens all the time! Here's my train of thought...
If I'm forced to work in an office, I'm forced to put my infant/toddler/child into day care. You can guarantee my child will be sick at least once that will require me to miss a day to take them to the doctor and then an additional 3-4 days because they can't go back to day care sick. Now, off the bat, boss man has lost a week and one quarter of my total productivity contributing to any growth of their business. You can also guarantee that if I'm taking those days off as part of my "paid time off", not a single email will be responded to, written or drafted while I'm on my "days off". How happy do you think I will be when I can't take my annual family vacation because all my paid time off was sucked up by doctors visits?
On the opposite end, when I work from home I have a greater deal of flexibility to accommodate and balance work, school, home, etc.. If I'm having an off day and the little one is ill, I can take him/her to the doc and finish my work through the evening hours. If this requires me to be up until midnight, so be it! Likewise, I'm more willing (and more likely to) go above and beyond when requests out of the ordinary are made. Want me to work through part of my vacation? Of course, no problem! Why? Because you give me the opportunity to flourish as a professional while supporting and respecting my other roles and responsibilities in life as a woman and mother.
I'm dis-heartened by this news that surfaced today and hope people speak out and stand up for themselves. I do understand it is at the company's discretion and their reasoning behind it, but it's unfair as seen in my eyes as it's likely to punish women three times more than men.
It's not the 80's folks. In a time where work is hard to come by as is, don't you think this is a step in the wrong direction and discouraging to many?
Would love to know your opinion...?