South African employers cutting back on remote working benefits

Oh yes, remote work will come to a near end in the next couple of years. I don't agree with some of the points of concern raised by employers... but then again, it is not really a problem; in that most people would comply with whatever working policy is enacted. An interesting mention in the article was the point raised relating to an employee's contract with explicit remote work specifications. At the end of the day, an employer will always stick to their bottom-line and interests.
 
koeks525 said:
Oh yes, remote work will come to a near end in the next couple of years. I don't agree with some of the points of concern raised by employers... but then again, it is not really a problem; in that most people would comply with whatever working policy is enacted. An interesting mention in the article was the point raised relating to an employee's contract with explicit remote work specifications. At the end of the day, an employer will always stick to their bottom-line and interests.
Click to expand...

I doubt it. There's so much competition for skilled workers that they will simply quit to go work for companies that do offer the ability to work from home. In an economy with a major skills shortage it's the employees that call the shots, not the employers.
 
On my terms. If they scrap wfh, I go elsewhere. And if the entire IT sector scraps wfh, then I change career. One thing is for certain, I will not work again in an open plan office where fellow colleagues and management use the close proximity of others as an invitation and encouragement for their bad behavior.
 
Solarion said:
On my terms. If they scrap wfh, I go elsewhere. And if the entire IT sector scraps wfh, then I change career. One thing is for certain, I will not work again in an open plan office where fellow colleagues and management use the close proximity of others as an invitation and encouragement for their bad behavior.
Click to expand...

No one's scrapping WFH. Funny how it's the big corporate companies with massive long-term commercial property leases that they can't get out of that moan the most about WFH. There's a lot of smaller companies, especially in the IT industry, that have gone completely WFH, from the CEO down to the most junior of developers.
 
Interesting that there's no mention of space costs. I know of a corporate that gave up quite a bit of building space to save costs and now with a push back to office, there are space and cost constraints.
 
JimboBob said:
Interesting that there's no mention of space costs. I know of a corporate that gave up quite a bit of building space to save costs and now with a push back to office, there are space and cost constraints.
Click to expand...

Have you ever looked at one of those massive multi-floor buildings in Sandton or Cape Town that's entirely owned or leased by a big bank, investment company or insurance company and wonder wtf does everyone in that building actually do? I'm not sure the companies themselves even know.
 
deweyzeph said:
No one's scrapping WFH. Funny how it's the big corporate companies with massive long-term commercial property leases that they can't get out of that moan the most about WFH. There's a lot of smaller companies, especially in the IT industry, that have gone completely WFH, from the CEO down to the most junior of developers.
Click to expand...
Probably the Gov and Auto industry having a fit that people do not need a car anymore or spend R4000 a month on petrol.
Lost taxes etc.

Probably another background reason this was done.
 
Solarion said:
On my terms. If they scrap wfh, I go elsewhere. And if the entire IT sector scraps wfh, then I change career. One thing is for certain, I will not work again in an open plan office where fellow colleagues and management use the close proximity of others as an invitation and encouragement for their bad behavior.
Click to expand...

I absolutely hate open offices.

I was lucky and only worked one job like that. I actaully do not have a problem with working at a office if my office is withing 5 minutes from my house.
Does my employers pay enough for me to have a house 5 minutes away from the office. Nope.

I have been lucky enough in my life to have at least spend over 100 days, (that's 24 hours days) just sitting in a car driving to and from work.

I am not getting that time ever back.
I was not paid for that time.

I will fight very hard to not waste my time on the road ever again.
 
Insint said:
I have been lucky enough in my life to have at least spend over 100 days, (that's 24 hours days) just sitting in a car driving to and from work
Click to expand...
Yea it’s scary when you think of the time in the car.

Old company was 2hrs per day / 10 hrs per week / 40 hrs per month … that is before load shedding / rain / accidents .
 
The best is when the CEO does his townhall speech about how coming to the office allows us to collaborate anyhow great ideas are given a water birth at the cooler, but he is never there to talk to me.

I know I'm like seven levels down from him and de there is the logistical issue of him living in another country and also having a Spa to manage on his private island which takes up 50% of his time, but he said he'd like to collaborate more so what's up with that?
 
Hamster said:
The best is when the CEO does his townhall speech about how coming to the office allows us to collaborate anyhow great ideas are given a water birth at the cooler, but he is never there to talk to me.

I know I'm like seven levels down from him and de there is the logistical issue of him living in another country and also having a Spa to manage on his private island which takes up 50% of his time, but he said he'd like to collaborate more so what's up with that?
Click to expand...
This

And also most of our exec team lives in the immediate vicinity of the office. Cant give two shts about others
 
Hamster said:
The best is when the CEO does his townhall speech about how coming to the office allows us to collaborate anyhow great ideas are given a water birth at the cooler, but he is never there to talk to me.

I know I'm like seven levels down from him and de there is the logistical issue of him living in another country and also having a Spa to manage on his private island which takes up 50% of his time, but he said he'd like to collaborate more so what's up with that?
Click to expand...
Yes it's funny, I got given the same speech, he's also barely there he popped in for 15 minutes one day and decided this was the time he didn't like it that everyone was remote...
 
Our productivity increased when we worked from home. You can't manage it the same way as you would if everyone is in the office every day. You have to adjust your management style/processes and ensure you build culture in a way appropriate for WFH. You also have to be far more intentional about mentoring the juniors and it can be done. I was part of a team where half the team was on a different continent and it worked well. They don't bother and then wonder why productivity slips.
 
We had good HR and great agile processes established at the company where I work. Long before Covid. There truly is a very limited number of roles in the company that benefit from in-office work, and along with the individuals who prefer in-office work, they were provided with a significantly scaled down (and way cheaper, cozy even) work environment, once the situation allowed. Teams have a short catchup meeting twice a day. A long weekly meeting. And there's a monthly company meeting too. Many individuals group up to work in pairs as a matter of course. Something we're well used to as well. Way plenty comms. All online. No mess, no fuss.

Overall productivity increased substantially. Profitability too. Thanks both to the decreased company expenses, as well as the ease with which we can employ from across the country without having to expand office space nor broad incentive to convince them to move here or commute excessively. And, even a sprinkling of foreign employees, among them ones who decided that they can work from anywhere, and so they moved wherever they felt like moving. Eksdom's load shedding moved the cost needle a tiny little bit in small spurts, because the company happily provided viable battery backup. But for the rest, it was all win.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter