okay story time hahaha, I used to do hybrid work from home before covid and then those days increased during and after covid - during this time I was productive, saved 2.5 hours daily on commuting and petrol costs and could do some chores and felt energetic. My work was always on time, I had time to focus on extra projects and on those days feeling under the weather, I could still do the basics to make sure don't fall behind. I have a strong work ethic, so that does make a difference but companies need to foster that environment for it to shine.
About a year ago, after a painful change of new unexperienced ownership, my old work place became a prison with so many rules and warnings given for any slight infraction and hybrid working was stopped. There were dress codes, wasn't allowed to wear leggings, no jeans, couldn't leave the office even 5 minutes earlier, couldn't do flexi hours so when I came to the office at 6:30am to avoid traffic, I had to stay until 4:30pm and would only get home past 6pm. There were cameras put up everywhere and people couldn't talk to each other unless it was in their tea or lunch breaks which could only be taken at certain times. It felt like you were a child in a paranoid family.
A few of my co-workers were awesome, but the rest relied on back stabbing to stay relevant so it became a toxic culture very fast. I was up to my final written warning when I called it quits. Decided not to do the ccma route.
Fast forward to the last 2 months, I quit, moved to a new company, able to work remotely and pop into office when need to.
The difference it makes to productivity, feeling part of the team is huge. I feel more part of the team working remotely, we are all adults - we can communicate with each other, arrange face to face meetings or office time when we need to, and there is zero clock watching or watching over shoulder. There is a trust factor, respect and if a company does not have this on any level of management, there is a serious problem and they will never have the ranks filled with competent employees, as they will leave. There will be a few work smart and passionate people holding the work bags for a bunch of people clocking in and out.
It is such a pity that most companies have failed to embrace this way of working - it makes a huge impact on employees that are stuck in the office all day and giving them time back to take control of their own lives with basic errands and not cramming it all into a weekend.
Work should be measured by output to eliminate the employees that are messing around and not all face to face means better ideas. It means wasting time, there are much better ways of doing team meets online with goals attach that make people bring their ideas forward and discuss it, big inspiration and collaboration does not happen every day at work so its a pretty bullsh*t excuse to use.
sorry long post
