Are you looking to head back?
Are you looking to head back?
The first 51 days of 2025 have come and gone. And oh boy have they been eventful!
Changes are afoot on a macro level, but there also seems to be an undercurrent taking shape in the world of work. I’ve recently heard of some large companies asking/requiring/demanding that their employees come into the office more often. This has been received with the “obligatory outrage” by many of the more vocal work-from-home advocates: “Why, don’t they trust us!?”, “Do they know the cost of petrol!?” etc. Over the past five years, we have become accustomed to a way of life, which is not easy to change overnight.
I have no idea what is behind this line of thinking from these specific business leaders. It might be a combination of wanting to get more value for the cost of office space, feeling more in control of their workforce, and enhancing collaboration, innovation, knowledge transfer or reducing employee churn. It might be all or none of the above. What will be very interesting to see is how the majority of employees respond to this, after the initial reaction passes.
My gut feeling when first coming across this news was that most people would oppose it. But I’ve heard from three very close friends over the last two weeks that they have found or are currently looking for new opportunities that would allow them to have more in-person interaction. They have come to the important realization that working predominantly from home is bad for their mental health. Given the well-known fact that mental health has dropped significantly during and following the pandemic, there might be more people seriously considering their options.
The company we worked for leading into 2020 does not exist anymore. Between 2014 and 2020 we already had a hybrid working arrangement, which worked very well. We were lucky to work with amazing people, many of whom I still choose to see as often as possible. We don’t work together anymore, but they continue to have a positive impact on my mental health.
The question for this week is: If you work from home more often, do you think more in-person work would benefit your well-being? Is it something you are actively looking to change?
We would love to hear your thoughts, get in touch. You can reach us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
