Written by Anja Christmann, project manager and training consultant at Lorenz-Seminare.
In the coronavirus years, working from home has become established in companies around the world. Despite the concerns of many, it was not only offered as an option, it was mandated. Since March 2022, the pandemic-related obligation to work from home no longer applies in Germany. So now a U-turn and back to the company offices…?
I think that working from home has become an integral part of our working lives.
In my view, the advantages are obvious:
The commute to the employer is completely eliminated. This saves an enormous amount of valuable time, as well as energy costs, fuel and exhaust fumes. Flexibility is also increased and work and private life can be reconciled much better for many employees. Properly organized, the workplace at home often has a calmer, more concentrated atmosphere.
To be fair, working at home can also have its disadvantages and is quite demanding:
Employees working from home require a high degree of self-discipline and personal responsibility. They have to organize their workplace and work processes themselves. There is no boss nearby who can provide direct support. In addition, many employees feel lonely when working from home. There is a lack of interaction and direct contact with colleagues. Developing team spirit becomes more challenging, and forming and supporting teams requires different management measures than before.
The advantages and disadvantages described above mainly affect employees. What does the situation look like from the employer’s perspective?
It has been shown that employees working from home register significantly fewer sick days. Expensive office space can be reduced and a range of ancillary costs can be saved. In many cases, productivity also increases in the home office, as several studies clearly show. There are many reasons for this. Among other things, I would like to emphasize here: There are significantly fewer interruptions and distractions from colleagues and by eliminating commuting times, employees are more rested overall. Tasks can be tackled with greater concentration and efficiency.
The following points are probably the most serious disadvantages: more demanding management, sometimes a lack of management concepts for home office/new work; no direct control and management support. Fewer exchanges, less direct contact and less personal communication can lead to a loss of a sense of “we” and also to employees identifying with their company.
All in all, I think a balanced middle ground is called for – often referred to as hybrid working. Employees are aware of the flexibility of working from home and want to make use of it. In conjunction with shared office days “in the team”, this also maintains contact with colleagues and the “we feeling”. A clear win-win situation for everyone.
Personally, I’m a big fan of working from home. The time alone that I save by not having to travel to and from work every day is worth its weight in gold. Roadworks, road closures and other road users no longer bother me. The path one floor down to my home office is at least rarely blocked at home – despite children, dog and spouse. I also enjoy the regular office days and am happy to get out of the home office for a day and maintain direct personal working contact.
On the subject: If my thoughts have inspired you to do further research, I recommend the following articles and studies on the subject:
Ding, Yuye and Ma, Mark (Shuai), Return-to-Office Mandates (December 25, 2023). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4675401 or http://dx.doi.or g/10.2139/ssrn.4675401
Productivity: Home office beats office – An article by Bastian Hebbeln, available here.
An office obligation does not make your company more productive – An article by Anna Dunst, available here.