Controversy 'good employees don't need to work in the company'

Companies like Amazon, AT&T and JPMorgan Chase are requiring employees to come into the office five days a week, in an effort to improve communication, boost team spirit and boost productivity.

A 2024 survey by the world's largest auditing firm KPMG found that 80% of 400 CEOs said they would require employees to work full-time in the office in the next three years.

However, labor experts and employers have found that employees with special skills or outstanding achievements enjoy more flexible working arrangements. This is especially true for excellent workers, who are always sought after by companies. In other cases, the benefits depend on seniority or the work group the person is part of.

Previously, working remotely was a compromise based on flexibility and understanding from superiors, but now it has become a privilege for some employees.

Ron Porter, senior partner at California-based consulting firm Korn Ferry, says hybrid work is now more selective, almost a form of special preference.

In some places, implementing this policy is seen as an important factor in attracting and retaining talent.

However, the hierarchical return-to-office policy can create disagreements about fairness among colleagues, managers, and employees within the same organization.

Hadejah Alford, an employee at an advertising agency in California, has flexible work locations, while her manager has to return to the office five days a week. This arrangement is important to the mother of four, as it allows her to easily schedule doctor’s appointments for her children and support their studies.

“Management thinks, ‘If they have to go back to the office, then employees should do the same,’ which leads to frustration,” Hadejah said.

Many employees also expressed dissatisfaction when some colleagues who were not allowed to return to the office returned.

Ryan Essenburg, a business development manager in Mountain View, California, was unhappy when his former company switched from hybrid work to full-time office work starting in 2024. Only employees who met or exceeded their targets would be given special treatment.

Ryan and some of his colleagues failed to meet their quota of being in the office five days a week and felt constantly supervised. Eventually, he quit and looked for new opportunities.

This man believes that collaborative working is very effective and brings high performance, regardless of seniority, title or target. Ryan gives the example of a company in the US that once required employees at all levels to come to the office only one day a week. This policy worked well and did not create tension or jealousy among employees.

Chris Pelesky, a former key channel manager at AT&T, was frustrated when he was asked to return to the office. When the rule began for managers in 2023, Pelesky found the policies inconsistent and discriminatory. Some employees were allowed to work remotely more than others.

"Some people are able to work remotely because of the nature of their work, but there are cases where there is clear bias," he said.

Pelesky lost his job last year because he could not move from Abingdon, Maryland, to downtown Dallas to comply with the company's requirements, despite working at AT&T for 26 years.

The man is now the director of sales and marketing at a 3D printing company in Newark, USA. He earns 40% less than his previous job, but Pelesky gets hybrid work, including one day of remote work.

Before the pandemic, most employees were required to go into the office five days a week. But as remote working became more common, many people found ways to balance work and life.

As offices reopen in 2021, many companies are still allowing remote work or adopting a hybrid model, requiring employees to come into the office only 2-3 days a week. However, when some workers do not comply with the regulations, businesses are forced to monitor more closely.

According to a recent LinkedIn survey, among professionals in the US looking for a new job, 1 in 10 want the opportunity to work remotely or collaboratively, something their current employers are not offering.

According to recruiting platform ZipRecruiter, tech, finance, insurance, and nonprofits will see a combined surge in hybrid jobs through 2024. But flexible work job growth has slowed this year, according to data from Indeed.

The latest data from the Census Bureau shows that people who prefer to work remotely tend to have longer careers and higher incomes than other groups.