Why are companies so hot about having their employees back in the office? I'm perfectly happy with the "new normal," but GS is calling it an "aberration." [1]
I was hoping that a wfh culture would be the silver lining of COVID. It looks like a win-win for employer and employee:
EMPLOYER PERSPECTIVE:
- Massive cost savings. Real estate is expensive!
- Reduced cost for office space leases and real estate.
- Reduced cost for utilities: electricity, water, heat, etc.
- Reduced cost for services: bathroom, cleaning, etc.
- Reduced insurance costs
- Less hassle dealing with OSHA/COVID workplace guidelines
- More productive workers
Basically, instead of burning ca$h on office space, why can't the top brass just give themselves bigger bonuses?
EMPLOYEE PERSPECTIVE:
- No Commute! If I never spent another penny on commuting costs, I wouldn't shed a tear.
- No more burning hours/gas on the road or on public transportation
- More time to exercise
- Healthier diet as Peeps cook at home
- No waste of time and money commuting
- Better work/life balance
- Money saved on lunch, newsstands, , etc.
I've asked some reasonably smart Peeps, and got these answers:
A: The cost savings is exactly what's driving the move back to the office. Transportation is sitting idle, and offices are empty. Investors are losing money! They want the people back!
B: Managers want to keep an eye on their employees--in the flesh.
C: "Fannies in Chairs." Lower-level managers want their workers at work.
D. City businesses want the people back. without the people, the cities are ghost towns, and there's massive tax losses.
E. Tax revenue and political pressure. With people wfh, there's massive tax revenue losses.
When I asked about the commuting time, stress, and cost, one said, "Well I did it for 40 years. That's part of work life." The classic, hard-headed, "That's the way we've always done things" answer.
1. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56192048.amp
I was hoping that a wfh culture would be the silver lining of COVID. It looks like a win-win for employer and employee:
EMPLOYER PERSPECTIVE:
- Massive cost savings. Real estate is expensive!
- Reduced cost for office space leases and real estate.
- Reduced cost for utilities: electricity, water, heat, etc.
- Reduced cost for services: bathroom, cleaning, etc.
- Reduced insurance costs
- Less hassle dealing with OSHA/COVID workplace guidelines
- More productive workers
Basically, instead of burning ca$h on office space, why can't the top brass just give themselves bigger bonuses?
EMPLOYEE PERSPECTIVE:
- No Commute! If I never spent another penny on commuting costs, I wouldn't shed a tear.
- No more burning hours/gas on the road or on public transportation
- More time to exercise
- Healthier diet as Peeps cook at home
- No waste of time and money commuting
- Better work/life balance
- Money saved on lunch, newsstands, , etc.
I've asked some reasonably smart Peeps, and got these answers:
A: The cost savings is exactly what's driving the move back to the office. Transportation is sitting idle, and offices are empty. Investors are losing money! They want the people back!
B: Managers want to keep an eye on their employees--in the flesh.
C: "Fannies in Chairs." Lower-level managers want their workers at work.
D. City businesses want the people back. without the people, the cities are ghost towns, and there's massive tax losses.
E. Tax revenue and political pressure. With people wfh, there's massive tax revenue losses.
When I asked about the commuting time, stress, and cost, one said, "Well I did it for 40 years. That's part of work life." The classic, hard-headed, "That's the way we've always done things" answer.
1. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56192048.amp
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