Let me get this straight. You want to work for a company where you get paid a full salary, benefits, insurance, and all of the other perks and benefits, and you don’t want to ever physically show up to work? Are you kidding me?
What’s next, you want to get a house without paying for it?
If someone were to ask this a few years ago, they’d get escorted out by security, but for some reason, in today’s world, people think they have a right to “work” from home.
That idea is a lie–all employees need to be in the office every day if you want your company to grow and succeed. Working remotely gives people too much freedom–working in the office is the only way to get things done.
I don’t know if people are working unless they are in the office. Are employees even at their desks at home? For all I know, they could be getting coffee, walking their dog, or playing video games. I need to know where my employees are and what they are working on at all times. I’m paying them so I have a right to know.
Employees simply aren’t productive at home. Companies like Microsoft, Splunk, and Affirm saw huge spikes in productivity during the first few months of quarantine, but over time the loneliness sunk in, and productivity plummeted.
Some say working remotely is the future because of all our collaboration tools. Yeah right!
Those tools are glitchy and unreliable. What if someone misses a message or a file gets lost on the network? You can’t rely on technology. Plus, only 65% of Americans have internet fast enough to handle video calls. Having your calls freeze and pause isn’t a good look for the company.
Even when video conferencing does work, there are way too many distractions. I don’t want to see your pet in the Zoom background or hear your kids. It’s unprofessional! The office is solely dedicated to working; that’s why it works.
Remote work is just a trend. Soon, we’ll see companies that allow employees to work from home die out or change their policies. Some of the world’s biggest and most proven companies, like Walmart, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Tesla, require employees to be in the office. That’s why they’re so successful!
Remote work hurts innovation and decision-making. It’s hard to make decisions through a screen. Research found that in situations where people were making complex decisions quickly and under pressure, being in person was far better.
And don’t even get me started about how much we spend on offices. We need to use them, or we’ll be wasting money!
Remote work may seem flashy, but employees only push for it because they want to stay in their sweatpants all day. The truth is that working from home is distracting, unproductive, and can slow your company’s growth.
Working in the office is the only way to get things done.
So put on your big kid pants and I’ll see you in the office.
-The Outdated Leader
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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.
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