Yahoo! looses touch
Posted: February 28, 2013 Filed under: Professional, Wellness | Tags: flex hours, work from home, Yahoo bans work from home 5 CommentsAccording to a recent internal Yahoo! staff HR memo, all employees must work from the office as of this June. This applies to all workers even those with an already agreed to once or twice a week exception and those hired to work remotely from another location. Many must now relocate to the expensive San Francisco Bay area or quit their jobs.
The company memo spins this initiative as an opportunity to further enhance their work culture. It says working from home often sacrifices speed and quality. This decree is riddled with hypocrisy since Yahoo’s! CEO brought her home to work where there is a nursery built into her executive suite. Yet, Yahoo! does not offer daycare for other employees or even the same flexibility once the new policy is in effect. That is clearly an exception for their CEO whose compensation must be outrageously high so she can easily afford every type of help to make that arrangement work for her not to mention allowing her own double standard.
Some think this is an opportunity for the high tech company to clean house as that will force some employees to quit. What do you think? Does your company allow some employees to work from and/or what do you think of that flexibility?
Data shows employees value that flexibility. It is the wave of the future and a way to retain talent and cut some costs. Other data shows more productive employees work from home to be more efficient while less productive employees opt for the office where they waste time with gossip, Internet, etc.
I have not personally ever worked from home, but know others who swear by it. They say they are more loyal and committed high performers as a result of the trust they feel with their employer. It is also a fact that most high tech companies, such as Yahoo! (until now) allow and encourage that flexibility.
Lipstick and Lollypops 
I worked from home my first job out of college…and I HATED it!! I would have no initiative to get dressed and would stay in my pajamas all day. Sounds awesome, I know, but it wasn’t. When I finally got a new job that was not working from home, I was SO EXCITED about actually getting ‘dressed’ for work. The first time I went to the office bathroom I thought, “I have made it.” I enjoy the office chit-chat (some may call it banter) and was more productive at the office in work clothes, as opposed to my bed in my pajamas or my party clothes from the night before. Working from home definitely had its perks (read: lazy) but I really appreciated it the physical aspect of going to an office. Now, whenever people at my current job (3rd job in adult life) say they are “working from home,” I laugh in my head because I know it is a joke. Some barely work when they are actually at work, I know they don’t work at home and it is frustrating!
Too funny regarding your work bathroom perspective, love it! I also see a lot of value in face time. That’s a good point about some people not even “working” in the office much less at home. Although I work with some who flex time at home or are part time and they say and demonstrate they work more since they know what has to get done and appreciate the flexibility since they juggle kids, etc.
When I worked at home, I would forget to do things during the day and send e-mails to clients during the day. Their response was often ‘Wow, you sure are working late.” My verbal reply: I’m committed to delivering, no matter the time. My reply inside my head “Ummm…not really, I just forgot, and remembered while watching Leno in my bed while eating ridiculous junk food and drinking hot cocoa!
**OOOPS….I meant send e-mails to clients late at night, not during the day.
That’s funny, Cary – I fall for late night emails,
Too. š thanks!