VIEW FROM THE THAMES
DEON GOUWS: Living at work
Can managers like Elon Musk get employees to return to the office, when much of the global workforce seems to have changed its collective mind?
When we went into lockdown in March 2020, white-collar workers around the world were sent home, instructed to log on remotely and begged not to drop any balls. On balance, this is exactly what happened: most businesses (specifically those in financial services) continued to operate relatively seamlessly, with back-to-back Zoom and Teams meetings becoming the norm practically overnight. What started as working from home soon turned into living at work.
Fast forward to the present, and a significant number of companies want employees to return to city centre locations and spend the proverbial nine to five workday in the office once more. But many employees are not so keen to re-enter that pre-Covid version of the rat race. They question the need to commute for an hour or more each way on a daily basis, given that most of them have proven their ability to work effectively from home over such an extended period...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.