Employers and Employees Are Clashing: What’s Causing All This Tension?

The scoop

So . . . what’s going on between employees and employers? What’s with all the tension over issues such as remote work, productivity metrics, and quiet quitting ?

These issues are linked, and perhaps they’re not actually divided between employees and employers. Maybe the division lies more between those who are clinging desperately to the past and those who are planning and embracing the future.

On one side are those who yearn to return to the heyday of a 9-to-5, office-centered workplace that was built on pillars of hierarchy and control. On the other side are those who believe that the workplace of the future — which may be every place all at once or no place at all — is built on trust.

Some organizations — apparently believing that “quiet quitting” is more about good old-fashioned slacking and less about striving for work-life balance — are using software to keep an eye on their workforces. “Since the dawn of modern offices, workers have orchestrated their actions by watching the clock,” The New York Times reported recently. “Now, more and more, the clock is watching them.”

Companies now track things like mouse movement or time on laptop. Of course, neither of those is a measure of productivity. Both are merely proxies — much like face time in the office has been for the last century.

How can we quell the rising tension?

First, organizations should deal in data and facts, rather than untested assumptions. So, maybe we don’t suggest that remote work is for slackers or hurts diversity .?

On the contrary.?

Most measures show that remote work has boosted productivity .? And many companies have already noted how remote and hybrid work have elevated their diversity efforts .

Second, focus on the real challenges arising from these issues: how to address burnout , how to foster creativity and innovation across distributed teams, and how to envelop and develop new workers .?

Creating the future of work won’t be easy but it should be exciting.

By the numbers

Recommended advice for having difficult conversations at work

Amy Gallo , contributing editor at Harvard Business Review and author of “Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) ,” recommends both employers and employees keep a sense of curiosity. “If you’re an employer approaching a conflict with an employee,” she says, “ask yourself whether you truly understand their perspective. What about their request or complaint is new to you? What can you learn from the discussion??

As an employee who may be having a conflict with your employer, advocate for your needs while also being open to alternative solutions. Asking questions to get at what’s behind a particular policy or decision can help you be collaborative in suggesting a resolution that meets your — and the organization’s — needs."

For more, check out Amy’s LinkedIn Learning Course, Disagreeing with Someone Senior to You .?

The last word

“When companies require projects as part of their interview process, that’s called ‘quiet employment.’”

—Recruiter Adam Karpiak ’s twist on “quiet quitting”

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