“To be or not to be at the Office…this is the question”

Some weeks ago I wrote an article about virtual meetings overload.  In that article I referred also to a survey we did with our employees where 67.2% see a future better balanced between homework & office work and this survey outcome was well balanced between age groups (< 40 years old, 68.9% want to return to the office / 63.3% of the 40+’s).

The main reasons why people see the need to return to the office are all around collaboration, networking, connecting to others. It is harder to do those things virtually, clearly. In all age groups and organizational levels people feel it. But there were more reasons behind why to return to the office. Here they are : 14.7% struggle to keep motivated/feel lonely, 23.1% fell it is harder to collaborate, 29.5% fell less connected to the team & manager, 50.8% miss networking (informal chats / break out moments) and 56.1% think it is hard to unplug.

And then, we started opening our offices… Our Sao Paulo Barueri office is open since 16th June. Mexico & Chile since mid-October. Panama opening now. Others, due to capacity or local regulations, unfortunately, still closed until second notice. So, considering the survey above we expected to have major scheduling issues as we only can have 25-30% people in due to capacity regulations (meaning, people need to be able to maintain 1.5 m distance all the time). Well, reality is: we have no scheduling issues. Not at all. Less than 5% of the people are going to the offices that are open. What is very inconsistent with what came out of surveys and very unstainable because today we have more cleaning people at the office to keep them clean than employees to work on them.

So, I started asking around and it seems that many companies are suffering the same, across the globe. And I am only talking here about jobs that people can do, in theory, online/virtually. Of course, people that work on field work, services, factories, these never stopped going to the workplace.

But back to the ones that have the option to work from home or from the office. Majority claim to be missing the office but when they can go to the office, they aren’t going. And that is my dilemma. Why is this happening and what to do to change that?

In China, it seems this isn’t an issue. As Chinese had before the SARS and the Chicken/Swine Flus (these 2, I personally experienced when living there), it seems that they are so used to working with mask/alcohol/social distancing, so most are already going to office normally, as they did before, 4 to 5 days a week. So, one option is to wait 2 or 3 more pandemics, but, well, none of us really want this route, right?

There is also always the option of enforcing people to go to the office – that some companies are using – but as outcome, many people come with doctor prescriptions not to go to the office or levels of employee satisfaction go drastically down. We, at least, do not want to go this route either, so, the best route is to stimulate people. But for that, we need to understand the ‘why’s’. So, I started using my networks to question around and here some of my key take-aways:

-         Fear of getting sick with COVID 19: fear is one of the factors that people claim why not go to the office. Some claim that they only want to go back when they get a vaccine even (what can take at least another year). And the fear is not necessarily for the person him/herself but also for people they live with (like elderly parents, family members with chronic diseases, for example). I do believe people with chronic diseases (or living family members with) should be this careful. So, fear of getting sick is a very valid one that we all must respect. If you don’t have to expose yourself, why should you, right? That said, it strikes me the fact that bars, restaurants, malls, casinos are getting fuller and fuller every day in Latin America. Traffic jams are back. People are going out continuously again. Strikes me also the fact that going grocery or sporting not everybody takes much care with social distancing, hygiene and masks. Strikes me also the fact that home parties are a continuous scene wherever you look out of your window. So, as I wrote in my first article, we need to look into ourselves in the mirror and challenge ourselves: am I being overly critical about returning to the office and even for my children to return to school due to fear of COVID 19 19 but with everything else I am more lenient? I caught myself careless doing a barbecue with a small group of ‘safe’ friends and at the office overusing Clorox wipes and alcohol. A safe balance is critical, I believe. But data also helps in this self-evaluation:

o  More than half of our employees are going to factories and to visit hospitals with all proper care (social distancing, masks, hygiene) since the beginning of the pandemic,

o  From the people that got COVID 19, 79% were people that in the last 8 months didn’t go to the office.

o  The ones going to hospitals, on a daily basis, were the least infected people (14%) and those aren’t even 100% they got the COVID 19 while working. The opposite: our field workers claim to feel safe with all the measures the company is taking to keep them safe.

o  A disclaimer though: at the beginning of the pandemic, we did have an issue in our factory in Costa Rica. We got some cases (7%) there after someone contaminated externally in a party brought the virus to our facilities. Since then, the protocol was revised, and we had no new issues.  

o  Best number of all, 0 fatalities in our direct team

So… at the office or at home: to take care is critical. Being at the office is not what is getting most of the people sick. Not being careful with social distancing, use of masks and hygiene in any space is what is getting people sick, basically.

-         Use of mask 8 hours a day: in Latin America, at the office, this is obligatory. And I must say, for me, personally, this is the main issue. I have asthma. I was 2 days at the office full day with the mask and it was horrible. I confess. Headache end of the day, pain behind my ears due to the elastic, fogged glasses the whole time, 3 changes of mask during the day because it does get sweaty (mainly in a place like Panama with +30oC – inside the office with AC, no issue, but few minutes you go outside, it is all wet)…in short, no walk in the park. That said, the days I have been at the office were for specific workshops and team activities that for months we wanted to do virtually, and it wasn’t working. The outcome of these sessions was so effective and so rewarding that it was worth the use of the mask. Also, very much worth: a nice lunch with the team after so long without seeing each other. So, it is not as smooth as it was before but when well planned, for team engagements, it is possible, and the pluses and minuses do compensate each other. So, that is how I will be planning my agenda from now on: for individual deep work, 1-1’s, small group meetings, I do want to keep working from home for now, without mask ??, but for team engagements, brainstorming sessions, I do want to go, safely, to the office.

-         Commuting:  in Latin America, this isn’t a minor thing. People can spend hours in traffic every day, many offices are far from residential areas and this is pure inefficiency. This time lost in the car could be better spent working, being with family, sporting. So, again, if well planned, some days a week, out of rush hours to network/meet at the office/engage/brainstorm, why not?

-         Home Schooling: with this one I cant relate much, as I don’t have kids, but this is one that is an issue for many. With schools still online, it is hard to keep kids alone at home and go to the office. Something that may change in 2021 but still not clear when. My profound admiration for the ones balancing work and kids at home.

So, quite some good reasons why not to go to the office. And if I see the millions spent in offices per year, I also wanted to understand from the ones that want so much people to return to the office the ‘why’. It would be easier just save millions on office space, isn’t? Well… there is more behind this decision:

-         Lack of trust/discipline: I did hear from some leaders that they don’t trust their employees are working hard enough/well enough and that they would prefer to have them ‘under their watch’. Luckily none of these ‘leaders’ worked for me ??. When digging deeper, one of these respondents told me how proud he always has been for paying people so ‘cheap’. Well, I think that was his answer to his lack of trust/discipline dilemma. If you do not trust your employees and don’t have tools to measure their performance, indeed, working online is super hard. Looking from the positive side of all this pandemic, I think many companies will see this now. And many employees too. As employee, if you can’t prove your added value and your commitment, there is no place for you. As company/leader, if you want many cheap people instead of capable, committed people, well, start investing fast on vaccine batches for your people – you will need them faster than companies that have dedicated, committed and engaged employees doing their jobs.

-         Growing lack of bonding with the company/colleagues/the purpose of the business: I fully recognize this one. Empathy online is harder than face to face. It is like when you see something horrible on TV versus on real life, basically. You engage better with the situation when you are next to each other than when you are miles away. I have a relative that works as freelancer jumping from one company to another. He is super happy with his lack of commitment to a company and that is fine for what he does and how he is. He wants to do the job, get the money and move on to the next. Some people are also like this in relationships. And that is fine, If it is clear for both parties from the start…. In companies where you are expected, together, to build a business, go after a purpose/mission, transform a setup, without bonding it is harder.

-         It is simply harder to do some types of work (like creative/innovative sessions, brainstorming and even networking): this is also, for me, a key one. And again, seen by most people surveyed around the world. I worked in different countries and continents. From places like Latin America, where people kiss each other and some become friends with co-workers, to places like Germany and China where private and work are very separated, in all places I visited for meetings or lived for work, networking and building a relationship with a co-worker was critical. Critical to keep us close and motivated after a common goal. I miss this nowadays and I am concerned this will become worst every day from now on, the longer this situation extends.

-         Mental related issues are going up: many employers are getting more worried about the mental health of their employees due to the lockdowns and fear of the future. Depression went up 62% vs prior pandemic. And that isn’t all: +35% alcohol and drugs abuse, +73% anxiety, +34% divorces, +25% domestic violence. To name a few of the struggles we are facing due to the lockdowns driven by the pandemic. And that is why, mental health must be as taken care of as physical health, moving forward.

So, many reasons why and many reasons why not return to the office. Some very relevant, some very questionable. But the most important of all, for me: we are social animals. To strive, we need each other.

Will we ever work again 5 days a week at the office? I don’t think so because it is inefficient and proven not to be needed. But, should we try to be more together and connecting with our colleagues towards our common goals when needed? I think so.

Because if we take care, it is possible. We can do it safely. Again, statistics are showing us that we are more in danger in our private moments of relaxation than while working.

To collaborate and to grow as a team, nothing better than being together, interacting, connecting, building relationships. I will make the effort, following the proper safety measures, 2 to 3 times a week, to wear the mask and have office engagements with colleagues that are open for it. And what is my ‘why’? Because I care… because I care for people’s physical & mental health, because I care to do a great job with my colleagues but in a safe way and mostly, because I care for our common purpose of improving people’s lives in Latin America with our co-created innovations.

Have a great weekend!