Return to Office Unstoppable? Debunking 6 Reasons Remote Work Doesn’t Work

#returntooffice vs. #remotework

Is the march back to the office really unstoppable? Not from where I’m standing.

Is there enough justification to pressure or bribe remote workers to commute to and from the office again? Let’s look at some of the biggest talking points around remote work not working and see if they hold up.

Reason #1: Remote Work Stunts Collaboration

A recent article featured on Forbes argued that people and teams don’t thrive remotely. While I respect that it may not work for everyone, I see remote collaboration and growth around me daily.

As an example, let me introduce Luke: he’s based in New York and owns content at Yodo1. Some years ago he collaborated on a project with Co-CEO Henry, on the other side of the globe in sunny Gold Coast, Australia. Together, they outlined, filmed, and published a complete course on the business of mobile gaming within six weeks. Did I mention that Luke and Henry never once met in person?

Today, that course has been completed by over 70,000 students, and Luke continues to thrive in collaborating on great content with colleagues in all corners of the globe—all the while enjoying the freedom, flexibility, and trust of remote work.

This is one of many anecdotal but real-world examples. I see countless new initiatives brainstormed by and executed between team members across multiple countries—from Beijing to Ho Chi Minh, Casablanca to New Delhi, and Virginia to Taipei. Yes, sometimes there’s a real, tangible benefit of getting together and collaborating in person, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen—and succeed—remotely.

Reason #2: Working Remotely Hurts Your Career

Whether it’s touting how bad it is for juniors and new hires, that people don’t thrive remotely, or how it’s sure to make you miss out on opportunities, the message out there is clear: remote will hurt your career.

We all have our own stories. For me, the switch to remote work created my career. I’m also not the only introvert who’s excelled thanks to remote work and there are many reasons for this.

When I look back at the new hires and juniors we’ve onboarded since Yodo1 closed its office for good at the end of 2020, I see that almost a third have been promoted once and some multiple times. So I can’t help but feel like the media is only telling one—perhaps old—side of the story. What if going remote is the key to your career advancing far beyond the limitations of office walls and geographic location?

Remote #3: Bosses Are Fed Up With It

An article featured on Yahoo Finance quotes, “Working outside the office simply isn’t as productive as office work, no matter what remote workers say.” The article goes on to give “undeniable” reasons why bosses are fed up with remote work, including that remote workers “spend fewer hours working.”?

The author may have chosen to ignore multiple studies, including this Stanford Business paper, showing increases in productivity from 13% to 29% when people work from home. Then again, a study of one workplace may not reflect reality in another.?

What’s the difference between bosses being fed up and—as I see around me—bosses being the loudest champions of remote work?

Certainly, one difference is how success is measured. If it’s output rather than hours worked, you might read, "Remote workers put in 3.5 hours less per week compared to in-person workers” as cause for a small celebration. I certainly do.?

Another difference is whether or not bosses trust their employees, which leads us to another myth:

Reason #4: You Can’t Build Trust Remotely

When the pandemic forced a shift from face-to-face to remote leadership, managers struggled with trust.

My boss, Yodo1 Co-CEO James, trusted me to lead HR for a company with well over a hundred people, spreading increasingly far across the world. I had no prior experience in the field, and have yet to meet James in person. But he saw the potential in me and was willing to put in the time to provide the support and training I needed to get started.?

And it works. It’s been working for three years now. So when someone tells me you can’t build trust remotely, I can’t help but say, “Yes, you can.” If you’re curious about how we build trust at Yodo1, check out this conversation.

Reason #5: It's A Catalyst For Burnout

A lack of boundaries between work and home life can indeed be a catalyst for burnout. This is a real and serious concern every remote organization needs to be deeply aware of and take proactive steps to mitigate.

During onboarding at Yodo1, I talk with every new team member about managing their time, setting their boundaries and “sacred time”, and communicating frequently with their team about expectations and agreements on availability and time off.

That doesn’t mean we’ve solved it. It’s a continuous effort and we keep experimenting with new steps and solutions, including a recent partnership with well-being startup Quan.

Though “work from anywhere” has the potential to become “work everywhere,” I strongly believe it also has the potential to give us greater well-being and work-life balance than could ever be possible in an office setting.

Reason #6: Remote Work Is Lonely

Yes, remote work can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. You have so many options, you just need to go out and take them—and encourage everyone else on your team to do so, too.

In my case, my nearest colleague is 1,500 kilometers away but I’m not lonely when I work from home because my partner does, too. We hang out during breaks and discuss random topics. Once a week, my daughter is home from school early and we all have lunch together. And if she has a special activity at school, I adjust my calendar a little and I’m there.

I also occasionally make the trip from our cozy village to Amsterdam, The Hague, or Rotterdam for events where I can talk with other HR professionals or just meet a completely different crowd.

While I’m happy to only commute when I want to—once or twice a month perhaps, colleagues who are more extroverted or haven’t started a family yet might opt to go to a coworking space most days of the week because, for them, it’s worth being in a bustling, office-like environment.

That doesn’t mean we need to open up offices and start requiring people to show up X days a week so the company can get tax breaks and not feel like it’s wasted money. It just means we need to give people options, let them make their own choices, and support those the best we can.

Reflection On The Future Of Work

With any new shift, especially when it’s challenging long-held norms, there will be people who say it can’t be done. But there is an alternative perspective. Remote work, done right, can unlock huge potential and opportunities for individuals, businesses, and the planet.

With work from anywhere, we can choose to live where it’s best for ourselves and our family—which may change depending on life stages—without sacrificing our careers. Or we can pursue that dream of traveling while enjoying exciting career opportunities from anywhere in the world.

And as employers, we get to hire the best people irrespective of where they are–you can find talent anywhere: Spain, Bangladesh, Morocco, Brazil, Kenya, South Africa, Costa Rica, or Montenegro—certainly not just Silicon Valley.?

What does the #futureofwork look like for you?