The WFH Myth

There are so many posts and blogs flying up about how lock down has proven that companies need to pivot to WFH strategies. Whilst it makes short term financial sense; I wanted to start the longer term conversation regarding the challenges.

Digital can pivot very quickly. Not all parts of the physical world can.

Systemic Challenges for Health

1) What are the long term physical and psychological implications of this shift in working behaviour? Ultimately, what company culture and common bonds do you have when everyone works from their own home?

2) Are health institutions prepared for this social shift in work habits? That's a lot less commuting each day. Perhaps beneficial in someways and sedentary in others.

Regulation

3) What about jobs that cannot be performed from home? Should these receive a premium in their salary? Keep in mind - this may include roles in which you have access to Customer data.

4) Will there be a need for Politicians and Regulators to implement thorough WFH standards and practice. e.g. Ergonomic factors (see points 1 and 2 regarding health impact for the individual and society)

Innovation

5) Will Insurance companies create a new WFH product range? If not, what employee benefits will an employer provide in exchange?

6) How many ideas happen in an office because the friction has been removed and people can freely speak? Will that be lost in a WFH culture?

Service Level Agreements and Value Add

7) Outsourcing and Virtual Workers have already been a feature of the past 20 and 10 years. What is the future Value Proposition of many firms such as Consultancy; where face to face interaction was paramount for many years? What can you only do F2F.

8) Does this mean Procurement functions now have clauses and triggers in their contract to re-negotiate a lower price? If contract stays at a ￡1000 a day, written when they reflected pricing for a rented office and employers now pay a virtual worker ￡80 a day, I suspect there may be a case for negotiating the contract down.

Training and Development

9) How will new staff be developed? WFH works for well established staff who know their role. Junior staff often need guidance. It helps when they are in close proximity. I know, the staff at a Bank I worked at complained that all the junior staff had been off-shored. Imagine how efficient it will be when they are all virtually dispersed too.

10) I have attended virtual training and face to face training; and as good as virtual currently is - face to face is much better. Until we have true VR like a Holodeck; do we really want a generation trained in silos?

The Economy

11) Does this mean cheaper office rates and less reliance on Commercial Property? If so do rents go down, and do individuals get compensated for using their home as an office?

12) Less commercial property leads to less taxes. Does that mean we need new taxes for the digital economy to compensate for Government expenditure?

BONUS - Will Train Ticket prices and Community Time Tables be impacted by reduced demand?

These are huge questions and points with no simple answers. There is also plenty of opportunity in there. I hope this improves the debate.

Parbej Ali

Business Transformation Consultant