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Google announced this week that its voluntary work-from-home policy would be expiring April 4th for most of its employees, forcing them back into the office. In a move that disrupts what many workers thought was a new way of life, Google could be pushing top talent towards talent-hungry startups that are willing to be more flexible with work-from-home options.
Many workers have expressed an unwillingness to return to in-person working, even resigning if the option is taken away. While the reasoning for some workers preferring to work outside of the office is obvious (saved transit time and costs, more family time, flexible hours, etc.), the reasoning for companies asking their employees to come back to the office is not always as clear.
Some have accused companies like Google of a “sunk-cost fallacy,” in which they reason that since they have already spent money on physical office locations that they should be using them accordingly. Others have cited companies lack of trust in employees to stay productive outside of the office or deterioration of company culture when it is decentralized.
There have been conflicting studies on how productivity is effected when employees work from home, but one could assume a data-centric company like Google has strong reasoning for making a potentially controversial decision among its workforce.
Companies shouldn’t assume, though, that work-from-home means all workers are in pajamas, distracted, or even at home. Many have found solace in frequenting coffee shops and renting co-working spaces to separate work and home life effectively. It is important to note that some workers will be better at self-management than others. But for those that are capable, it doesn’t make sense for them to be required to transit to and from offices.
Another factor to consider is that employees that were formerly allowed to work remotely may have moved out of the expensive metropolitan areas their offices were located, in favor of a lower cost of living elsewhere. Are they now to uproot their lives if their company’s work-from-home policy is walked back?
Whether Google’s decision is aimed at productivity, company culture, or something less obvious, many top-talent employees have grown accustom to the freedom work-from-home offers and will not exclusively seek out opportunities that grants them those freedoms.
Startups and lesser known companies have a unique opportunity to cash in on talent if they are willing to make some of the trade-offs larger companies like Google are not.