Dear Moral Money,
I own a small business that does strategic communications for a number of mid-sized companies. I have eight full-time employees, most of whom have been with me for at least four years.
Everything used to run so smoothly but it has gotten out of hand at times during the pandemic. I have asked my staff to keep coming into the office every day, even after Boris Johnson asked people to work from home, but I feel I have good reason.
Working from home was always meant to be a temporary measure. I can say without a doubt that my employees are more productive when they are working from the office. At home, things that should take five minutes take days.
I have overheard them joking in the kitchen about the films they watch in the background and how hard it is to be motivated at home. I want to give them a good working environment and a healthy work-life balance but feel it’s important for them to keep coming in.
They are more productive, more collaborative and finish their work much faster in the office. There is a real team feeling, too, which improves the quality of their work. I feel they are being lazy and looking for an easy ride.
Some have threatened to quit because they refuse to come in. Am I being unreasonable and can I keep insisting on their presence?
PD, via email
The pandemic has thrown old working customs out the window and all employers have had to grapple with evolving guidance from the Government.
Boris Johnson has called on people to work from home where possible but you are right in that this is only guidance, not law. Employers do have some leeway so you are not obliged to send your workers home if you think they need to be in the office to complete their job.
But it’s important to remember that keeping workers at home is one of the most effective ways of reducing social exposure and containing the spread of the new omicron variant, according to the Government. Would you rather have your team working from home, or not working due to illness?
Some people have no choice but to continue going to work as they can’t do their job from home, such as NHS workers and those in hospitality or shops. But your employees are not in this position and it seems that their work can be completed remotely.
You are right that working from different locations can hamper communication and requires a high level of trust in your employees. Indeed, there are studies that support your belief that productivity declines when working from home. But instead of requiring your staff to come into the office, you could focus your efforts on finding ways to improve teamwork and collaboration while the office is empty.
If you force your team to come in against their will, you could ruin morale and create resentment, which is likely to have a worse effect on productivity than a short stint working from home. You say your employees have been with you for several years and you risk losing these valued workers if you push them too hard.
Perhaps a middle ground can be found. You could ask them to come in a couple of days a week instead of every day, or change their work hours so they do not have to commute during rush hour.
Let’s not forget that many of them will be concerned about having to miss Christmas celebrations if they catch coronavirus. By giving them no choice, you are putting them at risk and jeopardising precious, long-awaited time with their loved ones. No one likes a Scrooge.
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