Flexible Work – Dispatches From The Front

Amid looming economic instability and widespread layoffs, bosses are ordering their workers back to the office. Does it mark a permanent return to in-person work?

In January, Disney employees received a memo from CEO Bob Iger. Like other entertainment conglomerates, the media giant had been operating a hybrid-working policy, in which teams were allowed to work remotely twice a week. However, Iger explained in the memo, the company was now reversing course, mandating a four-day return to office beginning in March.

“As you’ve heard me say many times, creativity is the heart and soul of who we are and what we do at Disney,” he wrote. “And in a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect, observe and create with peers that comes from being physically together, nor the opportunity to grow professionally by learning from leaders and mentors.”

The rise of flexible work arrangements comes with one risky drawback. When working nontraditional hours (evenings or weekends, for instance), employees experience a decrease in their sense of intrinsic motivation, which in turn decreases their productivity and happiness, according to a new study from Harvard Business Review. Although previous research from the International Workplace Group shows that 80 percent of workers prefer employers that offer flexible work, HBR’s latest findings–gathered from a survey of 2,000 employees and students–shows that flexible work, in practice, has surprising challenges.

There are certainly benefits to flexible work arrangements. Giving employees more control of their schedules can help them be more productive when they have fewer distractions like meetings and notifications. Flexible hours can also make it easier for working parents to find work-life balance.

Tag: Flexible Work

The companies backtracking on flexible work | BBC Worklife

Employees Want Flexible Work–But It Can Diminish Their Motivation | Inc.com