Recently, I've been seeing a lot of posts and blogs about the ‘freedom’ that working from you gives you. I’m also seeing similar posts about ‘Remote Working’. These are two very different types of post.

Work from Home works for me. I have been doing it for the most part of 25 years. I have a routine, I have self-imposed rules, I have the discipline to get the work done and most importantly, I have a Family that understands what it means to WFH. 

Yes, WFH comes with benefits, no commute, a fridge full of food (Not always a good thing!), the ability to have a break to walk the Dog, receive Amazon deliveries and way more quality time with Family.

WFH also has its drawbacks… Those all-important conversations in the coffee room, usually with colleagues you wouldn't normally interact with as much on a day to day basis, where you learn things you would never know about unless you are there. Banter, practical jokes on work colleagues, building a working relationship and that one VERY important thing that working in an office brings… Feeling that you are part of a TEAM!

Then we have the ‘Remote Working’ Crew! You know who I mean, those people that post pictures of a sundrenched beach with a hammock strung between two palm trees or a Shepherds Hut half way up a mountain with the tag line ‘My Office for the Day’! Who do you think you are kidding? We all know you are just posting these pre-Covid holiday snaps from your kitchen table designed get evoke envy and gain ‘Likes’. Please! Just stop these bullshit posts. Only a very small percentage of Employers, if any, will be happy with their staff working from a hammock or sat, surrounded by a flog of Sheep!

Yes, we have collaborative technologies, Teams, Zoom etc.. and yes they are great for a whole host of reasons and proved invaluable during Covid. But what they won't do is replace the in-person human interaction that we need, we crave.

Managing people remotely is also something that requires a different skill-set, a new set processes and KPIs. A new approach.

Times are changing, the way we work is evolving, employers need to adapt. Some businesses are well suited to WFH, some are not. Ultimately I see that a hybrid of WFH and on-site will prevail

By the way, WFH doesn't work for everyone.

But always remember, whether you are the Employer, Employee, Line Manager or CEO, we are all only Human. Treat one another the way that you want to be treated. Everyone needs to give a little more and take a little less.