With the COVID-19 pandemic, every job profile that can be accomplished remotely has got a de-facto approval to execute immediately on that. Majority of the employees in tech companies fall into this category, excluding the techs that take care of data center and other essential services, to facilitate the rest to WFH. A consequence of both Shelter In Place(SIP) & Social distancing and still continue to run the business. At least in bay area, even before the county decided to issue SIP, CEO's foresaw the need to stop employees coming to office and congregating near water coolers for free coffee. Productivity amongst us has been really high, since we did not have to travel to work and avoid the hassle of traffic all together. Furthermore, the unrestricted freedom to use any wardrobe or remain oblivious to body odor, proved to be a game changer in the initial few weeks.
Co-workers understood the impact of COVID-19 and its effects by keeping themselves abreast of all the latest news pushed to their myriad devices. The negative effects of SIP on the economy, but also how the disease itself, affects the vulnerable(old and underprivileged) unproportionately. Every worker felt like a warrior, called to battle and WFH was a way, to do our part to society with minimum effort, from the comfort of our sweat pants. As days rolled by and office hours blurred with all other hours, it does take a toll on your mind and body. Especially, if you do not take explicit measures to have a strict routine and stealing glances at your work laptop, while trying to spend time with family or getting a much required break from attending online meetings. Cos every discussion is a meeting or a constant barrage of instant slack notifications. I still miss the times(feels like eons ago) of getting ready for office and traveling back home after work. It was a chore earlier, but it also served a purpose of allowing my mind to wander away from work and get ready for my family and vice versa. It served as an undefined and translucent boundary that allowed my brain to compartmentalize the various aspects of my life.
Yes, this is not the most critical problem faced by society, with millions of jobs lost(maybe forever) and millions more furloughed. But this is also a problem that needs to be discussed openly and not to be ignored, due to its lower stature in a stack ranked set of problems affecting this society.
According to my opinion, one of the reason, why WFH has been productive for many and also team members have been able to be cope easily is due to: We have already worked with each other before and shared banter in a physically shared space. The camaraderie had already been built and we as social creatures try to maintain that social balance by being prompt and courteous, even though we might only see a name or a photo associated with each question or an answer in a text box.
Now, a lot of the companies are looking at WFH, or remote working as a possible permanent choice, to avoid dealing with COVID-19 social distancing protocols within office space. It's a hassle to provide a completely safe environment for employees, but social distancing goes against the grain of human need to mingle and share stories. We are good at curtailing our temptations, as long as we know, that we don't have to do it till end of time. A end date, always gives us motivation to achieve the goal, since we know that the stress is only for a short, definite span of time.
When tech companies in silicon valley started the trend of open offices, to facilitate the free flow of ideas across its ranks, it had an tremendous downstream effect on other companies across the country, wanting to be hip and replicate the techie culture, so it may help them to replicate their profits also. Now with working remote being contemplated to be of a more permanent stature, its effects would be felt across the country.
Personally, I feel that WFH would not be an hindrance, if the work involved mainly interacting with web forms and provide remote tech support following a cookie cutter template. If you want to build a closely knit team and build truly innovative products along with them, then you need a shared physical space to congregate ideas as well as ideate goals that improves a colleagues motivation. It's that exchange of ideas over impromptu tassels during coffee break that truly helps to build a team and products along with it. A innovative idea does not come to fruition unless we have a capable team to nurture that idea. I really wonder if that would happen, if all employees are mandated to work remotely.
Do you think, we could have another Google or Facebook with permanent WFH? I personally feel that companies will feel a drop in their teams productivity, as WFH continues. Let me be clear, it's not about meeting the set goals, but more about solving problems by thinking outside the box. Yes, few would flourish in this environment, but for the majority that makes the company, its effects are yet to be seen.
Maybe a blog post after a year on this topic would shed some light on WFH and its unintended consequences.
