Why do companies seem to hate wfh and flexible working?

[numenor]

I really don't understand it so many companies bringing in stringent return to the office policies and curtailing flexible working.

I'm a single working mum and really couldn't work without these things and I don't think I'm alone in that.

What is it about these things companies don't like 🤷‍♀️.

Surely it's a good thing to encourage work and to be able to hire the best candidate

Question - I’ve seen lots of comments saying that management don’t have the skills to manage a wfh workforce. What makes a good manager of a remote team?

If the job is getting done what's the problem? If people aren't meeting targets then there are procedures to deal with that

Yes, very true; jobs do still revolve around personal relationships even (particularly) in tech companies - I have a friend who is high up in a tech start up in London and he said that there is a very real problem with their programmers who want to work from home all the time rather than come into the Shoreditch office. As the company expands internationally he is finding programmers in Greece and Romania with excellent English and programming skills who will work for half the cost of the London staff, making a big saving even when factoring in the costs of flights and hotels for the quarterly meetings they have at head office. If staff are working remotely it makes no difference if they are in Battersea, Brighton, Bucharest or indeed Bangalore!

Some of it is about being a good manager generally:

• knowing what the team or department does - what is its output
• knowing how each team member contributes to this
• knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and working with this to strengthen the weaknesses and share the strengths
• rewarding the team

Good remote managers

• speak with their team very regularly both collectively and individually
• encourages their team to collaborate where possible
• is aware of individual calendars and makes sure everyone uses theirs and keeps them up to date
• frequently 'check in' outside of more formal one to ones
• pays attention to changes in behaviour