To think this is a surefire way to insist that everyone comes back into the office?

[Pleasebeafleabite]

Latest BBC News link today. If I was an employer and I was forced into giving staff compulsory four day weeks based on compressed hours, I’m be making sure they were doing them in the office.

Yet more unintended consequences

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gl5w83z7do

At the end of the day people don't do as much work at home as they do in the office

Why would it make any difference? Companies that want to attract and keep the best staff nowadays need to offer flexible options like hybrid working and compressed hours. Happy staff are likely to be far more productive.

Definitely not true. Many end up doing more hours on days they're at home as they've not had to waste time commuting.

Most people at my company do 0800-1800 so that’s a regular day!

As a manager, I think it’s a great idea. I don’t think wfh comes into it really, apart from making it easier to work extended hours as you don’t have to factor in people’s commute.

In fact, I probably wouldn’t recommend compressed hours to those going into the office with a long commute as it would be too much.

It sounds like you have an issue with wfh in general, managers who like to micromanage often do, and I find it’s those who have no real work other than to check up on others the worst for utilising working from home. It might be a good time to reflect on your management style?

I think wfh will mean a shortage of nurses, teachers, those who have no choice but to go out to work because who won't at some time in their lives want to control their hours. Could it mean a drop in salaries as wfh don't have fares /fuel to pay.

@Pleasebeafleabite so do you not talk to anyone in the office? Like others I get way more done working at home but if we're all in the office everyday id actually probably be less productive. You're shooting yourself in the foot saying everyone should be back in cause if nothing else you lose the respect of your team.

@UpTheMagicFarawayTree it's definitely true, I've worked in teams before with WFHers who never pull their weight because they're so cut off from the office they don't have to bother

I have both remote and non-remote employees on my team. As it happens my two remote employees are my hardest workers.

I’m thinking more about a scenario of average workers who are just OK at their jobs, we know they don’t do that much on their days at home but they work a full day in the office.

if you’re supposed to pay them for nine hours a day that you know that they’re just not going to do, back to the office they come

There have been a number of high profile large employers that have used various metrics to measure their productivity and profitability each year since wfh became more widespread since covid. At a minimum there has been no reduction, in many cases there was found to be an increase.

If wfh harmed businesses in the way some people are obsessed with claiming then it would have been a full return to the office post lockdown.
It doesn’t which is why many businesses still offer it.

It’s simply not factual to claim people don’t do as much work at home compared to the office.

That's not my experience, indeed that probably comes down to poor management.

It won’t be me insisting. It’ll be the business

@UpTheMagicFarawayTree it's never the worker's fault is it? Fact is most of the country can't be trusted to WFH

A lot of places already offer this, especially in the public sector, it's just compressed hours, it's not the 4 day working week being trialled in some countries and sectors, you'd still have to work 35+ hours over those 4 days. Absolute no from me, and no it sure as heck wouldn't get me in the office!

No, the two don't correlate.

You also need to factor in that lots of employers don't have room for all staff to be in for 4 days a week now. Premises are expensive. An enforced 4 day week wouldn't change that.

Business are overall more effective when everyone is in the same office, unless you have a job where you genuinely work alone and don't need to interact with anyone. It's the subtle things, overhearing something which relates to your work, corridor conversations, building rapport with colleagues, having a quick chat rather than waiting time on the phone/email. Meetings are a million times better in person. Obviously wfh has its benefits, but nothing compares to 1:1 human interaction.

Yes this you can almost see it

Meanwhile, I genuinely couldn’t give a monkeys whether they worked all their hours as long as the work got done to the agreed level of quality. ( with obvious exceptions like being on the phone to customers).
In most workplaces work comes in peaks and troughs. I think people are more willing to give their all in the peaks when we aren’t micromanaging their hours don’t you?

The UK had a productivity problem a long, long time before the increase in remote working.

This has nothing to do with WFH. It is about the right to request compressed hours. Lots of people at my place already do this - mostly parents but some people who are studying or have other responsibilities

It works fine. I am not keen for myself as I like my 5th day (usually Friday) to catch up with admin and writing.

You commute in your own time though and chat can be more easily monitored when you’re in the office. I love the idea of compressed hours over four days but think it’s yet another example of those who have slacked off working from home meaning employers want us all back face-to-face.

As I say, I don't believe that is a fact. If someone isn't working up to standard then that needs to be addressed through a performance plan. Its likely that for that sort of person it will make no difference whether they are at work or at home. Progressive companies have seen increases in production and staff retention through schemes like hybrid working/compressed hours/flexible working.

As well as being made up, this is very small minded. Do you not realise that some jobs inherently involve collaborating and interaction with people who don't live within commuting distance of the same employer?

I manage a global team of quite few people, I wfh, many of them work mainly from home. Some come in a couple of days a week to re connect with their local teams. I do not care where they are working from as long as the work is done on time and to a high standard. We are all incredibly busy and many of us have kids, families so it works very well for the most part. If people aren't delivering I can see it quite quickly as I track output quite closely and can pull people up on it to see what's blocking them.

I am not a micro manager, I don't need to see them typing to be sure they're working.

The amount of hours of work doesn’t matter once you get your job done.

I’ve worked a 4 day week for years on full pay & we also have unlimited annual leave

work in a very flexible lovely place

I’d never work somewhere that wasn’t as generous now

the best staff in companies will easily pick up new jobs and won’t put up with crap positions so all you’ll do is push people out and end up with the crap people in the end.