Jonathan Pruiett said it didn’t make any sense.
Pruiett, a geospatial analyst, updates Google maps to make a living. He was called back to his office in Bothell, Washington five days per week starting June 6.
Pruiett, like many of his colleagues, had previously only worked remotely since he started his job in the pandemic. Pruiett had adapted well to the remote work environment, finding ways to save time and multitask during virtual meetings.
Yet, he was now being instructed to report to the office. Anybody who fails to report within three business days of the return date will be considered as having quit their job.
Pruiett stated that “Nothing will be changed other than having a few snacks in our office, and having an in person meeting.” “We are starting to believe that this job is not worth it.”
The debate about remote work continues to grow after more than two years of a pandemic with no clear end. Many jobs don’t allow you to work remotely. It is possible, and even beneficial, to work from home for those who have the opportunity.
How beneficial can a dispute between employees and their bosses be? Some bosses believe that too much is lost when workers aren’t at work and it’s time for them to return.
Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, is one of them. Recently, he wrote to his employees with the subject “Remote work cannot be accepted.” He argued that Tesla makes and produces “the most interesting and meaningful products on Earth.” You can’t phony it in.
Musk stated to them that anyone who wants to work remotely must be present at the office at least 40 hours per week.
Apple also wanted people to return to work three days per week. The company decided to delay its plans after over 1,000 former and current employees signed an open letter calling the plan inefficient and inflexible.
They wrote, “Stop treating me like a school kid who needs to be told when and where to go and what homework to complete.”
This was another sign of the shift in power between managers and workers, as the demand for workers hit new highs over the past year. When workers fear for their safety, companies find it difficult to enforce unpopular policies or mandates.
Cognizant’s Google Maps workers also decided to resist. They signed a petition with the Alphabet Workers Union, citing COVID concerns, the cost of driving to work amid $5 gas and the increased productivity and morale employees have experienced working remotely.
Pruiett stated that he was not sure whether Pruiett and other workers would be present in the office on June 6, with just days remaining before the deadline for returning to work. His team members began preparing for a strike vote.
Hours later, Cognizant did something that other companies had done in recent weeks: It granted a reprieve.
The company released a statement on Thursday stating that the first day of work at the Bothell office will be September 6.
Pruiett called the operation a 90-day Band-Aid, and pledged to fight on.
While some companies are trying to restore some office life, others ask: What’s the office for?
The offices of Eagle Hill Consulting, a management consulting firm, are open since 2021. However, most days there is only a handful of employees aEUR” mostly from IT or human resources.
Nobody has been ordered back to full-time, or even close. There are no desks or conference rooms named after Washington, D.C. landmarks like the Kennedy Center and Navy Yard.
This is a stark contrast to pre-pandemic, when every seat was full aEUR”, despite the fact flexible work was also offered back then.
“Could it have been possible to work from home for four days per week prior to the pandemic?” I believe I could. Jason Carrier, a senior associate, says it was not the right environment. He used to spend four days per week at the office and one day at the client site.
He lives just a few blocks from the office but he comes in less than his coworkers.
Eagle Hill’s workforce is mostly young, mostly between twenty- and 30 years old. People used to enjoy being together in the office before the pandemic. They loved the energy. They were happy to stay late to enjoy office happy hours at night.
Thanks to Carrier, who manages the workplace fun team, off-site happy hour is becoming more common. The idea of working remotely every day is appealing.
He said, “Probably very close” to a deal-breaker at this point.
Susan Nealon, Eagle Hill’s chief market officer, says that she would like to see more people in the office when it makes sense. Recently, she took advantage of an in person event aEUR”, a photo shoot that her team had organised aEUR”, to bring a few of her colleagues together for their first face-toface meeting in over two years.
Nealon says, “I see the office changing.” “It will be less about individual work and more about group work.”
She believes that workers are happier and more productive if they do their own work at home and only come into the office when it is convenient. She suggests that instead of fighting traffic in rush hour to get to the office, you could just drop in at 11 a.m.
This is an idea that was unthinkable only a few years ago. It’s already a selling point for Eagle Hill employees.
Fara John-Williams started as a human resource manager in May. “It’s difficult to even imagine going into the office 100%,” she says. “I don’t think I can do it ever again.”
