I’m sure you’ve heard the news; new Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has banned working from home! An internal company memo was leaked to the press declaring that Yahoo staff members will no longer be permitted to work remotely. Can you believe it? Apparently this is part of her plan to create a more connected company culture and increase productivity. Hundreds of Yahoo employees who currently work on a remote basis, were asked to report to the office as of June 1st. Even occasional stays at home are being discouraged.
Mayer is certainly taking a heap of criticism for this decision and of course, many Yahoo employees are stunned and frustrated. Flexible work arrangements have become the normal of today and help many people juggle work/life responsibilities.
Here’s a quick excerpt from the memo: “To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side. That is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices. Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings. Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home. We need to be one Yahoo!, and that starts with physically being together.”
I’m not 100% sure how I feel about this because as a business owner who believes in the digital office, I see both sides of the story. Studies conducted at Stanford have shown that telecommuting actually increases productivity so I think it truly depends on the person, their work ethic and their commitment to having strong communication. What do you think – is the new Yahoo CEO going back in time with this move?
