Her boss suggested she go to the office to work.
She declined.
He insisted.
She quit.
(True story)
Once the genie is out of the bottle, you can not put her back.
Remote work is the new normal
Millions of employees have discovered that they can work from home just fine. They have embraced remote work as the new normal and they would rather quit and look for a different employer than to face the inconvenience of dressing up and commuting to work.
My friend discovered that, from her living room, she can work for businesses in other countries or she can freelance with clients from anywhere in the world, and that employers need her skills more than she needs their job.
Turning the tables on employers
This new employee empowerment is turning the table on employers. Whereas once the employer was calling the shots, now they have to listen to their workforce and try to accommodate their different needs and schedules.
Many big companies such as Shopify, Spotify, and WordPress have embraced remote work 100%. Other companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Ford Motors are adopting a hybrid model where employees will go to the office two days per week. And some such as JP Morgan insist on having employees showing up to the office.
Transactional leadership is not welcome anymore
Employers who insist that employees should come to the office say that it’s good for the culture of the company.
- CEO Jamie Dimon said at a recent conference that working from home doesn’t work “for those who want to hustle.” Implying that those who want to work from home don’t care about their careers.
- Morgan Stanley’s chief executive said he expects all New York City employees to be back at their desks by Labor Day — or they will face salary cuts.
Insisting that employees go back to an office when their jobs can be done perfectly fine from their homes shows an antiquated transactional leadership style. It shows a complete disregard for the employee’s well-being. It shows distrust. And it shows a complete lack of respect for their integrity.
Some bosses are eager to regain tight control of their subordinates. They feel that if they can’t see the employee working, they are not working. It’s a power-play that many employees don’t want to play anymore.
Globalization works both ways
Sure, companies can look for and find employees anywhere in the world, but employees have learned that they too can look for employers anywhere in the world. In this new work environment employees and employers who give priority to remote work are a match made in heaven.
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