Why Working from Home Will Stick [pdf]

> Based on 15,000 survey responses from working age Americans, carried out between May and October 2020, we estimate that one half of paid hours were provided from home during this period. After the pandemic, employers are planning for about 23 percent of paid days to be spent working from home, a four-fold increase relative to before the pandemic. This works out as roughly 2 days a week for the roughly 50% of employees than can work from home.

The problem is multi-faceted.

While this is entirely anecdotal I have observed a LOT of time theft by employees. And been asked more than ever to investigate employee behavior (even when I normally try and advise against the approach)

Some more egregious than others. While most probably aren’t going to awol for a day at a time I know a LOT of people that now spend working hours doing leisure things. Maybe that’s a substitute for them browsing internet all day and just weren’t busy.

But even some of my direct reports will slack significantly more if they think I’m not online. Responses that are normally in minutes take hours etc.I have to now probe for updates etc. Much less time is spent on projects of interest (that also benefit the business) during periods of less “fires”. Instead it’s more bare minimum. I know many try to be understanding (myself included) because many have more than just work to deal with but it would need to be addressed if it’s becomes a norm.

Maintaining network and IP security is harder in many sectors. Just look at the SW breaches where m365 tenants seem to be vector. Look at the vectors cropping up. Huge rashes of phishing, people loading up corporate email on personal equipment. Rdp dos and the multiple flaws etc. and even if you have the hardware on lock, home networks are a cesspool.

Support teams are getting pinged at all sorts of hours because people are shifting work hours to ones more of convenience (again anecdotal)

I see more cultures being more amenable to wfh or flex schedules. But I still see the need for brick and mortar work for certain....job types

I really hope it doesn’t. I miss the office. Workplace environments prevent myself from socially isolating beyond weekends at best — I know I’m not alone in that.

Caring about the specific hours an employee is working rather than the quality of their output is something I hope dies along with mandatory physical presence in an office.

Has your team productivity actually dropped? You mention things that are supplemental to productivity but nothing about the actual productivity itself. If not, then I suspect there is no more "time theft"* than usual and you shouldn't get wound up by it.

* that is a hideously obnoxious and entitled phrase to use - instead of "distracted" or even simply just "not working".