WLP312 What’s Going On: Remote Work - Promoting Inclusivity or Inequality?
In this episode, Maya and Pilar take a step back to look at the possible effects (both positive and negative) of widespread adoption of remote work.
Maya and Pilar discuss some news around this big theme, and provide their own reflections. This episode was recorded quite early, on 23 August 2022.
Before kicking off the conversation, a quick thought: Zencastr, where we record these shows, has completely changed its look. This made Pilar and Maya empathise with those people using technology who find that, one day, the whole interface has changed - and you need to learn how to use the new set up in the middle of carrying out your day to day.
The diversity of people using the remote space means that the range of ways of working in this way has increased. As an example, some people feel very strongly about wearing headphones during online interactions (by some people, read Pilar) whereas some have completely ditched them, and think that over the ear headphones look unnatural. If there is difference in opinion around this small thing, imagine the bigger issues!
This tweet by Nick Bloom shows the diversity in how people are working remotely:
"No WFH: 55% of employees, mostly in face-to-face jobs in retail, manufacturing, foodservice etc
Hybrid-WFH: 30% of employees, typically better paid managers and professionals
Fully-WFH: 15% of employees in support roles like IT and payroll”
The inequality the pandemic highlighted continues - some people have no choice of where they can work from due to the nature of their work. When looking at how to give people autonomy over how they work, we can also look at giving them flexibility around time, task, technique or team. (Ref his book Drive.) A bit of imagination can help us to create a more equitable workforce.
Once more, this is an opportunity to look at how we’re working and what the options are to change it for the better. And if everything has changed around you but not the way in which you work, you could feel left behind - or it could give you a sense of stability.
What about the salaries quoted by Bloom, which suggests that those who can work remotely often have the highest salaries? Pilar quotes from the book Post Corona by Scott Galloway:
“The pandemic’s primary effect has been to accelerate dynamics already present in society.”
Referring to WFH, he says:”its greatest benefits are being reaped by the already wealthy, who have home office setups, childcare help, or other means of making money during lockdown.”
“Remote work will be a means of increased income inequality. Sixty percent of jobs that pay over $100,000 can be done from home, compared to only 10% of those that pay under $40,000. This is a major contributor to the pandemic’s disparate impact across income levels”
And do managers feel like they need to take a hybrid approach to stay visible and relevant? Or is it because they have home offices they want to leave a few days a week? Maybe they have more flexibility over their schedule too. “Being in the middle of things” is seen as part of management, and some might think this can only be done if we are physically present in the office.
By the way, it’s still early days to see how this pans out in the long-term. We’ve been talking about this for years, but not at this scale…
The big workplace experiment has started NOW (not during corona), as organisations and individuals are experimenting deliberately. Pilar refers to this article from Hubblehq which lists how organisations are experimenting with hybrid. https://hubblehq.com/blog/famous-companies-workplace-strategies
Looking at remote work through the socioeconomic aspect hasn’t quite happened yet. It might be that it happens organic eg people moving away from main cities. For example, if managers start to move away from the city and work remotely, maybe salaries can drop without affecting people’s lifestyles. That could mean the costs of living in the cities for people that really need to live there - key workers - can actually afford to. Have we missed the opportunity for all of this to happen? Or will new generations come in with a set of values? Or maybe it will happen organically… Especially if it follows the environmental movement.
How about the view from the bubble at the top? JP Morgan’s CEO sees remote work in a particular way…
“Management by Hollywood squares”… a very different view of what remote work and management is to us… (has he ever heard of async?)
And his view of what helps us meet different kinds of people also clashes with ours: he seems to be assuming 1) that remote work means working from home and 2) that you live in a place surrounded by people like you and you don’t mix with others to do other kind of things.
In contrast, Pilar was recently recording with Michele Ong, who’s been working in global teams for the last 10 years who mentioned how amazing it is to meet such a diverse set of people when you work remotely.
Of course, some workplaces have a diverse set of people in them, while some might not. Should your workplace be your main place for socialisation? Pilar has made most of her friends in her adult life through work (whether in an office or remote). Maya thinks that we should take personal responsibility for developing our social circles - whether at work or out of it.
The narrative of “you only socialise at work” needs to change. This is an opportunity to provide choice.
Things will also change for those who felt totally at home in an office - they might feel like they’re being left behind. As are those who do not want to - or can - work at home. So things can feel pretty unequal for those who have been fulfilling their socialising needs in the office.
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How people socialise at work might also change - especially in places like London, where this has traditionally revolved around drinking alcohol after work hours. Hopefully imagination will prompt people to bond in a range of ways, which can include more people. (Pilar refers to episode 304 where David Stoddard refers to how at his company they’re giving a lot of thought about how to promote socialisation.)
Pilar mentions Bella Ikpasaja’s course on personal interactions at work, in case you want to check it out: https://maven.com/bella-ikpasaja/inclusive-interpersonal-safety-at-work/preview/41351b
We must not forget how different genders have different experiences around flexibility and remote work. Here’s an article from 2019 that could have been written yesterday - or maybe things have changed, what do you think?
“Men, on average, are more likely than women to work longer hours when given more control over them – even if it’s unpaid overtime. Another study has shown that men are also more likely to worry about work when not at work and working flexibly, since men are less likely to worry about the competing care demands they face in the house – which is not the case for women.”
Many women, especially mothers or those with care responsibilities, do not feel like they can extend their working days. And, when mothers work flexibly and work from home, studies show they increase their time and activities in the household in a way that fathers do not.”
Even if this is still the case now, at least the conversation has surfaced and we are talking about it. And we are aware we might have a case of “flexibility stigma”, assuming that people are less committed or less productive because they take up flexible work.
At the end of the day, every time things move in one direction, we are in danger of leaving people behind. Let’s remember the aim of flexible work and remote work in particular, which is to help people be happy at work.
Finally, there is inequality in who can voice that they’re not happy and who can. You must have heard by now the term “quiet quitting” (we recorded this on 23 August) but in case you haven’t have a read of this: https://ez.substack.com/p/quiet-quitting-and-the-death-of-office.
There is a danger of continuing with the long hours from the pandemic rhythm, and the fact that people now need to go back to a slower pace, quietly, is worrying. In some places, there hasn’t been a recognition of the extra effort people put in, and in most cases, there is no beginning and after, and many are exhausted. When people are away from each other, people burning out is more difficult to observe. And in any case, why do we need a term for those people who are placing boundaries around their work and are happy just to do a job well done?
Having flooded our episode with a big dose of realism, we wrap up with an uplifting article on how it’s going with the 4-day week in the UK: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/aug/18/four-day-week-trial-uk-workers-joys-challenges
Let’s remember it’s only been a month since the experiment began in this case, and it takes years (decades!) to fully adapt to new ways of working. While some people are enjoying the new set up, others are feeling a bit guilty. We’ll see how it all unfolds… Although we’re not sure the pilot is going to be long enough…
At least, it looks like the pandemic has opened up everyone’s minds to experimenting with different ways of working.
Do let us know your opinion on all of this! We’d love to hear from you. https://www.virtualnotdistant.com/contact-us
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