Why Are Employers Pushing Back on Remote Work?

Many people have expressed their preference for remote work. In fact, 72% of the 9,000 knowledgeworkers in a Slack survey said they would rather commit to the hybrid office model, which means people conduct a mix of remote and in-person work. Yet, employers continue to shun remote work despite employees having more leverage than ever. 

Jose Maria Barrero, Assistant Professor of Finance at Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) Business School, is aiming to answer questions about the hybrid-at-will model during a conversation at the HR and Future of Work session in which he will be featured. 

HREN: If remote work has many pros, why are so many employers pushing back on it? 

JMB: Firms and teams need to be ‘wired differently’ to operate efficiently when many employees are remote. Monitoring employees' progress, fostering their development and learning, and building firm culture when remote is very different to when people come into work five days per week. So, moving to a hybrid or fully remote arrangement requires investments (both in terms of money and time) in procedures, culture, and processes. That entails paying costs and can make some employers reluctant to embrace hybrid, especially if they overestimate the costs and underestimate the benefits. Also, many managers who have learned how to do their job in person for decades might feel there are psychological costs from having to learn how to do it remotely.

HREN: What are some good ways to motivate employees for those necessary face-to-face meetings? 

JMB: I’d say this is mostly about developing norms, expectations, and letting everyone see that fully in-person meetings work better than mixed-mode meetings (where some people are there in person and others connect remotely). So, developing anchor days when the whole firm or the whole team is in person, and key meetings happen on those days are a good way of motivating people to come in and participate. If you routinely let people connect remotely, that breaks down the coordination required for those in-person meetings to work well.

HREN: What do you think employers should know about the employee perspective on remote work? What is something that they may be missing? What should employees know about the employer perspective on remote work?  

JMB: Employees really value remote work, because they save time, they feel more productive, and often more comfortable. Employers should know that offering remote options (at least one day per week) provides a valuable amenity. Employees, in turn, should realize that there are certain activities that work better in person, like key meetings, where big decisions are made. Getting to know your colleagues and learning from them is much easier when in person. Staying fully remote makes it harder to enjoy many of the synergies arising from collaboration.

HREN: What message do you want to get across to our audience of HR leaders? What will be the highlight of tuning into your session?  

JMB: Hybrid work is here to stay. In the United States, we are estimating more than a five-time increase compared to 2019. That is because of the benefits it can bring to many employees and firms.

Don't miss your chance to ask Barrero and other featured speakers at HR and Future of Work your questions. Register for free and join us for these conversations about what's next in Human Resources. It's free to register, and those who join the live sessions are eligible for SHRM credits.  

Empowering the HR community

Join HR Exchange Network today and interact with a vibrant network of professionals, keeping up to date with the industry by accessing our wealth of articles, videos, live conferences and more.

Join Now

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto for Pexels