CNN

August 15, 2022

Opinion: Fully remote work could

soon vanish
Opinion by Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. for CNN Business Perspectives

As restaurants, malls and movie theatres fill back up with people, the workplace has remained nearly
empty. This is partly driven by how engrained remote work has become in society. People have
invested in creating workspaces in their homes, relocated to smaller towns and even taken their work
to vacation resorts. Now, amidst an easing pandemic and slowing economy, companies are
increasingly trying to draw employees back into the office. But many just don't want to go.

For more than a year, workers have held the advantage in a historically competitive labour market.
But a looming economic downshift threatens to reverse the balance of power from employee back to
employer.

Though seen as a necessity during the pandemic, some business leaders doubt the current level of
remote work is sustainable. And they're right. A fully virtual workplace misses some of the key drivers

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for performance, productivity and growth, which are top of mind right now for businesses facing the
prospect of a potential recession. Understandably, they want workers back in the office because
they're preparing for an ultra-competitive environment, which calls for maximizing efficiency. Fully
remote work doesn't cultivate the level of interpersonal relationships that business leaders see as
vital to workplace synergy, collaboration and innovation. It can't replicate the rich, robust, direct two-
way, in-person communication that is critical to complex and creative work.

When companies are responding to market shifts and economic stresses, new ideas, problem solving
and brainstorming all become essential. And brainstorming sessions are much easier to conduct in
person, where workers can hash out their ideas on collaboration boards in conference rooms or
shared workspaces. Remote workers, meanwhile, are more prone to distractions at home that can
inhibit their concentration and participation.

It's not just what happens in formal meetings that adds value. It's also the organic connections and
culture-building that occurs when workers run into each other in the hallways or after a company
gathering. It's these spontaneous opportunities to delve into the details that are missed when one is
working remotely.

Employers and employees will need to make some hard decisions in the coming weeks. Certainly,
employers should be empathetic to the needs of their workers and mindful of safety and health
considerations as they craft and implement new workplace policies. But the reality is some employees
will still want to work 100% remotely, which may not be a fit for what a particular organization is
trying to do. Just as employees are seeking opportunities to fit their individual work preferences,
employers must be willing to seek employees who align with their workplace culture. If this means
separating from those who are unwilling to return to the office, so be it. Harboring workers who aren't
aligned with the culture is a recipe for a toxic and dysfunctional workplace and does a disservice to all
parties. More importantly, being clear about organizational culture and having the right people in
place sets the tone for a productive employee/employer relationship and will be key to surviving the
economic downturn.

Undoubtedly, there will be workers who don't agree with a particular direction. But it is incumbent on
organizational leaders to build a coalition of workers who fit their mission if they are to continue to
function and grow. Leaders owe it to all stakeholders, including workers, to make the best policy
decisions. Policy can't just make sense for workers. It must also make business sense in order to
preserve opportunities for workers to work; it must make financial sense in order to protect
opportunities for workers to earn a living.

The flexibility we embraced during the pandemic should go both ways. Workers will need to bend a
bit, especially when the viability of the workplace is in jeopardy. The hybrid workforce is not going
away, but the situation where employees refuse to come to the workplace at all is not likely to hold.

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