Germany just passed a law that says employers can no longer require their workers to work from an office.  Here in the US, we should be able to do something similar.  Working from home during the pandemic has shown that work can successfully be done from home, and deliverables are still timely.  The idea that we need to work in an office seems outdated after two years of working from home.

As a mom, being able to work from home has been really helpful for me, and many others as well.  Eliminating a long commute allows us to spend more time with our kids, instead of in transit.

Also, working from home allows us more flexibility if a child has to stay home sick.  My toddler is home sick today, and everything is still being handled.  I can still take my zoom calls, she knows to be quiet now.  I can blur the background, or tell my teammates that paw patrol is playing in the background since she is home.

Most office workers only interact with people in their own work group anyway.  My company has no travel budget, and I only have phone or email contact with customers anyway.  Half the people I work with live out of state, so there isn’t really a likelihood of in-person meetings that would require me to be in the office.

I analyze financial reports, and most of my work is done through online platforms.  I can successfully do that at any time, from any location.  Most of the time, the work I do is just between myself and my laptop.

When we work from home, it allows greater work-life balance.  We can eat healthier, do yoga on lunch or go for a walk, and we can correspond real time with coworkers through chat apps.  I can take five minutes to throw in laundry, or sweep the floor while I am listening to a long call.  But for me most of all, it is about the commute, and the comfort of being home.  I can wear yoga pants every day and no one knows or cares.  I can listen to motivational tapes while I work.  I can get more done because there isn’t noise or distraction that there would be in an office.

As far as productivity, that is improved too.  We can meet more easily with colleagues over zoom, and meetings aren’t capped due to lack of space, which actually allows more people to attend more meetings if needed.  We can also collaborate across different regions too, and work with colleagues across the country to get wider perspective on our work.

We have automated processes from paper to Smartsheet, so we aren’t wasting time with photocopies, triplicating signatures, or filing.  We have freed up time from busy work to get more real work done.

The benefits of telework greatly outweigh the negatives.  The only reason we have been given for a return to office is for socializing.  So, if employers want employees to focus more on work and less on socializing, we should be able to stay home.  The US should pass a law like Germany to let us all stay home.

Let me know what you think.  Do you think telework is the future too?