Is Elon Musk correct? Remote Work

[El Presidente]

It is a hot button issue around the world. 

Businesses are scrambling to retain staff and many have bent over backwards to accomodate better home/work balance.  In many cases it has worked well. 

But in some cases it doesn't. 

I know a CEO of a large lawfirm who is seeing KPI's among key staff down 27% over the YTD.  He is calling them all back to the office July 1 for 12 weeks to plan a better system and has invited anyone not happy to leave. There has been an uproar. How dare he!

Elon appears to have similar thoughts. 

https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/elon-musk-says-staff-that-dont-stop-working-from-home-should-depart-tesla-in-leaked-email/news-story/9627f4fdc96b630a46609576e6b2643a

“Anyone who wishes to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum (and I mean *minimum*) of 40 hours per week or depart Tesla,” the email stated.

 

The original post was retweeted by an account called Whole Mars Catalog, which asked: “Hey Elon, any additional comment to people who think coming into work is an antiquated concept?”

“They should pretend to work somewhere else,” Musk replied early on Wednesday morning

Employee centric policies are perfect for when the results meet the objectives of the business.  My team can do whatever they wish so long as the KPI's are being achieved. 

However if they are not? 

Are you a post covid remote work convert?  if so would you go back to the office 5 days a week if told to? Is there a medium....would you compromise? 

Are you an employer with a part remote workforce? How have you seen KPI's move in your field? The results do appear dependent on the industry/field. 

Interesting times 

 

 

[Islandboy]

I don’t have a horse in this specific race, but based on stuff I’m reading, I’m pretty sure I won’t be taking any advice from Elon anytime soon. He’s seeming a bit....imbalanced these days. 

[ChicagoRob]

I’m not buying it.

Natacha Postel-Vinay based out of the London school of economics has commented on home based employees and believes the data shows increased productivity.

I also believe there was an article recently where Nord VPN documented that the data they had showed employees were actually working longer hours while working from home…

The more Elon talks the less I like him if I’m being totally honest. I think his futuristic vision has woo’d many people into ignoring how much of an egotistical twat he is.

[Hemclas]

I'm a firm believer that overall productivity goes down for most people, but not everyone, with remote work.  I believe I'm in the minority with this thought, but I've been in an environment that's had remote work options for several years and I've seen it go down with most people.  I know they say their productivity goes up, but what would we expect them to say.

I worked in the office full time before COVID, both my teams worked mostly from home.  I have hard statics that showed their productive was down the days they worked at home.  I can also tell it's down now based on the work they are assigned and how long it takes to complete it.  When COVID hit we were all sent home full time, and there are no plans to require us to return.

I'm old school, so if I was told to go back I would.  If I didn't want to go back then I'd find a different job, I wouldn't complain or try to justify why I should be allowed to work from home.

 

 

 

 

[benfica_77]

I have been WFH for the last 2+ years....I enjoy it and get more done. I'm also at a stage of my career where I'm not looking to advance higher up and don't feel the need to "network" and play the corporate game. 

There have been days where I'm dealing with personal matters that if I was in the office I would have just gone home and got nothing done. Instead by being home and increase flexibility I can manage those situations and still work when I can getting more work done overall so KPIs would be up. 

I think WFH works but not for all job environments or points in your career.  For me it works. 

I expect long-term my job to be a hybrid....most likely 3 days at home and 2 in the office

[GolfT3]

I believe it’s highly dependent on the position and work. Routine task oriented jobs (processing invoices, payroll, basic journal entries, etc.) - doesn’t matter where you are. More collaborative and changing workflows (management, customer relations, investments) are much more efficient in the office with your counterparts and teammates.
 

The real challenge will be explaining to employees why Joe can work from home and John can’t.

[RichG]

I manage technical work/teams, and I agree that on average, performance is less in WFH environment. Besides employee performance, there is a wide gulf between how effectively you can build a team and develop employees in person than you can over Teams/Zoom calls. 

In my humble opinion Elon is right (even if he is tone deaf/sounds like a jackass, in how he presents his opinion), if that is what he feels is right for his company. Tesla will continue to attract employees regardless of WFH or traditional work environment. 

I think that for the immediate future most companies with office work that can be performed remotely or in person, will have to offer hybrid scenarios. 3 days office, 2 days home, etc. A lot of companies will falter in that their ego and their tendencies to cheerlead their own bullshit all day long, will prevent them from understanding how attractive they are to employees in their current labor market. If you can’t be brutally honest with yourself about how your company is perceived, and you still expect people to come in full time, you stand no chance to succeed in todays world. 

Like him or not, I believe Elon knows exactly how his company stands in a desirability standpoint for potential employees, but I think that Tesla is the exception to the rule on how most of us will need to move forward for this shorter term.

[Kaptain Karl]

We see increased productivity from our remote employees. However they’re support staff and the work is better done without constant distractions from us sales people (and vice versa). I really think it comes down to the person. Not everyone is cut out for remote working. I know I am not, but my wife is. There’s no one size fits all. 

[Puros Y Vino]

WFH works for most "modern day" jobs.  Can't assemble cars from home, fly planes, etc. But most 1st world economies are knowledge based.  That is people sitting at desks, with computers playing their role in the machine.  I know there are exceptions where physical attendance at a work space is logistically sound. But there are far more that don't make sense to commute to.  I work in Business Continuity/Emergency Mgmt. When the Pandemic "hit" our team as well as all the divisions were are responsible for pulled out their Business Continuity plans and we were back in business.  We executed on our Pandemic plan, which we maintain and keep up to date.  We placed value and being able to work from anywhere , given the right tools and we did so.  Where we had roles that required physical presence, we either modified the positions or beefed up their health and safety measures.  We've all been remote for 2+ Years.  Some have started to come back based on a gradual return.  30% occupancy per floor.  Not all teams in the same time at the same place in case an outbreak wiped out groups that were critical.  We shaved down staff at datacentres to 10% of their regular capacity.  Staff never crossed each others paths before vaccines, etc.  Crews basically wiped down every path they took.  Our efficiencies and performance increased.  People worked longer because they were already at home, logged in, not daunted by a crappy commute back home. They felt good about addressing issues because the flexibility of WFH was not taken for granted.  If anything, many loved that they could run that errand at lunch and make up the time when they came back.  Because most of us were knowledge workers, as long as our smartphones were on our person, we could address issues even when we weren't at our home desks.  We even ran complete disaster recovery exercises remotely. Hundreds of people remotely coordinated the full restore of servers and applications at a remote datacentre, with 2 = 4 people on site, in PPE doing the ":hands on" tasks as needed.    Some who are going back are asking why?  They find they are wasting hours commuting, to arrive at a destination where their team isn't physically at and end up logging on to Teams, Zoom, etc. If anything, they feel less effective being there. I haven't sat with my coworkers in 2 years and yet we get everything done as before and IMO, better. 

Elon is a bit of a nut.  I dont take much stock in what his opinions are on the matter. Yes, he's brilliant. But often with brilliance, comes a little bit of crazy. In short.    "That boy ain't right".  🤪

[Bill Hayes]

I care for my elderly father to keep him out of aged care facilities during this period of COVID/Influenza and Monkey Pox! Ha ha! So, it has helped being able to WFH. He will have to go into care in the next 6 months or maybe earlier, then I would love to go back into an office but I fear, post COVID, it has changed significantly and people seem less social and more introverted which can come across as negative/arrogance/dismissiveness and misinterpreted. It usually just comes out of fear IMHO and can make the office life uncomfortable now. It's so PC, everyone is so scared to have fun anymore. I guess it depends on the group and where you work, but I don't usually like forced organised fun from HR. A bit sad, but we have to adapt or die or just be happy with our own company. Anyhoo, just some thoughts from the office idiot/smart alec who rubs management up the wrong way with misplaced sarcasm and an inability to bite one's tongue after too many coffees. Cheers. 😜 

[BoliDan]

I'm less productive at home. But nothing that is breaking or anything. I can probably get all my work done and some extra projects in a 4 hour day. I just have always worked fast. I think half the stuff that comes out of Elon's mouth is verbal vomit or ego stroking.

[sageman]

I'm new to remote work. Left my business (restaurants) in 2021 and recently started fully remote. I've always taken work home. I do best without distractions. Some days I take meetings during the day, and do my independent work then too. Sometimes I handle my meetings in the day and work late at night when the house is quiet. Passive meetings that were once unproductive, can be taken off screen while handling something else at home. Instead of many people to distract a busy mind, I can put it towards multiple tasks when needed and accomplish multiple to do lists much quicker. Love reading the mixed reviews on this.

[Corylax18]

As others have mentioned, its highly job specific and individual specific. I love it, but I've never worked in a tradional 9-5 office setting and the thought makes me anxious. I've always worked from a jobsite trailer, rental car, tailgate, or hotel room, so the transition was easy for me. I'm far more productive at home, with two monitors, a desk etc. than I am working from the front seat of a car on a jobsite. I'm more than happy never commuting again, even if it's only 35-40 min round trip. I'd prefer working that extra amount over driving any day. 

[Rhinoww]

Of the 15 people on my team, productivity has dropped for one. The rest are doing more with less. Hell, I have worked back to back 12 hour days. Much easier to do from home w no commute and ability to grab some quick food. I will lose some great folks if we are forced back into an office full time. 
so from my seat, Elon is full of the bull he has been selling others for a while. 

[jakebarnes]

Elon is a clown. KPIs on my team are higher than ever. He's just looking to scapegoat someone when they discover the man behind the curtain 

[Markspring1978]

1 hour ago, jakebarnes said:

Elon is a clown. KPIs on my team are higher than ever. He's just looking to scapegoat someone when they discover the man behind the curtain 

 I’m so glad that people like Elon speak common sense. 

Regardless of your team’s KPIs, the US economy is headed for a nasty crash. This due in part to an entitled generation of self absorbed narcissists who think the world revolves around their pleasure and entertainment. 

Remote work may be efficient for some, but for many of the inexperienced and immature workforce, it is just a way to sleep in, binge Netflix, and still collect a paycheck. 

I’d like to think there is a time coming when these foolish experiments will have run their course. 
 

[Cairo]

I am retired now--but where I worked the "teams" had people from all over the country working together--often only one or two in any one physical location.

Our only face to face was quarterly or semi-annual meetings (more like parties 🙂 ).

Reporting to our local offices was a total waste of time and a distraction, so remote work was much more productive.

However if the teams are all (or mostly all) on site then the situation is different.

[El Presidente]

Assumning your role allows WFH. 

Not everyone is suited to WFH (Ken).  Some always have (or a version thereof)  and I can see how they are thriving in the new  environment. 

However, WFH was fostered onto the community (by necessity). It captured both those psychologically/behaviourally suited and those not.  It takes discipline. 

For those who are now below the performance line, how do you get them back into an environment where they can be supported to perform to requirements.  Leaving Jack and Jill at home but bringing in Jordan can pose a problem. 

In Oz there is also another consideration. The employer is responsible for providing a safe work environment. How does one monitor that at home? Jack goes commando and spills hot coffee on his weiner while doing emails. He has a car accident while doing a non work 2PM chore? Who is liable? 

I would love to make jack a "contractor" and let him take all the risk. Current employment rules here won't permit that if they have been hired under previous conditions. 

Not all cut and dried. For the record....I am all for WFH as long as the job is done to the highest standard and the team culture is maintained. 

[Fuzz]

Just now, El Presidente said:

The employer is responsible for providing a safe work environment. How does one monitor that at home? Jack goes commando and spills hot coffee on his weiner while doing emails. He has a car accident while doing a non work 2PM chore? Who is responsible? 

Listen to this man, people. He speaks from experience.

 

 

Please wear pants from now on, Rob.... especially during Zoom meetings.

[Meklown]

3 hours ago, Kaptain Karl said:

However they’re support staff and the work is better done without constant distractions from us sales people (and vice versa).

Agreed and think that it depends highly on the nature of the job. I'm sure everyone has had days where they were in the office for the whole day and having meeting after meeting but not actually getting things done. Wfh helps to prevent all that wasted time.

On the other hand, being in the office helps with collaboration. Water cooler talk and office gossip is important and in fact helpful for employees to build better working relationships, spread casual information, maintain morale, etc. 

I think each job should have between 0-4 wfh days per week, depending on its nature.

Also, if someone is not performing, they'd get a bad appraisal at the end of the period. Suggestions for improvement? Return to office. It wouldn't be forced, but if they don't take the suggestion and don't improve their performance, off they go! 

[El Presidente]

4 hours ago, Fuzz said:

Please wear pants from now on, Rob.... especially during Zoom meetings.

It's getting better but the swelling still comes and goes.....

[cnov]

I only employ a couple of people but they get the work done without me looking over their shoulder, if the work is done I'm not fussed how long it takes or how many coffees they make, the company is making pretty good money and it wouldn't be possible without them.

We probably have a 70/30 site/office split so not a huge amount of office compared to others. Sitting at a computer all day long is much harder than going to site in my opinion, if you can give good people the carrot of being able to work where they want, surely that's a way of keeping talent? 

Me on the other hand, I'm easily distracted, I work better with employees looking over my shoulder so I don't just sit there all day looking at FoH! That being said I get the work done, I might be sitting there until 11/12pm some nights, but I do the job.

It makes me laugh when you see matey boy who owns half of the London office space telling us mere mortals that we need to "get back to the office". These people have the power and the money to put their thoughts on the front page, then we all let the arguing ensue, yet another divisive subject in my opinion.

 

[Ryan]

Employees will work from anywhere just as productively if they care about what they do.

What can be difficult is maintaining a coherent culture in a business/team/project. A sense of "team".

Working separately can have the opposite effect. It's a hard thing to measure or put a KPI on.

 

 

[99call]

I think there are some drawbacks (already covered by others) but here in the North of England commuting on trains from the 1940's is horrendous, I know plenty of people who would let go a big chunk of their salary, not to have to commute, simply because the service is so dire. 

In museum and arts industries that I'm involved in the pandemic was very eye opening.   Generally the people at the bottom of the salary table are oddly also the most qualified.   The pandemic has seen to the highest paid (computer based) middle managers wanting to remain at home permanantly.       In general the lower paid staff are carrying out more technical and skilful hands on task, but with the absence of the middle managers, they are also quite happily assimilating their roles. 

The pandemic has really shone a light on where the value is in the work force, and which skills are rare/valuable, and which skills can quite quickly be learnt and assimilated. 

I'm not sure how much this is mirrored in other professions but when you have a choice between two workers, it becomes quite an easy choice

- Low paid, fully qualified, hands on, technical staff, self managing, fluent with all the software specific to their profession, and other specialisms, happy to either be on site or WFH,  

- High paid, unqualified, hands off, wants to WFH exclusively 

I don't think they've quite realised it, but I think a large chunk of those who want to work exclusively from home, have shone a spot light on how easily they can be replaced. 

[RDB]

I work in a large organisation with a wide range of types of work (eg manual, administrative, technical) and wide range of skill & pay levels. We’ve discovered that lots of work can be done better at home, and that the employees like that more. But it has to be work where the quality and output can be monitored, and it seems to work best for the more routinised, defined tasks.

For a lot of the more creative, innovative activity where you want people talking to each other, sparking off ideas and seeing things together, we need to get folk back in the room physically. It’s a struggle. A lot of folk have become very comfortable at home with their dog and favourite coffee mug, in casual clothes and with no commute. There’s definitely some hiding & non-participation, but that’s always been around.