Earlier today I was listening to the Doug Banks Radio Show. The question of the day was about Marissa Mayer, the Yahoo CEO, announcing to the company that as of June 1, 2013 no one will be allowed to work from home. As you can imagine in this day and age this has created quite an uproar. Caller's thoughts mostly agreed with what I am seeing on social media – she made a bad move.
You may remember the name because she made headlines in the summer of 2012 when she took the job. You see, she was 5 months pregnant at the time. With that action she was seen as a strong woman who demonstrated that even when pregnant, women had power in the workplace. However, she also raised some eyebrows by announcing that she would take only a two week maternity leave. Ok… is she a superwoman? Are the rest of us made to feel inferior because we took our full six weeks or more? Umm… no. And what does her latest action of banning working from home show?
Some say that it is a bad move. I agree. CEOs… especially a CEO that is a mother to a very young child should embrace the modern changes of the workplace and realize that you do not have to physically be IN an office to get work done. If your job mostly involves replying to emails, messaging, social media, or even conference calls… with the internet, a smartphone, a laptop, a desk, etc. at our fingertips, we should be able to work from anywhere, right?
Some may applaud her action. There are some people that make working at home look bad. Some slack off. Some do not answer calls. Some take naps. Some pretend to be working from home when they are really shopping. But, should we let the actions of a few ruin it for everyone?
I personally think that being allowed to work from home, even one day a week, makes for a healthier, happier employee. This is especially true if you have a long commute. For many years when I worked 9-5 I was allowed to work from home one day a week. We were required to be online, at our desk, signed into IM, and replying to emails in a timely manner. And all calls had to be returned within one hour. That seemed very reasonable in exchange for not having to drive in to the office. It is very common living in the Chicago area to have a commute of 1 hour, (sometimes more). Many employees live in suburban areas, and driving into the city can be a true test in stress and patience… and avoiding road rage! It was very common to come in the office and pass by grumpy coworkers who had sat in traffic for way too long. The water cooler chat was sometimes filled with complaints. We all felt the pain. And the pain of that commute can very well carry over into morning activities. And here in Chicago add snow to the mix and you could double that commute.
When working from home we could maybe get a little extra sleep in the morning, have some coffee BEFORE we are forced to chat with anyone, and even work in our jammies. This all makes for a much better mood when logging in at 9:00. And all of this goes for men and women. Men are just as grateful as women who are moms to be able to save on gas money and commute time, and even spend a day or two home watching the kids while working. In this economy working from home just one day a week could actually make a big difference in our income. We save on gas, car wear and tear, possibly parking fees, other commuter fees, buying outside lunch, and maybe even daycare fees if we pay by the day.
The standard that Marisa has set has the potential to reflect very badly on other parents in the workforce. A boss may be thinking “Well if that Yahoo lady can do it, why can't you?” or “If she only needed 2 weeks of maternity leave, why do you need 6 weeks?” or “Other peer companies do not have a work from home program, why should we?” The truth is that every company is different. Every employee's situation is different. Everyone's commute is different. And while yes… there should be standards set across the board for all employees, if you act like Marissa Mayer and decide to toughen up your rules and eliminate programs like working from home, you may just be unknowingly (or knowingly) alienating a certain type of employee. This type of employee is most likely the parent.
What are your thoughts on being allowed to work from home? What do you think about her decision?
UPDATE: And this one really stings me in the eye… I was just told that Mayer paid to have a nursery built IN her Yahoo office so that her son and nanny can be there with her all day. What are the chances that other employees will be able to bring their children to work?
She clearly has something to prove. And, this move won't help AT ALL.
Kyla Michelle Brown Yes… but Google is in a MUCH better state than Yahoo. She is doing this as part of her plan to fix the company, but it may just backfire.
I’m so late to this discussion but just wanted to say that I WFH one day a week and it has made all the difference. And I don’t think my quality of work has suffered in the least. I think it’s important to have SOME office time (depending on what you do) but 100%? Not necessary. Flexibility is key to retaining top talent.
Also, if a company is looking at Yahoo in its current condition as a model for anything, they’re obviously doing it wrong.
So true Liz. I hope they are not! And you are right… that one day a week can do wonders for the mind!
bet they wouldn't pull that mess at GOOGLE!! ijs…
As you’ve already discussed, there are so many benefits to allowing at least a partial work from home option for employees. Some argue you can’t really get work done if you have a child at home, and that simply isn’t true. I hope Marissa Mayer and Yahoo reconsider this decision, and that it doesn’t affect Corporate America as a whole to change their WFH policy.
I agree Christina. There can be plenty of work done even with one or more children at home. I think a lot of people assume that moms just sit around with their kids in the lap all day which is so not true. Especially as kids get older and more self-sufficient. They have their own things to do and play with. They don’t want to sit and look at Mommy all day. LOL!
SMH how soon we forget.
This is just ridiculous!!! With the advantages of technology, especially for this company, you would think that they would have someone at the helm who was more intuned with the needs of her workers. She seems so out of touch. And i too wonder what type of childcare accomodations she plans for the employees.
FINALLY!! Something to make you switch.
Most women who find themselves in high places find it difficult to manage thier success. this is strogly refiected in the high handed actions of Yahoo’s new female boss. They like to act bossy. Too bad.
Having dealt with a couple in my working days I have to completely agree. And that is very unfortunate.
Kris
That's it…I'm switching my email from yahoo!
Jim (my hubby) and I have been talking about this on and off. I just think, especially for a company based around technology, it seems a bit silly and off-base to assume that people can't do their jobs at home. Isn't that the point? I also think it's indicative of Yahoo's falling numbers & relevance in this day and age anyway.
Thumbs down.