{"id":621535,"date":"2022-09-04T16:00:22","date_gmt":"2022-09-04T14:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=621535"},"modified":"2022-09-02T15:06:48","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T13:06:48","slug":"why-your-boss-should-let-you-work-from-home-in-south-africa-but-why-it-isnt-always-a-good-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/trending\/621535\/why-your-boss-should-let-you-work-from-home-in-south-africa-but-why-it-isnt-always-a-good-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"Your boss should let you work from home in South Africa – but here’s why it isn’t always a good idea"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bringing coherence and a new kind of clarity to the workplace will be the key to ensuring successful teams in a post-pandemic future, and should be one of the major considerations for company leadership as 2023 comes into focus \u2013 particularly because of continued uncertainty on the part of employees, a leadership expert says.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompanies and employees have been trying to find their feet in what remains shaky ground, with ongoing uncertainty over work-from-home vs in-office and hybrid approaches,\u201d said Debbie Goodman, CEO of executive search firm Jack Hammer.<\/p>\n

\u201cExpectations on the part of senior leaders are often in direct conflict with those of the broader workforce, and the negative impact of this situation is exacerbated due to unarticulated needs, sentiments and beliefs from all parties,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Goodman said it is necessary for all the stakeholders \u2013 leaders and employees \u2013 to recognise that the workplace as we know it has been disrupted and now requires fresh thinking from different vantage points to formulate a healthier and clearer framework for the future.<\/p>\n

Whether locally or globally, evidence shows most employees want to retain as much flexibility, autonomy, and self-determination regarding work as possible, and they are very reluctant to go back to pre-pandemic rigid work structures, the search firm said.<\/p>\n

When this feels imposed on them by \u2018management\u2019 \u2013 a feeling that is common in workplaces everywhere – it results in resentment, as was witnessed earlier this month with Apple\u2019s mandate that employees return to the office for three days a week from early September.<\/p>\n

\u201cExamples abound, and Apple\u2019s employee predicament is but the latest example of the tug-of-war that continues between leadership and teams across the globe, including in South Africa. It is, therefore, necessary for everyone to get on the same page with some urgency before continuing down this path of uncertainty and incoherence,\u201d Goodman said.<\/p>\n

A strong proponent for allowing flexibility and common-sense, win-win solutions in the hybrid vs return to office debate, Goodman said it is important to communicate the purpose of the office where applicable while balancing that with the ability to work from home where possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost a year into our post-pandemic normalisation, data is now showing clear evidence that there are certain elements of work that people are \u2013 for the most part \u2013 substantially worse off doing on their own, remotely.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition, the negative impact on career and professional development for remote workers is starting to become more noticeable. Add to this recent research studies that show how certain groups of workers want more in-person time with their teams, and we have a very complex scenario to address and manage in the hybrid world of work.\u201d<\/p>\n

The following is a list of the core areas that people are not as good at doing on their own<\/strong>, remotely:<\/p>\n