The Danger Of Dealing In Absolutes

“So what did you think of the Yahoo announcement?”

It’s funny; the topic that sparked some of the most interesting — and spirited — conversations at HIMSS wasn’t the formation of the CommonWell Health Alliance or Bill Clinton’s keynote address. In fact, it wasn’t any news that came out of the conference. Aside from Tap-Watergate (which certainly cast a dark cloud over the New Orleans experience), the issue that dominated the most conversations — at least in my experience — was Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s decision to abolish the company’s work-from-home policy.

To say the move created a firestorm is putting it mildly. Until this week, I hadn’t heard this much talk about Yahoo since the 90s. But thanks to the now-infamous leaked HR memo, the company has been rescued from obscurity and thrust into the spotlight.

Now, whether or not that’s a good thing depends on who you ask. Some people I spoke with (including one person who happened to be a Yahoo stockholder) voiced support for Mayer’s decision, while others (including Anthony Guerra) derided it. People either loved it or hated it — there didn’t seem to be any gray area.

Intrigued, I decided to dig a little deeper into the story. I learned that many former and current Yahoo employees believe the intent of the new policy was to help save a sinking ship — not to make a blanket statement condemning all those who work remotely.

And indeed, the company issued a statement saying, “This isn’t a broad industry view on working from home. This is about what is right for Yahoo, right now.” By eliminating the option to telecommute, the company said it hopes to build a culture in which water-cooler discussions increase collaboration and generate creativity. Plus, it turns out many remote employees were abusing the privilege, with some failing to even log into the VPN on days they claimed to be working.

Something had to change — that much is clear. What isn’t so clear is why Yahoo decided to institute an across-the-board policy that negatively affects all employees, which may include those who can thrive in a flexible environment. Rather than punishing all for the sins of some, perhaps Yahoo should institute a system based on accountability where specific goals are set for each individual, and if they are not met, action is taken. But to penalize everyone seems a bit extreme. Different people have different situations and different needs, and that needs to be taken into consideration.

“An all-or-nothing policy on working from home doesn’t really make sense,” wrote Marcus Wohlsen in Wired. “The issue isn’t so much the effect working from home versus the office has on performance and productivity. It’s the irrationality of trying to enforce uniformity when different goals might require different ways of working.”

And then there’s the other issue. If so many employees were slacking off, that tells me Yahoo’s leaders either hired the wrong people, or failed to effectively manage them. I believe the brunt of the blame should be placed on the managers who offered remote working positions to those who weren’t suited to work in an unstructured setting, and failed to properly monitor their progress (or lack thereof). Isn’t management supposed to take some responsibility when goals aren’t reached?

I think what upsets me most about this whole issue is the assumption that productivity is compromised when employees work at home. Although this is true in some cases, it definitely isn’t the case for everyone. And while I’m sure that in some offices, cubicles are a breeding ground for creativity, they are also filled with people who love to kill time by gossiping or complaining. I know that I’m able to think more clearly when I don’t have to tune out loud office chatter or deal with constant interruptions.

And I’m not alone. A Bureau of Labor Statistics study found that working remotely “seems to boost productivity, decrease absenteeism and increase retention” (Time). A study by Cisco found that those who worked from home achieved “new levels of efficiency and effectiveness,” and that 60 percent of the time saved by telecommuting is spent working.

For me, having flexibility built into my job makes my life easier. At a previous job, taking my daughter to a doctor’s appointment would’ve meant talking a half-day or even an entire day off, whereas now I can work around her appointment. And because I’m afforded that flexibility, I’m determined to work even harder. The trust that Anthony has in me motivates me to do great work.

Don’t get me wrong — I understand that Mayer wanted to send a message to employees. But if I were one of the many people affected by the new policy, my response to the memo would be: thanks, but no thanks.