Yahoo Finance Aussie mum's work-from-home defence: 'Why would I ever let this go?'
OPINION: While I love my time in the office, hybrid working gives me one thing I'm not eager to lose, writes Miriam Sawan.
I am one of the very fortunate beneficiaries of a hybrid work arrangement. What this arrangement has taught me, and the rest of the world, is that, depending on our jobs, we can respond to calls of duty from wherever we are.
What freedom. The flexibility gives me two extra hours a day to be present for my family.
It also allows me the opportunity to attempt the full-time work/full-time mum juggle and to actually catch some balls instead of dropping them all.
It has been markedly beneficial for my mental and physical health as it allows me to meet the demands of all my responsibilities while also benefiting from the perks of working in an office.
Why would we ever let go of this globalised approach to working?
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I enjoy the luxuries of my office days
The joys of going into the office in my role as the Media and Communications Manager at Shine Lawyers are not lost on me.
On my office days, I have the luxury of getting dressed in the morning, which in turn can feel like necessary self-care, especially for a mum who lives in leggings and sloppy slouchy knits on work-from-home days.
I get to enjoy a podcast on the train, sip on a barista made coffee (that is still warm (see reference to motherhood)) as I enjoy it on my walk into the office and can have energising conversations with colleagues that fill my cup.
But if you ask any working mother, most would still choose time with their babies over time spent on a commute to work.
On my work-from-home days, I have the benefit of extra sleep which in turn means I have the mental energy and fortitude to give more in my work day.
I also have a reasonable finishing time which allows me the joy of picking my kids up from childcare.
Plus it allows me to be a sometimes-measured mum who has time to be present and patient while my kids fuss over what to wear to childcare or what to eat for breakfast.
No part of me believes we can have it all at once (I do believe we can have it all at different times of our lives) but I think hybrid work arrangements are the closest things to balance that workplaces can provide their employees and I’m not alone in that thinking.
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Those working from home proven to be more efficient
Nick Bloom is a Stanford economist and has based his life’s work on researching hybrid work since 2010.
Back then, his research revealed that those who work entirely from home were 13 per cent more productive, taking fewer and shorter breaks, and in spite of working harder, they were less likely to quit than their full-time office counterparts.
Covid gave Bloom an opportunity to make the globe his biggest test case.
The pandemic provided an opportunity to test productivity, happiness and success in hybrid work environments.
The findings were unsurprising.
Those working from home had increased job satisfaction, less burnout (despite being more productive) and they reported improvement in the sometimes illusive work-life balance, yet CEOs and senior executives continue to push for a return to the office model.
Bloom calls these leaders “flat Earthers,” people holding onto a disproven theory that halts progress and sets us back to a standard few are willing to accept.
The best workplaces strive to meet our needs
Many will state that connection to colleagues and a physical presence in meetings is critical for personal and professional growth.
To that end, workplaces can offer office days for all, where everyone attends to equally gain from interactions with colleagues.
Others will say that generations before us did it for years and without complaint, but most employees don’t want to go backwards.
Just because something was done a certain way decades before, it doesn’t mean it is the best way moving forward.
However, when we sign up for a job, it’s called "work" not "play "and within that contractual obligation, is a commitment to comply to workplace rules and regulations.
If we don’t like it, we don’t have to be there and that’s the plain and simple truth.
Not every workplace will make rules to accommodate for each of our needs, the better ones do, and that’s where we should all seek employment.
While working from home is not the hill I’ll die on, it is a perk I’ve enjoyed and certainly hope to until my kids are well into their school years.
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