More than half of companies rethinking back-to-office plans amid variant uncertainty and vaccine mandates – survey
- Reference: 1629793268
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/08/24/jumpcloud_survey/
- Source link:
Admittedly, the word "indefinitely" might strike fear into the hearts of those desiring a change of scenery, but it is an indicator of how companies are having to change their responses in light of the evolving pandemic.
JumpCloud's report draws from a relatively small sample of 502 "decision-makers" in the sector in the US and UK, but highlights the rethinking currently under way, thanks in no small way to the Delta variant of the virus.
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The most visible impact is the return to the office. 52.8 per cent of respondents are reconsidering plans for a return to the cubes while 15.9 per cent have already slammed on the brakes. 30 per cent have delayed until September, 16.3 per cent to October, November "or later" accounts for 18.8 per cent, while a whopping 35 per cent "don't yet have a firm timeline."
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The tech giants have also been pushing back their return dates. [5]Microsoft has set a reopening date in October for its US campuses (and will want a proof of vaccination), and [6]Amazon has delayed until 2022 , [7]as has Facebook and [8]Apple .
[9]Apple extends live-at-work to at least January 2022
[10]Google staff who work from home might see pay cut under corporate policy – reports
[11]Amazon delays return to office work until 2022 at the earliest
[12]Microsoft to require proof of vaccination from on-site staff, pushes back full reopening
Still, employees seemed pretty content with the decision making. 80.5 per cent agreed with their employer, while only 9.8 per cent thought it was being rushed (the same percentage felt there was "nothing to worry about," presumably seeking first dibs on the socially distanced workspaces now on the cards).
While the findings might make for [13]depressing reading for vacuum enthusiast and inventor Sir James Dyson , lurking within the report are some interesting statistics around vaccination.
Across the US, 68 per cent of companies have taken steps to mandate vaccination for employees, with more than half of those offering incentives such as paid leave or cash (or equivalent) to get the jab. The northeastern states are most likely to be taking steps for vaccination (at 82 per cent) while the figure drops to 56.1 per cent in southern states.
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The split in the UK is stark. 72.8 per cent of companies in Greater London are taking steps to mandate vaccinations while less than half – 44.9 per cent – in the rest of the UK are doing the same.
Whatever one's feelings concerning vaccination, the emerging regional splits speak of inconsistency and the potential for division.
Still, it also sounds like there is every chance that many of us will be able to occupy the kitchen table for a good while longer. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://jumpcloud.com/press/in-response-to-delta-63-of-small-to-medium-sized-enterprises-have-taken-steps-regarding-mandating-covid-19-vaccine
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YSTDYDmrCAp64oWaTBacmQAAABg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YSTDYDmrCAp64oWaTBacmQAAABg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YSTDYDmrCAp64oWaTBacmQAAABg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/04/microsoft_covid_work/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/06/amazon_covid_office/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/13/facebook_office_return/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/20/apple_covid_return/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/20/apple_covid_return/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/11/google_home_workers_pay_cut_reports/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/06/amazon_covid_office/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/04/microsoft_covid_work/
[13] https://www.independent.co.uk/business/sir-james-dyson-homeworking-affecting-competitiveness-of-uk-firms-b1905063.html
[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YSTDYDmrCAp64oWaTBacmQAAABg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Simples...
When I first started out as a software developer - some 20+ years ago! - everything seemed to be this horrible, demand-driven waterfall model: either a client would want a feature which someone in management would promise by a ridiculous delivery date or management would come up with an idea and a required delivery date, then spend three quarters of the time before said date "thinking about it" before handing over a spec. Either way, it ended up with devs in their little silos, expected to jump and pivot on a moments notice and deliver something based on a woolly spec within an utterly ridiculous timeframe. Not for nothing did the "developers - turning coffee and pizza into code since 1990" t-shirt design exist.
Then things changed... suddenly, collaboration became a thing - developers and QAs started being being brought into the design and planning phases. We could push back against ideas that wouldn't work with the systems we had written, timescales became more realistic and specs, thanks to earlier discussion, were made clearer.
In short, we began communicating. And this spilled over into other aspects of development: I've lost track of how many solutions or good ideas have come out of conversations that started simply because two people were at the water cooler or coffee machine at the same time...
And then COVID hit. More importantly - lockdown hit. And suddenly, we're back in our silos, with pretty much all communication timetabled through calendar software. And once again, teams have started to become more "collections of individuals", with little more than an obligatory start-of-day conversation and a couple of weekly planning meetings in contact with each other. No banter. No "good morning"s. No "how was your weekend" or any such chit-chat that can take the pressure off.
Businesses used to sell themselves to potential candidates as "startup feel" or "friendly office culture". Okay, so in a number of roles, I've found that that's turned out to be bull, but there have also been places I've worked that did have that friendly culture... how do you promote a culture when your employees/teammates don't actually see each other for more than ten minutes per day?
Don't get me wrong - working from home is a boon, and very useful when you know you have a delivery coming, or the kids are finishing school early. But without that collaborative, communicative environment, I can see a future where software development slides back into the dark days of "make this thing for this client by the end of next week".
Yes, I know this is going to get downvoted to hell. Just don't come crying when you're back to crap specs, insane deadlines and no push-back - because switching jobs isn't going to fix the problem any more.
Re: Simples...
Businesses used to sell themselves to potential candidates as "startup feel" or "friendly office culture". Okay, so in a number of roles, I've found that that's turned out to be bull, but there have also been places I've worked that did have that friendly culture... how do you promote a culture when your employees/teammates don't actually see each other for more than ten minutes per day?
The so called "culture" is a catch-all phrase for all sorts of manipulation techniques corporations use to keep workers in to extract as much value as possible with paying as little as they can get away with.
"Teammates" are not a replacement for a family or friends, but when workers think that they are then they are more likely to do more than they are paid to and they are less likely to leave, even if they are treated badly - just like people keep toxic family relationships.
This is not healthy and hopefully more people will see through that as we have more and more people who are not even capable of making friends and maintain relationships outside of work. The corporations want to capture all aspects of your life to keep you locked in a livestock shed they call the office.
Once in a lifetime
It's funny that during so many meetings, the management, when asked what is the value in having people back to office, still keeps tiptoeing and is unable to give a straight sensible answer, and yet they continue to push.
Yes, having a nice but empty office must hurt, but shouldn't they be familiar at the very least with the sunk cost fallacy?
The sky didn't fall, workers are more productive and happier, and don't have to commute and pollute. Most importantly they have more time for themselves and their family and friends.
Look at those offices, they cost fortune. Companies should think about redirecting that money to their employees rather than billionaire landlords. Their gravy train should end.
Office half full or office half empty?
The optimist in me thinks this is a great idea. I see the future as bright, golden uplands of happy workers with truly flexible working and results being more important than office seat-polishing hours.
The pessimist in me sees a great deal of risk. Companies discover that their workers are as productive working from home as they are in the expensive office, so they start to sell the offices and make home (or wherever, they don't care) working the only option. Then, if location doesn't really matter, they can locate wherever is most convenient for them - cheap property, lax regulation, cheap wages, etc.