Cult of the Cubicle

The lockdowns associated with the 2020 pandemic widely revealed something that some people had already discovered:

Thanks to technology, many office jobs can now be done entirely or almost entirely from home, or some other "remote" location.

Some employers embraced this for the long term, significantly reducing the office space their company leased or owns.

Others, steeped in what I'll call the Cult of the Cubicle, have been trying to get everyone back into their cubicles, or even worse, their "open" workstations.

If responsibilities can be handled through telephones and computing devices (smart phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, etc.), they can be done through "telework" or remotely. Presentations done on screens can be presented and experiences remotely. Meetings can be done remotely. Trainings can be done remotely.

There are tasks, there are personalities, there are home situations which make it preferable for some people to work in the common office. Some collaborations are going to be better that way.

But for others, why not let them work from home/remotely full-time, permanently, if that is what they want? Either they can do quality work at the quantity needed or they can't. If they can, what is the problem? I can't think of any except for a desire to have a feeling of control over people.

Commuting has costs and risks. For many people, their residence and their employer aren't going to be close, or the commute is going to be slow and stressful even if the physical distance isn't all that far. In the greater Los Angeles area, it isn't unusual for people to have commutes that are over an hour one way, and that's without an accident that stops a commuter train, or closes lanes on a freeway or tollway. The saving grace for people in those commutes is usually radio, podcasts, or audiobooks, or they might do phone calls as they move slowly along the roadways.

But that's about the employee's quality of life. How does allowing more people to work work "from home" more of the time benefit employers? There are many ways. In no particular order:

• Employers will have a larger pool of potential employees from which to choose. Employees who work remotely don't have to be geographically close to the employer or willing to relocate. It can even allow more employers to provide services more hours of the day, depending on where employees are located.
  
• Less office/workspace needed, along with the furniture and everything else that goes with it
• Less parking space needed
• Less sexual harassment, racism, and similar in-person conflicts or behavior challenges
• Fewer claims for injuries incurred on the employer's property
• Fewer problems with allergies or someone being offended by odors (body odor, perfumes, lunches, etc.) or wardrobe choices
  
• Employees are far more likely to be "present," not 
• arriving late
• leaving early
• having to take time away in the middle of the workday
• calling in sick 
• being distracted by something at home that results in them calling/texting to address it
  

Let's get back to the employee's benefit. Not having to commute was already mentioned, and that's a big one, because it saves a lot of money, time, and energy, and reduces stress. The employee is more likely to have more control over their work environment (being able to use a home kitchen and bathroom can be a significant plus, but there are also many other factors). There are countless things relating to personal matters, family matters, and residential matters that can be handled within mere minutes if working from home as opposed to hours or taking the whole day off if expected to be in the office.

For families, it can be an enormous benefit having more parental presence, even if the parent is behind a closed door. Some spouses/partners can't handle it, which is sad and yet another sign that they shouldn't be living together in the first place. If someone has at least one parent who is at the point they need to be checked on or cared for, it can also be great.

It is certainly of benefit to urban infrastructure, especially traffic congestion, to have more people working from home. Do you remember the the first few weeks of the lockdowns? Traffic congestion disappeared, at least around these parts.

Largely because of that, it is also far better on the environment. Some employers have four day workweeks for supposedly environmental purposes, as it cuts down on one day of roundtrip commuting per week, multiplied by all of the employees participating, Well, think of how much better it is if you eliminate four more days per week, or at least three. This is a larger consideration: buildings set aside for residences, schools, and workplaces only being used for certain hours or certain days can be needlessly inefficient.

There are a lot of positives. Working from home definitely isn't for everyone, and if you're in a position from which your employer can promote you, and you actually want a promotion within that organization, it might behoove you to be face-to-face in-person with your boss or your boss' boss. And if your job can be done entirely remotely, your employer might find someone cheaper elsewhere. And yes, harassment and conflicts are still possible over video conferencing, phone calls, emails, etc. But for some people, teleworking is the better choice, and "but we need to get back to normal" or "but other people have to come into the office so you should too" aren't good reasons to deny it.

Reject the cult of the cubicle.

Finally, if you're self-employed, if your business can do well and you can be safe working from your residence (and it doesn't impede on your neighbors), your municipal government shouldn't punish you.