Microsoft recently announced its intention to close most of Microsoft Stores in the world. As reported from The Verge in this article, the decision was already in the air, but was accellerated after the covid pandemic. As the company stated, there will be no layoffs because of this decision, and retail team members will continue working remotely
The topic of remote working has been trending in the last couple of months, after Twitter stating its intention of allowing people to permanently work from remote, even after the end of the pandemic - here you can read an article about it by Tech Crunch
Similar statements has been made by Facebook.
So, what is happening in the world? If it's pretty clear that the current sanitary emergency has been reshaping the old dynamics of work,it's also true that the idea of coordinating projects and working together remotely has been in the air for a while, and there are many companies that have actually applied this idea as their core concept - like for example X-Team.
The bias of remote working
I believe that the reluctance that many companies have into accepting these changes is based on the fear that the employee staying home will be less productive. The idea of not being constantly watched could maybe drive to laziness?
Basing on my experience, I can say that this is long from being true.
Starting from the obvious statements that an employee fond of his company wants for the company to thrive as much as possible, and an employee who loves his job will try and do as better as possible, regardless of where he is located, the crucial difference is that an employee who works remotely could be more happy and satisfied, and therefore will work better, and will be more efficient
Think about the time that everyone spends every day to go from home to work, and viceversa. For me, personally. it's a 25 minutes trip, two times per day, and that's an hour of my life that I have to spend without doing anything useful for me or for my productivity, and that's every single day. If you think about it, it's a huge waste of time. Working from home I also do not have to take my car, and therefore I do not have to pollute the environment (and if I have not an electric car, I will pollute). I can save the money that I could have spent on fuel, and on the lunch that I will have to buy. I will be a more satisfied person, hence a more satisfied employee.
Is this the future where we are heading to?If that's the case, I believe that it could be a win-win for everyone.
