Yahoo’s Remote Work is the Solution, Not the Problem

Yahoo, Bank of America, and Best Buy’s decisions to curtail remote work for their employees has certainly stirred up quite a bit of attention as they come at a time when other major companies are ramping up their remote work policies. Even many government agencies worldwide are urging employees and employers alike to consider remote work as an opportunity for better work/life balances and increased innovation and productivity.

Nearly 25% of Americans are participating in some kind of remote work situation, even if it is limited, and this number is on the rise. Flexibility is key for most people and some even say they would take a pay cut to have more of this flexibility in their work arrangement. With advances in technology and increased understanding of how to manage remote work employees, companies can keep their eyes on the productivity prize.

Remote work isn’t the problem for Yahoo, Bank of America, or Best Buy. Wherever employees work, they need to be well managed and engaged with their coworkers. If productivity and engagement are the real problems behind why they are calling everyone home, they should address those problems directly and deal with the cultural change within the organization.