So…I feel compelled to add my two cents to the great Working
From Home Debate. Marissa Mayer, the new
CEO at Yahoo, recently made the decision that it was best to put an end to
employees being able to telecommute, in the interest of increasing teamwork and
fostering better long-term innovation within the company. And
given the challenges Yahoo faces to climb to the top of the competitive heap,
sometimes desperate times call for desperate action. However, leading by example is always the best
practice when these types of controversial (and sometimes unpopular) decisions
are made. Maureen Dowd’s recent column
on the subject – see http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/opinion/dowd-get-off-your-cloud.html?_r=0
– really rang true with me and I’m hoping Ms. Mayer took the time to read
it. Basically, it warned that privileged
female executives risk losing touch with the difficult work/life juggle that
most ordinary (read less wealthy) female workers experience.
For example, if Ms. Mayer has the professional clout to
establish a nursery next to her office, what message does this send to other
working women at Yahoo who don’t have such a luxury? Frankly, I think this set up could be every
bit as distracting as working from home. I hope Mayer’s ban is just a temporary policy,
as I believe that having a flexible work schedule that allows working from home
occasionally is helpful for working parents – both male and female – if utilized
responsibly. From a
talent acquisition perspective, Yahoo definitely needs to lure the best and
brightest – and this policy is a major buzz kill.
