Melden Sie sich bei getAbstract an, um die Zusammenfassung zu erhalten.

In Praise of the Office

Melden Sie sich bei getAbstract an, um die Zusammenfassung zu erhalten.

In Praise of the Office

The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work

Wharton School Press,

15 Minuten Lesezeit
7 Take-aways
Audio & Text

Was ist drin?

Employees collaborate and innovate best in an office environment.

  • 0.5×
  • 0.75×
  • 1×
  • 1.25×
  • 1.5×
  • 1.75×
1×

Editorial Rating

7

getAbstract Rating

  • Controversial
  • Bold
  • Hot Topic

Recommendation

Where should work happen? Several years after the COVID-19 pandemic upended office life, most companies still can’t agree. Wharton professor of management Peter Cappelli and HR strategist Ranya Nehmeh weigh the pros and cons of remote, hybrid, and in-office work and offer practical ways to strengthen collaboration among teams. Their verdict, which focuses primarily on an employer’s perspective, might disappoint remote-work advocates: While flexibility has benefits, innovation depends on trust, shared knowledge, and social capital: traits that bloom when people spend time together face-to-face.

Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an experiment in remote work.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in the spring of 2020, government orders to close offices forced millions of Americans to work from home. At the peak of pandemic-era remote work, at least 60% of all office workers and 35% of all US employees worked from home. Even after restrictions eased, nearly all tech companies permitted employees to continue working remotely.

In 2021, many employers began recalling workers to the office due to worries that remote work was eroding innovation, collaboration, and corporate culture. Many required staff to come in on a set number of days per week, which helped popularize the term “hybrid” work. In May 2021, Google announced that 20% of its employees could work from home permanently, and another 20% could do so, provided they lived near certain Google headquarters. The remainder could work remotely two days each week, plus up to four weeks every year.

By 2023, many employers had backpedaled further. Google began factoring office attendance into its performance appraisals, so workers who weren’t present in the office three days a week risked lower ratings. Goldman...

About the Authors

Peter Cappelli is a professor of management at the Wharton School, where he directs the school’s Center for Human Resources. He wrote The New Deal at Work, Why Good People Can’t Get Jobs, and The Future of the Office. Ranya Nehmeh is a senior HR strategist and the author of The Chameleon Leader: Connecting with Millennials.

Comment on this summary