I often see the remote work “debate” framed in one of two extreme ways. The first: remote work is great, and it’s only micromanaging, incompetent, and/or nefarious bosses who want to deprive workers of their freedom by forcing them back into the office. The second: remote work is terrible, and it’s only lazy workers who want to keep “quiet quitting” in their pajamas.
As with all human issues, the truth is more complex. That’s hard for our binary thinking coding brains, I know, but it’s true. Let’s look at a few different factors.
Productivity
For some, avoiding the commute and the distractions has been a boon for productivity. For others, the lack of structure and the inability to ask questions in person has hurt productivity. Junior engineers at some of my client companies have reported feeling lost and afraid to bother people on Slack when they need help.
Health
Working from home provides more opportunities to exercise outdoors, eat healthfully, and manage existing health issues. For those who don’t seize those opportunities, though, it may lead to a more sedentary lifestyle. In emotional intelligence workshops I’ve run since the pandemic, people have often reported rarely leaving their desk or stepping outside during the day.
Career development
Remote work has provided time for growing new skills and advancing their career. For others, especially junior employees, the lack of mentorship and face time has stunted their career growth.
Social connection
Remote work has allowed people to spend more time with their loved ones and nurture friendships outside of work. For others, remote work has been isolating. Not only do people miss out on in-office friendships, but they miss out on serendipitous interactions in the real world during commutes or lunches. Zoom is just not the same.
Creativity
For some, especially introverts, the quiet time at home has allowed creativity to flourish. For others, the lack of hands-on brainstorming and riffing sessions has led to creative stagnation.
Environmental impact
I would guess remote work would be a clear winner for the environment, but it turns out even here the issue is more complex.
So what’s my point? As I’ve written previously, this is not a place for easy answers.
For connecting emotionally and building trust, I personally prefer in-person interactions.
For simple coordination tasks and focused individual creative work, remote work works well.
But my larger point is that good, kind people can disagree about these issues, and it all comes down to balancing different priorities in specific situations, rather than making sweeping generalizations.
Smart companies will consider their unique context and provide the flexibility that allows their teams to thrive. There’s no single compassionate viewpoint on remote work.
—
A version of this article originally appeared in the Compassionate Coding newsletter.