Juana Garcia/The Cougar
The pandemic has allowed many employees to work from home but with restrictions lifted, many employers are requiring workers to return back to the office. While some may want this, a lot of people still prefer to work from home. Employers should let their employees decide whether they want to continue working from home or not.
Students like political science freshman Sophia Wilson work for a law firm, having spent a year from home and six months in person.
“I prefer working in person,” Wilson said. “I have found it much easier to make connections and build relationships in person. As a college student, acquiring references for my resume and meeting people who might be able to connect me with future jobs is incredibly important. I find this much more seamless to do in person.”
Wilson is one of the many people who found that the pandemic limited their ability to connect with others, stunting their professional, personal and academic growth.
On the other hand, remote work has benefited others through lower travel costs, less stress and a better work-life balance. In fact, 70 percent of employees who worked from home considered video calls to be less stressful and were able to save about $4,000 per year because of remote work.
With this in mind, the decision of whether to go back to work in person or continue remotely should be decided by the employee, not the employer.
Not every employee is the same according to a recent report. While 40 percent saw an increase in productivity in working from home, 15 percent saw the opposite.
Some may prefer to work in person but see the benefits of remote work for other people.
“While I prefer face-to-face interactions, other people found working from home to suit their lifestyle way more than going in person,” digital media junior Jeeda Bitar said. “Some people have kids or can’t drive or can simply get the work done in the comfort of their home.”
The employee is the only one who fully knows their strengths and limits, so they should be able to have the ability to choose how they would like to work. While some people thrive on connecting with others in person, like Wilson, others prefer zoom calls from the comfort of their home just like Bitar mentioned.
The way in which employees and employers adapt to the ever-changing work culture is vital if not absolutely critical to America’s economy.
“I work with numerous adults in their 50s and 60s who are pushing themselves to learn technology that used to be foreign to them,” Wilson said. “In general, people are finding more creative solutions to problems and I love that.”
With that in mind, employers should have more faith in their employees to do the job right whether it be remote or in person. Employees should be the ones to decide.
Cindy Rivas Alfaro is a journalism freshman who can be reached at [email protected]
