Problem
What can be the implementation and solution for the case study as per HR point of view?
Not everyone thinks telecommuting is ideal for their organizations. In early 2021, Rhea Taylor, who had been named FDG's new CEO less than a month earlier, ended telecommuting at the struggling tech company. FDG's decision surprised people because telecommuting is particularly prevalent in high-tech industries, particularly in Kitchener-Waterloo where FDG is located. How could the firm hope to compete for employees in the area if it ended telecommuting? One tech news outlet called it "the worst decision Rhea Taylor has made in her tenure as FDG CEO."
The K-W region isn't the only place where telecommuting has taken off, however. Across the country, the number of employees telecommuting has grown by about 75 percent in the past 6 years. According to some statistics, more than 3 million people, or roughly 10 percent of the workforce, telecommute full time, and an estimated 16 percent telecommute one day a week. Many firms have embraced telecommuting, claiming that it leads to more productivity and a better work-life balance.
However, a recent survey by the independent research firm ABC International found that roughly 75 percent of people in the Canadian workforce have never commuted. And although most of the people surveyed thought telecommuters were very productive, 29 percent of them said they believe telecommuters spend most of their time "goofing off." Reportedly, Taylor learned that many of FDG's telecommuters weren't logged onto FDG's intranet when they were supposed to be and that the company's offices were nearly empty on Fridays. It's also likely that Taylor thought some synergy was being lost by telecommuting because it left fewer FDG employees communicating face to face with one another. The memo FDG sent its employees announcing telecommuting would be discontinued read: "It is critical that we are all present in our offices. Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people and impromptu team meetings."
Michael Myers, a writer for The Maple Leaf Gazette, agrees with Taylor. "It's possible to have conversations like this online. But in most organizations they don't happen." For a firm such as FDG that relies on the next great idea to stay ahead of the pack, that could be a serious detriment. In addition, much of the value that gets created in a company occurs when workers are in close proximity to one another and teach and learn from each other, Myers says. He notes that it's telling that companies such as Google have outfitted their campuses with every perk imaginable to encourage employees to show up at the office. Judging by the employees' preferences and behaviours, however, it's questionable whether these kinds of efforts are actually yielding the outcomes they were designed to deliver.