Don’t blame remote work

Peter du ToitI'm the founder of FutureWork IQ where I spend my time assisting businesses to improve their climate literacy so as to understand the projected impacts from the expanding climate crisis and how to adapt their workplaces in the face of these impacts.

Dear executives…

Please don’t blame remote working when hybrid workplaces fail, which they very likely will. Blame the hybrid model because THAT is where the problem lies.

Remember, of the three primary options available to you:

1. Everyone in the office
2. Some at the office and some remote
3. Everyone fully remote

No. 2 is the hardest to manage as you are dealing with with two workflows and ways of communicating that are not compatible. This inevitably devolves into a two-tier workplace with those choosing to be remote being routinely left our the loop and being made to feel like second class employees.

Just be aware of this from the get go.

Its hybrid working not remote working which will cause this situation.

How do we know this? Because there are extremely successful in-office businesses and extremely successful fully remote businesses. But no extremely successful hybrid businesses — at least that we are aware of.