I recently received another Speak Out asking for clarification around the Work from Home practice. The writer intimated that perhaps the preference to work at the office was due to an inherent lack of trust with employees.
In my time at FCC this topic has been discussed quite a bit, perhaps most vigorously when we were in the midst of the pandemic. One constant is that FCC has always been considered a highly flexible work environment. As I am sure you all can appreciate, there is no one answer that fits everyone or every situation. Look anywhere on the internet and the pros and cons of each are listed in almost any article you read. In truth, our WFH practice can be seen as a bit of a hybrid. There are certainly jobs/roles where WFH is not feasible while there are others that are more possible. At the end of the day, we had to listen to and consider what staff were saying about working from home vs. the office, looking at internal needs, and determining the appropriate balance. Yes, there have been concerns about how some individuals were using their time at home, mostly because some of you would reach out to tell me to be concerned and watchful. It’s not possible for me to be on top of every WFH situation, so I have to rely on other leaders and their judgement when approving or denying WFH requests. I also strongly believe in the power of connectedness. Building culture and connections is what drives our relationships with clients and amongst staff, and this typically happens best when we come together. For all these reasons the WFH practice is defined as it is.
As always I appreciate the question.