Employees should be given the choice.

When interviewing a project manager/ founder of an advocacy organisation for one of my university projects, I also got the opportunity to discuss the topic or working from home with her.

(I will not disclose details to maintain confidentiality.)

She shared her experience with me concerning working a 9-5 in a corporate culture and this was what she told me. She said she did not enjoy working in a small cubicle the whole day at all. 'There was no fresh air and barely any windows so the air had not been refreshed and there was a lack of natural light. I have allergic asthma so I always thought if I could work from home, I would have been more productive and healthier.'

She says going to work has its own complications, such as having to go trhough lots of traffic, not being able to find parking spaces and having to pay for high gas prices, and that is why she prefers working from home.

She worked full time from home during the pandemic and that also had its own pros and cons. She said there were more expenses such as electricity and gas and the downside was that she was spending 9 hours in front of her computer, which affected her mood and health. She also said she never got to meet the rest of the teams and that it was rather depressing not to know her coworkers well.

This is also why we agreed that building a supportive work culture is extremely important to keep employees motivated and satisfied.

Now that she runs her own organisation, she tells me that she has implemented several systems that would help employees feel more productive and happier at work, using her own personal experience.

Instead of setting specific hours for work like a typical 9-5 job, she sets deadlines for all her teams, meaning that employees are free to work on their own hours as long as they deliver the work on time by the deadline. She also gives them the option of working in the office or working at home.

Her organization regularly organizes trips and workshops where employees can get to know each other and build relationships. She has built a supportive culture by encouraging teams to pursue projects that are aligned with their values and motivations. There is no particular hierarchical positioning in the organization and she regards everyone as experts in their own field. This nurtures trust in the work environment, which allows team members to fully express themselves.

She says working from home allowed her to spend more time with her loved ones and that if employees manage their time wisely, they can be able to have a better work-life balance.

"Employees should be given the choice, companies shouldn't be strict about 9-5," she says. She believes that it may be easier for companies to transition into hybrid work before going fully remote, if they decide to do so, in order to be able to adapt and adjust to the changes gradually.

She prefers the hybrid way of working and would totally recommend it to others.