By 
There will be “difficult times ahead” for Twitter workers — and they will unfold at Twitter’s offices, according to Elon Musk, the social-media company’s new owner.
In his first email to staff after acquiring Twitter for $44 billion and overseeing layoffs for roughly half its staff of approximately 7,500, Musk told workers he’s expecting them back in the office at least 40 hours a week, according to Bloomberg.
Remote work will only get the green light when Musk personally approves it, according to the email sent late Wednesday, the Bloomberg report said.
Two years ago, long before Musk’s acquisition, Twitter said staff could work from anywhere.
“Many midlevel managers are ‘passively rebelling’ against return-to-office directives because a hard insistence could push workers away.”
— Nicholas Bloom, Stanford University professor
On the one hand, managers worry that their staff aren’t doing enough when they’re away from the office. On the other hand, workers also worry they are not doing enough when working at home, researchers noted.
But many midlevel managers are “passively rebelling” against return-to-office directives because a hard insistence could push workers away, said Nicholas Bloom, a Stanford University professor who has studied remote and hybrid work.
Doubts about hybrid and remote work persist. Nearly half (49%) of workers think their managers view people who work in the office as harder-working and more trustworthy than their remote-working colleagues, according to a recent survey from Owl Labs.
And yet 62% of polled workers felt more productive while working remotely, the report concluded. Owl Labs makes technology and products that support remote work and collaboration.
“Historically, employers have equated in-office work with maximum productivity. This year’s data has shown that productivity levels are more dependent on the types of activities employees are actually working on,” the survey said.
But it’s a polarizing and often contradictory debate. A majority of workers said the office was best for meeting and managing people, Owl Labs found. And while 51% said home was the best place to think creatively, 30% said the office was the optimal place to do their best creative thinking.
Related:
Jamie Dimon insists his workers return to the office — here’s why that’s a bit rich
Remote employees are working less, sleeping and playing more, Fed study finds
Comments