It’s one thing when pre-digital age companies give a leery eye to flexible work options, but it’s quite another when a company based on technology and the Internet bans the one thing technology and Internet offer; Telecommuting.
Yesterday, Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo announced that telecommuting employees would be required to come back to the office. The move has created an uproar and much negative publicity for the tech company started by two Stanford University students in 1994. The criticism is extra harsh because Mayer is a working mom and opponents feel she’s setting women back. Being CEO, Marissa has a few perks other moms don’t have, such as being able to bring her baby to work and provide childcare in a room just off her office.
Yahoo! reports the move is to improve team building, but the reality is that it has to be about money. Telecommuting and family-friendly work options aren’t offered for any reason that it can save money and improve productivity (which means more money). But with companies like Google taking over search and email, Yahoo! may be losing some it’s profits and it’s Mayer’s job is to fix that. And who better to blame than home-based workers, who are probably watching soaps and taking naps? Never mind that years of research show that telecommuters are more productive.
