JenMcCown

It's a lot harder to navigate that one might think, and FMLA is for serious illnesses, not "one kid got the flu this week and another got the runs last week and before that it was stomach upset and before that..." etc.

That's marvelous. The point is that many companies don't allow that, and should.

Yes. I have a colleague whose kids get sick a lot, and they're very concerned that a firing is imminent for that reason.

"Except bad weather days."

Exactly! Your company has to offer any kind of WFH to allow that!

You're missing the point that WFH doesn't mean "all employees must WFH full time".

WFH is everything from "I gotta go home, the kid's sick" to "I'm going to WFH Wednesdays to concentrate", to "see y'all online!"

Hi there, author here. The article actually links to a NY Times article and the Gallup study that it cites. But remember, this is an opinion piece. I've been in the industry for 15 years...hang on, no, it's 20 years, but who's counting? And except for those stats and linked articles, these are my observations and opinions.

I can't write an article that will convince 100% of the people. A book deal and a set of long discussions wouldn't convince 100%. If you disagree with me, that's fine. I spent my time knocking down the most common arguments I've heard, and a little time talking up the observed benefits.

One final point: I think companies should take "what people want" as part of their career into account! Even big business doesn't completely dismiss trends in the workplace - which are indeed driven, in part by what workers demand. More places offer considerations for ergonomics, pleasant work spaces, tea and coffee rooms, snacks, health programs, and so on. This is just one more thing, and this is my small contribution to the talks.

Ha. I wrote the article. I'm actually a self employed consultant and company owner who works from home full time, but I spent 15 years in offices. So you have a point, in that I REALLY would have like far more work from home. But I'm also looking at this from a business owner (who's likely to have employees within a few years), and what will work best.

And IMO, there are far more advantages to companies offering WFH than there are challenges.