“Take it from me, there’s nothing like a job well done. Except the quiet enveloping darkness at the bottom of a bottle of Jim Beam after a job done any way at all.”

― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Back to Work

Recently Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, under likely pressure from the Board of Directors issued a referendum on employees working from home. This change has caused an understandable stir among employees who have grown accustomed to doing their jobs remotely, many of whom argue that they get more done by avoiding the bother and distraction of other employees.

Yahoo!

I think in the position Yahoo is in, they need to make significant changes. Some of them won’t be popular but losing market share and failing to capitalize on that iconic brand does not a winning business model make. Volano does a good job of respecting work-life balance and understands that happy employees produce. But this is always a tough and blurry line. When is face to face better than skype? How critical is body language and the old-fashioned creaking of a turning chair to e-mail? Are inappropriate jokes better in person?

What Do You Think?

We’re interested in your thoughts dear readers. All 5 of you. Let us know what you think about requiring people work in an office. Or you can tell us when we get home from work too. Do ergonomically correct chairs factor into this discussion? Do certain types of jobs require physical presence? An airplane pilot for example or a Hollywood tour guide for the stars would be challenged performing their duties from the creature comforts of home? Maybe not. I am of the belief that presence matters, thought it may not always be possible.