According to a recent report by Future Forum, workers with a flexible schedule are 29% more productive and 53% more focused than those without. Flexible schedule means the ability to choose to work partly or completely remotely.
Yet executives are still stubbornly forcing employees to return to the office full-time. Why is that?
Well, another study from Microsoft reveals that 85% of leaders find it challenging to trust employees’ productivity in hybrid work arrangements. In addition, 49% of managers struggle to trust their employees to perform at their best.
So let’s not fool ourselves. This is about control. Managers feel a sense of control when they can visually see their employees, even if it means they are not working as effectively.
There are also a couple of cognitive biases involved.
1. The status quo bias
Individuals prefer the existing state and resist change, even if such change could result in improved outcomes.
2. The functional fixedness
Individuals are unable to see alternatives for a specific problem, as they are fixated on the familiar approaches.
The takeaway
Executives need to reconsider their outdated assumptions and embrace the shift towards flexible work. Although they may not want to acknowledge it, workers and companies are better off when we have more control over our schedule.