VATupdate Newsletter Week 15 2023

Homework

Covid has changed a lot. The most eye-catching is probably the working-from-home mentality that people around the world seemed to have embraced. And I’m not sure I understand that.

Almost half of the Netherlands works part-time, see HERE

In the ‘old days’, which were not that long ago, a 40-hour work-week, full-time job was the rule, and people would go to the office and sit there from 8-ish to 6-ish, every day. If you were ambitious, this could be much longer. You were supposed to be busy working for your employer, meanwhile gaining experience and learn new things. And, very important, to interact with colleagues, creating new ideas and opportunities, learning from each other and drinking coffee.

You may know the song that Dolly Parton sang “Workin’ 9 to 5, for service and devotion – You would think that I would deserve a fat promotion”. Apparently, she wasn’t happy with the traditional work-life balance at that time. Employers seemed to want to listen to her.

Large companies started acknowledging this perhaps 2 decades ago, and implemented plans, models and menus for employees, so that they could get a better balance between work and their private life. That consisted mostly of enabling employees to do stuff at work, that they otherwise would do at home, such as a laundry service, grocery delivery, sport facilities and evening diner being available in the office.

The great breakthrough, I think, has been caused by Covid. When people weren’t allowed to go to the office, they started realising that ‘flex-working’ was really possible. Employers were always opposed because they didn’t trust their employees, and now they didn’t have any choice but to let their employees work from home. Or not work at all, and that was of course not a real option.

And that’s where we are now. Employees have ‘gained the right’ to work from home, but it sometimes seems that they are now pushing it to the limits. Perhaps it’s because they want to take ‘revenge’, or because it’s the ecocentrism of the millennial generation, or their parents’ generation before that, who have learned and taught that it’s important to have more “me-time”. Don’t get me wrong: I’m in favour of a good work-life balance and working from home is great and fits this balance. But not being in the office at all does not feel right to me.

I would really miss the conversations and laughs with colleagues. The added value of gaining insights during technical discussions. The creative ‘vibe’ that comes from working together as a team. Or perhaps I’m just getting old.

What’s your preferred way of working? Do you work from home, part-time or full-time? What do you miss most or least about being at an office together with others?

Just know that wherever and whenever you work or spend your free time, VATupdate.com is always there for you.

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Homework