I am observing a Gen Z on the younger end of the spectrum working fully remote. The company culture is not about being on video - people find it distracting so all calls are off video. The combination of remote work combined with no requirement to even look presentable for work has created some habits that would be hard to break as time goes on. V is able to lay in bed most day and work from there. Even sitting is not a requirement for his job.
There is no need to wake up before the first meeting of the day whenever that is and he can fall asleep right there in bed whenever he feels like a nap which could be any time of day or night. Monday to Friday proceed in the same manner - a blur of naps and calls all taken from bed, some work in between. Weekends are a different mode when he is out and about with friends who have freed up for the weekend. Many among them are still in school and have more structure in their lives. I don't think remote work is serving V well at all - but not sure if RTO will magically solve it for all Gen Z.
J is at the opposite end of the spectrum commuting to work five days a week which can get soul-crushing for anyone but for a young person it has far reaching consequences as they cannot prepare themselves for what lies ahead in their lives. The truth for Gen Z and everyone else is likely a compromise and not forcing a strict schedule that everyone has to comply with. For some people and teams, collocating three days a week might be the perfect solution. For others, it may be spending two weeks together every quarter. There has to a rhythm that works for teams and people who are part of the team. A certain degree of flexibility must be afforded so give individuals a sense of balance and autonomy.
People do strike friendships at work - some continue for life. This should however not be the expectation or motivation for coming to the office. It is more about structure in life specially for those who struggle with it. There are Gen Zs out there who can function extremely well while fully remote and not drop into the abyss like V. Forcing them to comply with arbitrary mandates will not bode well for their employers - these are likely among their highest performing employees and they will jump ship the first chance they get.
Back in my day the right to work remotely was earned based on a person's performance at work. Once they had earned trust with the team and leadership, they were afforded flexibility. Annual reviews were often used to check if the person had demonstrated that they should continue to have the privilege. It was not uncommon to see A players have the ability to manage their schedules as they saw fit. More often than not, these were the hardest working, best engaged and most productive members of the team. Their presence or absence from their office or desk was a non-issue. I am not sure why this is not a valid system any more.
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