We have started a new segment allowing managers to ask questions that will be answered directly by our CEO, Darcy Swift. This month’s question is:
QUESTION: A few weeks ago, our employees were given an option to continue to work from home or return to the office. Our company has done a few things for the employees that chose to come back into the office in order to ease the transition (like cater lunch all week) and now our “at home” employees are upset saying it is unfair. They are asking for the same perks, suggesting we deliver lunch to their homes. I am absolutely not willing to do this, as the point of these “perks” were to ease the transition back into the office. My remote employees are calling the HR department to file complaints saying we are discriminating against them and displaying favoritism. I don’t view in office incentives as discrimination or favoritism because they all had the choice to come back into the office. Am I viewing this wrong? Are we putting ourselves in a compromising position by offering incentives to in office employees and not our remote workers?
ANSWER: You are absolutely not viewing this in the wrong way. Like you said, because each of your employees were offered the choice to return to the office or stay at home, therefore, all were given the opportunity for the in office perks your office has provided. You are not discriminating against remote workers or showing favoritism. There are certain benefits that come with working from home that in office employees will not be able to access. Your remote workers need to reminded that staying home IS the perk. They may not get catered lunches, but they also have the luxury of not needing to pay for child care, they have more flexibility in their day, and their “work attire” does not have to be as formal.
The perks that you are offering to your in office employees are for the purpose of transitioning back into the office. If your remote employees feel like they deserve these perks as well, simply extend the invitation for them to join the office again. If they are not willing to do this, then they need to be okay with the perks they get from staying home.
If you have a question you want answered, please contact us HERE. We will feature one frequently asked question a month.
We have started a new segment allowing managers to ask questions that will be answered directly by our CEO, Darcy Swift. This month’s question is:
QUESTION: A few weeks ago, our employees were given an option to continue to work from home or return to the office. Our company has done a few things for the employees that chose to come back into the office in order to ease the transition (like cater lunch all week) and now our “at home” employees are upset saying it is unfair. They are asking for the same perks, suggesting we deliver lunch to their homes. I am absolutely not willing to do this, as the point of these “perks” were to ease the transition back into the office. My remote employees are calling the HR department to file complaints saying we are discriminating against them and displaying favoritism. I don’t view in office incentives as discrimination or favoritism because they all had the choice to come back into the office. Am I viewing this wrong? Are we putting ourselves in a compromising position by offering incentives to in office employees and not our remote workers?
ANSWER: You are absolutely not viewing this in the wrong way. Like you said, because each of your employees were offered the choice to return to the office or stay at home, therefore, all were given the opportunity for the in office perks your office has provided. You are not discriminating against remote workers or showing favoritism. There are certain benefits that come with working from home that in office employees will not be able to access. Your remote workers need to reminded that staying home IS the perk. They may not get catered lunches, but they also have the luxury of not needing to pay for child care, they have more flexibility in their day, and their “work attire” does not have to be as formal.
The perks that you are offering to your in office employees are for the purpose of transitioning back into the office. If your remote employees feel like they deserve these perks as well, simply extend the invitation for them to join the office again. If they are not willing to do this, then they need to be okay with the perks they get from staying home.
If you have a question you want answered, please contact us HERE. We will feature one frequently asked question a month.