A boss has sparked a debate on social media after sharing his response to an employee requesting to work from another country.
Remote working became the new norm after Covid-19 as managers were forced to implement changes to allow employees to be safe during the height of the pandemic.
As it's been four years since the world temporarily shut down, some employers are happy for workers to continue completing tasks away from the office, while others are desperate for them to return to their desks.
One boss left many people divided after taking to LinkedIn to reveal that he doesn’t care where his employees work from.
Check out the now-deleted post below:
Tom Hunt is the CEO of Fame, a B2B podcast company based in the United Kingdom.
He shared on the social media platform that his staffer asked if she could work abroad for six weeks.
“She went on to explain why… I jump in: ‘It’s all good; I don’t need to know why.’ You decide how the work is done,” he penned.
“Different country each month? All good. Work from the garden? All good. Couple of hours off for a doctor’s appointment? All good. Work from Wetherspoons after dropping the kids off at school? All good,” he added.
The post, which amassed more than 300,000 reactions and 9,000 comments, has now been removed from the platform as well as Hunt's account.
According to News.com.au, some users applauded Hunt for his answer, commending him for creating a healthy work environment.
“Yes! This is exactly the kind of work environment so many of us need,” one user praised, while another added: “Absolutely agree! Your approach highlights the importance of trust and flexibility in the modern workplace.
"By focusing on output rather than rigid schedules, you empower team members to find their most productive and balanced way of working,” they added.
A third shared: "Your life is your life. We don’t track time; we track output. And we trust you to deliver. Flexible work is the future."
Meanwhile, others disagreed with Hunt, stating that working from another country was better in "theory" rather than "practice".
A second added: “The thought process you have is correct, however. Having employees all work from home with zero interaction apart from teams or zoom is dangerous. All of my best ideas have come from experiences and sitting round a table provoking thought in real life scenarios."
“Unfortunately, I do not agree, unless you have a good measurement of output, working remotely does not work,” a third argued.
Brett McAllen, the CEO of Workspaces, shared his thoughts on the debate surrounding remote working, telling the outlet that working in the office involves a level of “immersion” you can’t achieve at home.
“When the office gets super busy due to big projects or nearing deadlines, the energy, buzz, and excitement is palpable. People share ideas, throw around thoughts, bounce ideas off the cuff,” he explained. "The workplace becomes a place of innovation and spontaneity. This is difficult to achieve when working from home.”
The CEO stated that he believes that "you are immersed in and part of the activity,” when you are in the office, adding: “You are present for key workplace moments. The perception is that if you are in the workplace, you are more in touch with and in tune with the organization.”
Do you guys agree with Hunt's response and McAllen's thoughts?
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