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WHAT IF I told you that every office worker had to go back to the way things used to be when it came to office attire? Women were required to wear high heels, skirts and blouses, while every man, young or old, must now wear a suit and tie. Shoes shined, hair tidy and everyone to be presentable at all times.
In this row back, all casual clothing like jumpers, jeans, flats and trainers will be gone, and we all revert to the Mad Men days of office formality and as some would see it, discomfort.
It would seem absurd in 2025, wouldn’t it? Well, we’ve reached a point where this absurdity applies to companies seeking a full-time return to office work for all employees. The working-from-home genie is out of the bottle; there’s no turning back.
One of US President Donald Trump’s first executive actions last Monday was to direct all federal workers back to the office full-time, leaving many people fearing that his action marks the end of remote working. But I’m not so sure…
I know there are many organisations moving back to working from the office, from the big tech giants to smaller businesses, but as a business owner, I genuinely don’t get it.
We have a team of 20 and almost five years ago, when the country and the world shut down in mid-March 2020, we gave remote working a shot — packing everyone off with their laptops and the words “Let’s try it out for two weeks”!
Five years on, it’s been such a positive move for Fuzion. As business owners, my partner Greg Canty and I believe that as long as people are not feeling isolated, have a suitable workspace and are productive, as long as the lines are not blurred too much between professional and personal lives, and as long as everyone is available for client and team meetings — virtual (with the camera on) or in person, then it works for us.
After a lot of learnings over five years, we now have strong structures in place including solid induction and mentoring processes, one-on-one check-ins, team days and our Fuzion Fridays, where once a month we break bread together. We provide office space that members of the team use to meet up, mostly arranged once a week and at other times, when members of the team fancy some interaction with colleagues or a break away from the four walls of their home office, they use the office facilities or meet for a cuppa.
We also set our team professional goals and monetary targets at the beginning of the year, which are reviewed monthly. These keep everyone focused, they nurture personal responsibility and are a great performance tool for all of us.
By facilitating remote working it also really helps attract and retain talent — our team loves the cost benefits, the travel time saved and the flexibility it gives them and the trust, as business owners, that we show them.
Geography is now less of an issue when recruiting and we have wider access to talent which is a benefit to the business and our clients.
The majority of our clients also work remotely, so they have pivoted to virtual meetings. They too like the flexibility and it gives them more access to more members of our team, sometimes at short notice, without the need to travel. It saves on time, on costs and everyone is much more productive.
But don’t just take my word for it.
Since Trump’s announcement, so many people have defended remote working and the benefits it brings. One of the most vocal advocates of Remote Working, is Nick Bloom, a Stanford Professor and Economist who has been studying remote work for over two decades.
After Trump’s action on Monday, Nick posted on LinkedIn, giving compelling reasons why Trump’s directive for Federal workers won’t mean the end of Working from Home.
Here are his three reasons why:
“1) This announcement was known since last Autumn. But despite the advanced warning no-one has followed — WFH has been flat since early 2023.
2) Hybrid WFH is very profitable for firms — it has no net effect on productivity but cuts costly turnover. This is why 80% of Fortune 500 firms are hybrid for managers and professionals.
3) It is unclear if this will actually be enforced and persist. The Return to Office will lead to high quit rates, particularly amongst hot skill areas like IT. This could hit Federal websites, systems and payments. Federal IT was never that great to start with, so I can see a lot of risks. Say veterans payroll or the IRS taxes processing fails — some disaster like that could lead to a quiet reversal.
So, yes, Federal Workers are being forced back to the office. But I do not think many other companies will follow, and I’m not sure if the Federal policy itself will even be fully enforced or persist.“
So I’m with Nick — and with Spotify, where the HR chief recently stated that remote staff aren’t ‘children’ as the company became an outlier in the tech sector, reiterating that their work-from-anywhere policy will remain in place.
As for our company Fuzion, remote working is something we are consistently reviewing, so that we deliver on promises to clients and have a happy, productive team — but five years on I can’t see us going back to the office full-time anytime soon.
Deirdre Waldron is founding partner of Fuzion, an award winning brand communications agency celebrating 25 years in business this year. She is one of Ireland’s leading communication professionals with more than 30 years of experience across a wide range of sectors in Ireland and the UK.
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Only about 20% of people even have the option to work from home at all. The other 80% must wonder why it gets so much airtime.
@John Moore: the 80% will have the last laugh. What the author failed to factor in is Gen AI. This will cripple vast swathes of office jobs, and we will begin to see this soon. Ergo: people will only be too happy to take a job in the office 5 days a week when the company demand it.
@Harry Paisley: it’s really not.
I used to spend 15 hours a week travelling to and from work. Now, I better life work balance. If I want to do something after I finish work, I can. And I often do.
I was working on Friday, during the storm. Same with other red alerts.
I actually work better from home, because there are less distractions. I throw on the radio, or Spotify, or YouTube, and work away. These are controllable, so I find them less distracting than being in an office.
And let’s not forget.. sometimes we will have to wait for more work, which means we are sitting there doing nothing (because head office can be slow as he’ll sending more on). Being at home, I can use that time to get a chore or two done, or read, or game, all whilst keeping an eye out for more work.
I also don’t have to interact with colleague more than is necessary.
I’m more productive as a result of working from home, and much happier too.
@Harry Paisley: don’t be a begrudger Harry. It’s not too late to go back and finish your junior cert. In less than a decade, you too may have the option. You can do it, we’re all rooting for you!
@John Moore: Same of every topic of a particular agenda, the only people who mention ‘woke’ are the people who are against it. Literally everything on the list effects a 00.1% of any population. We’ll never get onto the problems we actually face.
@John Moore: Agree, but why is everyone allowed every single possible opportunity to pile in on Trump by this site, but blocked
@Peter Smith: from talking about other issues. Left wing bias, absolutely no doubt
@Peter Smith: Anytime I post a comment like this, the “moderators” split the post up. Left wing bias?
To return to the office full-time is a distinct disadvantage to primary caregivers ie, women trying to organize full-time work and childcare.
If anything, working from home has given them a level of flexibility to enable them to do both tasks whilst retaining some quality of life.
@Harry Paisley: Eh no. I work from home, there is no hiding when you work in a customer services role with tight SLAs, service level agreement for the uneducated like yourself.
@Harry Paisley: you comment so much on the journal I’d bet you’re a rock n roller-doler yourself Paisley
@Marie Agnew: most likely one ofany sock puppet accounts run either by the Journal themselves or some other interest group looking to constantly agitate & attempting to create division.
@Harry Paisley: Well, I’m working from home as I am recovering from a stroke. What’s your response to me?
@Harry Paisley: the people I work with who do that.. start earlier or finish later, so that they work the required number of hours.
Those of us who work from home are also the ones that, unless there’s a power outage, will work through red weather alerts. I was working all day Friday. I think only 5 of us out of a team of 17 were, because those that work in the office couldn’t, and a few work from home people got their power knocked. But 5 of us were able to put in a full day to ensure we kept on top of things.
@Harry Paisley: only the tw@ts react like you
@Harry Paisley: No you don’t, people are clocked out for those activities. We don’t have company time. We have a period of 24 hours, you make sure you get your 7.30 hours ( and more!) done at some point within them.
So your argument is massively flawed.
Tiz funny. I work in IT support within the banking sector. So what I am responsible for is a server (and it’s backup) that provides the latest up to date financial reporting figures so the bank knows exactly where it stands. So the bank has insisted on a minimum 3 day working week from the office. The funny thing is that both primary server and backup are in the cloud so I have no clue of their physical location. But it certainly isn’t at the offices premises. So what’s the point
@Fintan Neelan: So you can remote in from the office instead of remoting in from home. I too work in IT and I’d not work full time in an office again. If my current employer insisted I’d be gone. Loads of jobs out there in IT
@FoxyBoiiYT: there will be a time where they will request you will all return to the office…and if not yous will all loose your jobs as they will move their base to somewhere cheaper….why is it that this is a problem where the majority of jobs in this country require u to be there
@kaidon sharkey: Been seeing this threat posted consistently online for 5 years now.’still hasn’t happened.
@Declan Doherty: what threat?? at the end of the day…they are your employers…u work for them…not the other way around…and there is always someone to come in and take your place
@kaidon sharkey: I’m not a brick layer ffs. I can do my job perfectly from home as much as in an office. You simply have no idea what you are saying. I’ve been turning down additional work recently in fact.
@FoxyBoiiYT: i never once said you where a brick layer…i just showed that u can be replaced… u r nothing special like the rest of us…working from home is never going to last…take it all in while it lasts while yas all demand the work from home with better pay your employer will be looking at foreign and cheaper labour and u will be on d dole unless u adapt
@kaidon sharkey: You know nothing about me, nothing about the job I do, who I work for, where I live, my qualifications, not even my real name. In fact you know absolutely nothing yet state with such confidence I can be easily replaced. Seriously dude you have zero clue
@FoxyBoiiYT: there is always someone waiting to take your place lad….u could be einstein but theres always someone waiting…dont kid yourself that your d only one that could do the job
@kaidon sharkey: What job Kaidon? What do I do? Seeing as you’ve no idea how on earth can you know i can be replaced? Now stop talking crap and get some sleep. Good night
@FoxyBoiiYT: did you not say u work in it or brick layer?? the way things are going u will be made redundant by a i ….are u mad that i took the piss out of u tonight
@Fintan Neelan: wait till the bank recruit some whizz from Vietnam or Bangladesh to do twice your hours for a quarter of your pay.. then you will understand
@frank dowling: and the bank will then fly them in from Vietnam or Bangladesh, so they can do their three days a week in the office, as the bank mandates?
@FoxyBoiiYT: Stop teasing everyone, just tell us why you’re so special, we’re all ears
The four billionaires are in charge of the US now and it’s going to be a whole load of taxpayer money being syphoned over to them, the billionaires. They’ve already stopped all funding which will be redirected to them. Expect billionaires to have an even more concentrated amount of American wealth of the next years. Their billionaires will significantly increase.
@Peter Morris: oh look it’s multi-ID William the convicted pedo. Gets on the offensive when I say anything bad about his precious billionaires
@F1rYnpWc: oh you know about that as well…how delicious….and all the times he had the cheek to call others a nonce…
@Peter Morris: just little old me sorry but then you know that huh..
@FG’s Rent Boy: Stay off the spliffs, they’re rotting your brains!
@Harry Paisley: ok Peter.. tee hee
@SF’s Mental Trap: It’s crazy how much you are obsessed with me. Even when I don’t comment you feel a compulsion to comment. Making more lies up about me I see. I suppose in that case, you like abusing children yourself since every accusation is a confession as the saying goes. In any case, it’s so funny to see you get so upset at successful people, you parasitic welfare leech. You hate rich people because you know that you will never be one of them. You know right well that these people have given so much to humanity through their innovative creations, yet only keep 2% of all the wealth that they generate. You know right well that 88% of millionaires and 72% of billionaires are self-made, but you’d rather wallow in the mire like the victim you are. I seriously pity your pathetic nature.
@F1rYnpWc: hold on. ,what have I missed
@F1rYnpWc: TDS is an incurable disease.
@Harry Paisley: I work from home, and I’m certainly not lazy about it. I can’t afford to live near my company, and I don’t drive. There’s also nowhere I do live that I would want to work, for various reasons. Not least because there’s nothing here that would make use of my qualifications.
I also don’t have any kids to mind. I do the odd chore on company money, but that happens either when I’m taking a quick break (as long as we maintain productivity, this is encouraged, so I’ll go out for air, check the post and if it’s bin day, bring in the bins. About 5 minutes..) or if head office is slow sending on more files to work on, or if there is an IT issue.
If head office leaves us without work for an hour.. might as well use the time for other things. (Head office is slow and disorganised.. so this happens at least once a week. Sometimes it can be longer..)
But I love the daily rat race and sitting in traffic jams for 2 hours each day to do work I could’ve done relaxing and happy at home, said nobody, ever.
I work three days in the office and two from home each week. I wouldn’t want to work entirely from home.
@Harry Paisley: Multi Million euro property portfolio eh? :’D
@Harry Paisley: Maybe you should stop inhaling the fumes of your produce then
What has happened that such people are in charge in the USA. How could so many voters lose their minds . How come the “greatest” country on earth could not find people of worth to stand up to the many despots around the world. So much for the much vaunted American education system.
@JP: hasn’t been the greatest country in years
I haven’t been able to use the journal app for months. But could some one tell me are the comments now so toxic that they are closed for nearly every article. Or is there another reason?
@Logs Byrne:
No, you have it right, they are that toxic.
@Logs Byrne: Too many Multi-ID Trolls. Won’t take you long to spot them. They’re the ones with the poorly informed, low-IQ comments. Mostly dishonest interlocutors.
@Logs Byrne: Of course there is, they don’t like free speech or any opinion that doesn’t fit their leftist agenda.
If you are working from home full time, you can easily be replaced with some one cheaper in a different country
@Shane O Mac: No you can’t. It’s amazing that such ignorant comments get an oxygen
@Shane O Mac: not really. I have a niche qualification that only exists in this country. And you need to be living here to obtain it..
@Emit Relevart: Interesting. What kind of niche qualification is that which keeps you nice and snuggly and ivory towered then?
Journal comments section is exhausting. So many people with so many multiple accounts/personalities I can’t keep up. And frankly the amount of tedious trolling from the right wing is staggering
@FoxyBoiiYT: its either trolls or u r just using an excuse not to answer people poor me….people saying bad things hide me…bit of advice dont comment on anything if u cant take it
@FoxyBoiiYT: Poor you
Work from home is a rort – just like a home gym, it’s nice to have but not much happens in it
Work is work and home is home
@Alex: Your projecting your inability to be self motivated and engaged into others. You clearly lack the competencies and self discipline to work remotely but that doesn’t mean no one else can.
Amazon ordered all their office workers to return full time in the United States late last year.
Go to work you lay abouts and just get on with it
@Mick O’K: I work full time from home. I’m certainly not lazy about it.
By working from home, I’ve recovered15 hours a week that used to be spent commuting, so now I have time to socialise again. Before this, I was getting home from work, cooking dinner and faling into bed. Weekends were spent catching up on housework. I had no life at all, I was sick and stressed all the time and severely depressed.
Now, I work the same hours, but I’m happier, more productive, and I have a social life again because of getting those 15 hours back each week. It’s better for my employer, as I get more work done and take less sick days, and better for me because I’m healthier and happier and no longer want to end my own life.
The President of Peace is taking names folks!
You will do what you’re told by your boss, and i do not support Palestine or sanctions.
@Dan Murphy: We’re not slaves you know? I’m aware ye Trumptards would love to see slavery back but it’s not gonna happen.
Those who work from home will be the first replaced by AI. Then we will have proper tears.
@Shane Kinsella (Kinsey): What a Trump lickspittle you are. Embarrassing.
You haven’t much choice because you will get a bad reference and your P45.
@Áine G:
To a point you are right but at the moment there is a shortage of the likes of IT staff for instance (probably the job most associated with WHF) so because it’s an employee’s market at the moment mixed contracts are not hard to find.
When the inevitable recession eventually comes along it could be a different story.
As they say, make hay as the sun shines!!
Go tell Amazon
Presumably Trump has some kind of office set up outside the whitehouse where he can inhale cheeseburgers and tweet all day. He’d never make someone do something he wasn’t willing to do himself. At least when the maga parents who voted for him are forking out thousands in childcare, they can take solace in the fact they owned the libs.
Obviously it’s not trump calling the shots here to stop wfh, it’s President Musk all in his playbook
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