Work-At-Home: One Size Fails To Fit All: BENN

Bulldog columnist Ron Benn examines a post in which an analysis was cited supporting work-at-home:

The analysis was performed or commissioned by Public Service Alliance of Canada, the union representing a significant bloc of federal government employees.

There is no indication in the news article about how productivity was objectively measured. This is especially problematic when one considers the breadth of roles provided by public servants. The news article does point to a survey of its members. This implies that there was an element of self-evaluation. Hmm. Is there any, any possibility that the survey was structured to create a self-fulfilling result?

Some roles can be performed with little or no interaction with colleagues. Some roles can’t. Some people can work with little or no supervision. Some people can’t. Some of the people who are not capable of working with little or no supervision are not prepared to accept that conclusion. They often use words to the effect of “My boss doesn’t like me”, “My boss is picking on me”, or “My boss doesn’t understand me”. Seldom are the words “I need to get my act together” uttered.

Which takes me back to my ongoing concern about one-size-fits-all solutions. The union has a vested interest in allowing its members to remain working from home. The union has a vested interest in ensuring that management cannot treat union members differently, and especially those whose performance is found to be wanting (read lower productivity).

In short, the findings of this ‘analysis’ should be read in the context of the sponsor.

Ron Benn, a finance executive, has been a member of the Centrepointe Community Association for the better part of three decades.

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