HP To Cut Back On Telecommuting

Makarand writes "Hewlett-Packard, the company that began making flexible work arrangements for its employees starting in 1967, is cutting back on telecommuting arrangements for its IT employees. By August, almost all of HP's IT employees will have to work in one of 25 designated offices during most of the week. Those who don't wish to make this change will be out of work without severance pay. While other companies nationwide are pushing more employees to work from home to cut office costs, HP believes bringing its information-technology employees together in the office will make them swifter and smarter and allow them to be more effective."

Comments

Romans had the same problem

[gubachwa]

Romans also had the same problem with slaves. For some reason they couldn't exercise as much influence over their slaves when they worked from home. Of course, instead of whips and chains, HP has employee surveillance and the threat of outsourcing to keep their staff in line.

Re:Interesting theory.

[raider_red]

As IT people tend to work at their best in formal situations, I would also like to suggest mandated progress reports that could be discussed at regular goal-orientation meetings with management.

Right, and don't forget to put the right cover sheet on your TPS report.

Re:Spouse and children

[2nd Post!]

Why not? You aren't losing anything, whereas someone who does have kids and a spouse would be losing their kids and spouse during a move.

My own experience, however, has shown me that married workers are more capable, whether it be because of the daily, constant, successful ability to handle stress, emergencies, delegation, risk, and reward, or some other aspect.

So a married working would be more valuable than a single worker anyway :)

Screw Employee Morale

[Hasai]

"By August, almost all of HP's IT employees will have to work in one of 25 designated offices during most of the week. Those who don't wish to make this change will be out of work without severance pay."

And the beatings will continue until morale improves.

Which Business School?

[bill_mcgonigle]

There is also a niche for innovation, which HP *was* well-qualified to shift into similarly to how Apple's niche or specialty is user interface (both hardware and software-wise), not price.

Exactly right. Somebody at HP said, "we're going to compete with Dell on Dell's turf, by Dell's rules, with higher expenses than Dell."

I'd like to know which business school that guy went to.