Marissa, Marissa, Marissa. Every time I turn around, there’s someone talking about Marissa. She’s everywhere. (Again.) And, yes, now she’s here. (Again.)
She’s rocking the world as a working mom. Telling us all how easy it is. And, now, she’s insisting that it’s her way or the highway.
You may recall, back in July — when she announced she’d be taking an outrageously short maternity leave — I said, “I can only hope that, in spite of [Marissa’s] personal choices, she’ll foster a culture where flexible schedules and long maternity leaves keep great talent motivated and loyal.” Hmm, I guess she doesn’t read my blog. (And here we thought she did it all…)
That’s right, last week she had HR announce that, come June, it will be mandated that all Yahoo! employees work in the office every day. Remote living, working from home? They’re a thing of the past.
My past, actually. Yes, I was a Yahoo for almost eight years. During that time, I not only met deadlines, I beat them. I was respected by my peers and considered a leader by my superiors. I won awards, got promotions, and celebrated raises. And all that while I worked from home at least one day a week — even before I had kids, and along with my male colleagues.
When I first started working at Yahoo! — after years at LA ad agencies surrounded by strip malls and lunch-time errand opportunities — I couldn’t believe that the closest stores were a good 10-15 minute drive away. I was really stuck there. All. Day. Long. They offered a free gym with all kinds of classes, a huge cafeteria (for which Marissa — well, Yahoo! really — now picks up the entire tab), and free gourmet coffee. There was no reason to leave. And for someone like me who values my alone time, that wasn’t a selling point. It was a huge adjustment. (I mean I even showered with my coworkers.)
I quickly learned that 15 minutes (which often became 30) in the coffee shop, a 60-minute lunch-time yoga class (followed by 15-20 minutes of de-stinking/prettying), or a long lunch in URLs cafe with my old high school friends who were now co-workers was my way of maintaining a bit of my own identity in the pool of purple.
And WFH Fridays? They were my day to do all the work I couldn’t do during endless meetings Monday through Thursday. They were my time to catch up and recharge. While being productive and successful.
As I grew my family, my managers fought to keep me on board. They granted me long maternity leaves and eventually flex schedules and opportunities to work from home. While I definitely went through growing pains as a Yahoo, I felt fiercely loyal to the people who supported me, and worked hard to continue to impress them and be a strong contributor to the team.
Now that won’t be an option for people like me. They’ll be forced to be in the office daily — or quit. It’s said this will impact hundreds of Yahoos. And while many of them are likely working moms, the group who’s supposed to be admiring and thanking Marissa for her success, there are certainly others who work remotely as well. According to Kara Swisher of All Things D, the internal memo reads:
“Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home. We need to be one Yahoo!, and that starts with physically being together.”
It’s funny, it seems people like Marissa have this idea that working from home means taking afternoon naps and playing peek-a-boo with the kids. In my case, it was the exact opposite. As a mom, I had the same number of hours of childcare, but a good hour and a half extra to work. I didn’t primp, I didn’t commute, I got stuff done. I was at my desk far more than when I was in the office, and always available with my phone number posted on Yahoo! Messenger so people could reach me as needed.
And, honestly, there were times I missed the office. I’d forget to eat lunch. I didn’t have anyone asking if I wanted to go grab a (free — for me, not the company) coffee and chat. I didn’t get pulled into meetings where I spent an hour wishing I were somewhere else, because I couldn’t contribute to a conversation that shouldn’t have included me. I was a more productive employee most of the time I was home.
The days I was in the office, I would focus on collaboration. When it was necessary, I’d pack my day with meetings and one-on-one time with my team, my partners, and my managers. In the office, I formed friendships, created great working relationships, and also happened to see a lot of redundancy, unmotivated employees, and ways that the company could improve.
Yahoo! knew this. That’s why they hired Marissa. And I don’t envy her, she has a tough job. She needs to make waves and keep Yahoo! on the map. I’m just amazed that she thought this way the way to do it.
I’ve read that people are looking at this as a way to do a layoff without calling it a layoff (and without having to pay severance, of course). If you ask me, that’s a huge mistake. Sure, there may be a number of people working remotely that aren’t engaged. (Which could certainly be dealt with.) But, if my experience is any indication, there are a huge number of hard-working people busting their chops to prove otherwise.
What Yahoo! needs is creative, flexible thinking. Employees who feel invested because their ideas, time, and work are valued. Yahoo! executives need to have people they trust hiring people they trust. Yahoo! needs to understand that it’s not where your butt sits, but where your heart lies that determines whether you bleed purple.
I did for a long time. And I know a lot of other outrageously smart, flexibly scheduled people who did too. The good news? Most of them have gone to other companies who respect these truths. Companies who will be ready to hire the talent that Yahoo! is about to say goodbye to.
Is flexibility in the workplace important to you? Maybrooks.com, the company that recently profiled me, is doing a survey to take to Washington, D.C. Make your voice heard here.
Amen to all of this Amy! I had the same reaction when I read the article. Had it not been for WFH Friday’s I would never have gotten anything done at Yahoo! The number of meetings we had to sit in + the amount of work that needed to be done + my 2 hours commute each way didn’t add up without one day at home. I would accomplish more in that day than the entire week in the office. This is a shortsighted mistake if you ask me – and a lot of good people will leave because of it.
Yeah, it’s really too bad to think of the great people left who will be tempted to look elsewhere.
Amen again, Amy! This had my blood boiling earlier. I now work from home and cannot imagine how a global, productive, fulfilled society could not include this flexibility. She’s gone too far.
Agreed. I’m so glad you’re in a role and with a company that supports you!
I so agree with you Amy. I’m a working Mom who gets one day per week at home and it is my most productive day. As an HR professional, I feel for the HR staff that had to communicate this to the employees. Sad to see a company taking steps backwards (in my humble opinion).
I know, that poor HR rep whose name is all over must be hating life right now. I’m glad you get your day at home and I hope you continue to find ways to make your career work for you.
Perhaps she thinks any publicity is good publicity? This story has gotten A LOT of play!
Joking of course. This seems like an odd bit of retro.
You joke, but I can’t help but wonder if that’s part of it. She’s got Yahoo! back in the conversation. Unfortunately for her, I’m thinking the conversation went in a direction she didn’t fully anticipate.
I love your insider perspective. I work from home 3x a week (sometimes more). The flexibility is what makes me sane, keeps my family chugging away, and pushes me to continue to earn those days from home by succeeding (which I do). This looks like a thinly-veiled forced layoff; either come to the office or you’re out, no matter what your work product looks like. Marissa’s disregard for the flex workforce who make Yahoo! a great place – and her attempt to force her own personal choices as a Mother on every other person in the company – leaves a very bad taste in the mouth of this Mom. Too bad for Yahoo!…and bad on Marissa.
See, you said what I meant in much fewer words. Good on YOU. So glad you get the flexibility you’ve earned.
I work from home a couple times a week and need it for balance. The culture at my office has been that working from home is a privilege for trusted, deserving employees, not a right. So, we all take it seriously for the most part. I love my co-workers, but the time I save on chatting means I get more done at home. Our office has no perks… If I worked at Yahoo I wouldn’t get anything done!
On the flip side, I know how frustrating it is when it seems like someone is abusing it. But punishing everyone for the short falls of a few is terrible.
Lisa, I absolutely agree that people need to earn the privilege. That comes with trust, respect, and good management. It seems that a few bad apples — and a CEO who has misjudged her workforce — are ruining an important aspect of being a great company to work for. And if you don’t feel motivated or respected, you certainly won’t be helping the team.
Amen, sister! The very first thing I thought when I read this article was that I hoped that you would respond to it. You have such a unique perspective about all of this — especially having worked at Yahoo! Thank you for sharing it. Just how much time do you think is wasted around the “free lunch table” and at the gym! Plenty, I’m sure!
The message this sends is that Yahoo! is not interested in investing in employees over the long term–if your life or circumstances (even on a temporary basis) don’t fit within the office paradigm, we no longer want you.
On a very practical level, Marissa is lucky. Not only is she wildly successful, she’s wildly compensated. I’m sure that she has an army of people dealing with the myriad tasks that the rest of us require some flexibility to complete.
As always, Amy, beautifully said.
Great points, Julia. I think I may need to do a post with a “Best of” from all these insightful comments!
oh girl – I’ve been WAITING to hear your response to all this.
It does just seem so backwards a move… backwards for what I envision Yahoo! as representing and backwards for someone who just had a kid. But if the lady wants some free PR, she’s getting it – for better or for worse. It just seems like she’s trying really hard to prove herself to someone…. just not the “right” someones, in my opinion… All the best to your friends and former colleagues who are still there…
Thanks, Jodie. I really do feel bizarrely defensive for the great people I know who still work there. They’ve stuck by the company through some really hard times, and rather than being rewarded, they’re being told they aren’t really team players unless their bodies are in their ergonomically sound chairs.
As an aside…I just reread my comment…and I wouldn’t want an army of people…I love taking care of my people…and our life…I just meant that the woman is clearly detached from the world if, as her poor HR rep’s memo reportedly stated, she thinks the only thing people do at home is “wait for the cable guy…”
Ha, I thought your comment was awesome. I know exactly what you meant, and there’s no question you’re right.
Having worked as a creative at Yahoo! I was actually looking into going back. They seemed to be gaining momentum once more and the future was looking bright. I loved my time spent at a company that I felt really cared about people…it was one of the things that separated them from other tech companies.
But as a single Dad this stopped me cold. Something like this illustrates a turn in the WRONG direction. I’m really sad this happened.
It’s too bad I have to look at my time there as the past…so much potential.
Chris, thanks so much for sharing your perspective. I think people who are making this all about working moms don’t realize that every employee is being undervalued in this situation. And the recruiting/retention impact will certainly be an issue for Yahoo!. It’s really too bad.
Really well put, Amy.
When I last worked in an office, it was before the culture of telecommuting had really taken off, but still the flexibility to say, “Hey, I’m going to be heads down with this assignment all day and I think it will be better if I do it from home,” was certainly acceptable. I think that’s important for autonomy.
@Melissa, I have mixed feelings on the commuting issue. Employees are responsible for their own commutes, absorbing that into their day. Folks who live an hour away knew what they were signing up for. It shouldn’t be put on the company, “You’ll get more out of me on days that I don’t spend an hour driving each way.” If recruiting local talent is a real issue, perhaps Yahoo! ought to set up satellite work spaces in SF and Oakland, though that doesn’t help create “one Yahoo”.
As for moms vs non-moms, I am also in agreement with whomever suggested the policy that working from home cannot be double dipping as childcare. If children are home during the day, Working From Home might have to mean Working From Starbucks or a Convenient Co-Working Space or Hiding from The Nanny in the Master Bedroom.
Thanks, Whitney. I agree with you. We all definitely sign on for a job knowing where we live will impact our commute. But there is something to be said for a company who respects that people are making that effort to be a part of the team and giving them a bit of relief now and then.
I can’t imagine how working from home in a corporate job and watching your kids at the same time could even be an option. I don’t know anyone who did that…unless their child was sick.
I certainly didn’t feel that working from home on Fridays (when the vast majority of my team did) impacted my feeling like a part of one Yahoo!. In fact, that was our internal line for a long time. Funny how it’s back…only in a totally different way.
I really appreciate you sharing your experience and thoughts.
Great post Amy and I totally agree! During my time at Yahoo!, my managers allowed me to take 6 month long maternity leaves (twice) and work from home two days a week once I returned. This was so appreciated and made me work harder than I ever had in my life. Anyone who has been a working mom knows that those can be the most productive workers you will ever have.
I think when you allow people flexibility in their job, it makes them more productive and more loyal than companies that try to micromanage their time or schedule. Like everyone else has said, I often found my quiet wfh days to be the ones where I got the most work done. I am so lucky that since leaving Yahoo! I have worked at other companies that have supported at least one wfh day. At my current start-up, the entire office is closed on Wednesdays and everyone works from home! Yahoo! is surely going to lose some great talent, but there are plenty of companies who have the right attitude when it comes to remote working!
I love the idea of the office being closed on Wednesdays! What a great way to save money and time, while giving employees an opportunity to work at home. Very cool.
Amy. So true. I feel so blessed to have worked at Yahoo! during a time when work life balance was supported by my managers and the company. I stayed there and worked hard for 6+ years because I felt intense loyalty to a company that treated me well and trusted me to get my job done in or out of the office.
Absolutely, Cori. I hope you’re finding that respect and flexibility in your current role as well!
Well said Amy. It’s a sad shame and feels like a real miss in the way the workplace is moving. Yahoo moving this direction while other giants are embracing remote collaboration tools (like Fuzebox) to increase their teamwork between remote employees seems like step backwards. I agree with the comments that those who abuse flexible work environments should be corrected and it’s a real shame to punish everyone in that effort.
I feel like I could get on a real soap box with this issue (working mom flexibility, discouraging WFH = encouraging commuting = anti-green, reducing jobs by taking work from childcare providers who are paid to watch the children of working from home parents, and so on.)
thanks, as always, for your insight on this.
Yes, it’s definitely a huge decision with impacts far beyond the obvious issues most people like me are covering. Thanks for the important reminders!
Do I believe that there are some people taking advantage of the work from home? Yes, and those individuals should be dealt with. I think that for certain roles it is necessary to be in the office, for others, not so much. I also don’t think it is cut and dry about be in the office or wfh. I think the issue is about flexibility. Internet companies are 24/7. They don’t close when you leave the office at 5 to go home. Managers, peers, partners call, email, im, and text at all hours of the day, not just between the working hours of 8-5. When employees are proud of the work they do and companies for which they work, they don’t mind the working after dinner, “from home”. In a world where you have 2 working parents, and busy kids, being able to leave at 4 to pick them up and take them to this class or that class, and finishing your last hour of work at 8:30, allows for that balance. Soccer practice is not available at 9:00pm for my 5 year old, but my work email is. Flexibility in a 24/7 company is what is important. Trusting that your very valued hard working employees are mature enough and organized enough to know that commuting for 1+ hours each day may not be the best use of their focused work time and allowing them to prioritize their lives and their work. I guess the point I am trying to spit out, is that if all work needs to be done in the office, don’t call me at 8, because, I need to make up for the 2 hours I spent commuting to the job to be more “productive”.
Great points, Erin. Honestly, abuse in EVERY form should be taken care of. This is kind of like saying that because one employee stole a stapler from the office supply cabinet, that they won’t be providing office supplies any more. The lack of flexible thinking shows a lack of creativity and humanity in the leadership at Yahoo!.
And, yes, if I kept my computer off from the hours of 5pm to 8am, I would have had a very, very different work-life balance. And I would have been fired. 🙂