The real reason for Yahoo boss Marissa Mayer banning employees from working remotely is that many have been hatching start-up businesses while being paid by the company, according to insiders at the online giant.
Mayer’s decision to call all staff back to their desks has sparked much debate in the press over the merits of remote working, amid claims that productivity can suffer.
And the move raised more than a few eyebrows as many of the staff affected by the decision cited childcare issues; Mayer recently returned to work two weeks after giving birth to her first child and immediately installed childcare facilities in her own office.
A memo sent last week by the company’s head of human resources told Yahoo staff that they had until the summer to get themselves back to the company HQ in Sunnyvale, California, or forfeit their job . The company claimed it was triggered by concerns that workers were “hiding” from bosses who had lost track of who was supposed to be where and doing what.
“To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side by side,” the memo stated. “That is why it is critical we are all present in our offices. Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings.”
But according to reports in the US, insiders claim some staff have abused the policy so much that they have been working on start-ups while being on salary at Yahoo.
However, others have defended the move, claiming employee morale has plummeted because the business has fallen behind the likes of Google and Apple. They say it is impossible to repair this without having all employees in the same place.
Yet one insider said: “When a working mother is standing behind this, you know we are a long way from a culture that will honour the thankless sacrifices that women too often make.”