In today’s competitive landscape at work, are we only looking to make money, sitting in comfort corners of our homes?
Well, tech-giants like TCS are in the row of giving strong repercussions to those not showing up at their office desks atleast thrice a week; where they can even loose out their hands on basic variables!
According to Robin’s Return To Work Report 2024, “The debate is less about forcing people into a building five days a week and more about integrating the office into our plans for more holistic, healthy lives.” Pandemic has taught and trained us that work can actually go on from anywhere and everywhere but we cannot fully agree that office banter has vanquished from our lives and is no longer needed.
Now companies today are trying every possible gig to get their people back at work, by even bribing them into lavish office spaces, taking the new trend of “Office Peacocking” into great use.
What Is the New Hyped “Office Peacocking” Trend?
Unmesh Pawar, CPO, Dentsu India, on speaking ith BW People explained, “this trend has emerged from the bird peacock’s “peacocking” which generally speaks of the scenario when a male peacock flashes himself and dances with an intent to seek attention from the female peacock. And this trend probably is dual phased;
⦁ One where organisation is putting in efforts to attract their talent back in office
⦁ Second, when employees over-hype “coffee badging” at work
On The Official Side
Organisations today desperately want people to come back to work, hence they have reached to a realisation that full work-from-home mode isn’t working out and its imperative that a hybrid mode where people spend atleast 2-3 days of work in office and then enjoy the flexibility of other days from home in the week.
Pawar further explains employees’ resistance to come back to work, resulting in even loss of their variables. This in return is further pressing organisations to try their hands on tested techniques like; revamping their office spaces by creating flashy designs to providing better amenities like cafeterias, gymnasiums, installing NAP pods, or creating “tech-heavy” spaces with the help of AR-VR; provoking employees to go to offices to work!
When asked Pawar, if this method is appealing enough for attracting employees back at work, he stated, “ there isn’t a productivity metrics which can be showcased to prove if such a method is reaping in fruits or not. On surface level such an engagement is fine but for the longer run this method might lead to cost-cuttings, heightened distractions and might even showcase as organisations bribing their way by availing them with timely amenities. Further it might also create inequality amongst employees as a few of them might also be loaded with elderly care responsibilities at home or have an unattended child to take care of. In such a situation, few of them won’t have access to official provisions and such an arrangement might seem superficial; further creating divide.
On Employees’ Side
Today, even employees’ feel the need to be noticed when they come to offices, basically they too tend to behave like “male-peacocks” seeking attention and making their presence felt.
Such a behaviour has been given a tag of “coffee badging” culture!
They tend to make an impactful show upon their incoming by either flaunting their top-notch attires or indulging in boasty banter. “They tend to overtly display themselves. Its like; ab office aaye hi hai to might as well make a mark,” explains Pawar. They plan their office visits by grabbing attention, increasing their visibility with an intent to enhance “personal branding.” They tend to do everything in their wits in form of overt self promotions, pushing their achievements, flashy behaviours, etc.
Pawar also believes that the employees even self-promote themselves more by aggressively engaging with people from higher-authority, marking their attendance and work done in a loud and flashy manner.
Tata Consulatancy Services for instance; mandated the provocation of return to office in a way that the return won’t seem similar to what their employees had left behind prior to pandemic. “We are at an inflection point,” says Ashok Krish, Global Head, Digital Workplace at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). But, even after incessant callings, the employees are just not paying any heed. "We are exercising patience but have taken a principled stand that employees have to get back to offices," he said. "We have sent employees the final communication on this and if they do not, there will be consequences to face,” NG Subramaniam, COO, TCS, expressed in anger to a well-known media.
Talking to a well-known media, he said working from home made employees and employers vulnerable. "With the kind of cyberattacks in today's context, an organisation can inadvertently get into trouble," he said. "One cannot have the kind of controls at home and there can be security risks to businesses.
The Road Ahead
The vast majority of industries will never go back to a 5 days in the office schedule. Flexible and hybrid work are here to stay. Mandate or not, you still need employees to buy into the office experience.
Hence, “offices need to have reflection of organisation’s purpose deeply embedded in their goals and values. It needs to be a very natural progression of who the organisation is and therefore, what ambiance and experience they want to create for their people,” feels Pawar.
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