Hewlett-Packard Co. is discouraging employees from working at home, telling them they should return to the mothership if they can. The policy echoes Yahoo’s decision earlier this year to end work-from-home for most employees.
According to an HP memo obtained by AllThingsD, the Palo Alto company says the policy is meant to create “a more connected workforce and drive greater collaboration and innovation.”
Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman, who was appointed in 2011, is trying to return some luster to the company’s faded Silicon Valley brand (and share price). In that regard, she finds herself in the same position as Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who in February announced that employees who worked from home would have to return to the office. The goal? To foster collaboration and accelerate the company’s attempt to reinvigorate itself.
The HP memo said, “During this critical turnaround period, HP needs all hands on deck. We recognize that in the past, we may have asked certain employees to work from home for various reasons. We now need to build a stronger culture of engagement and collaboration and the more employees we get into the office the better company we will be.”
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Whitman is expected to address the change Wednesday at a meeting with analysts in San Francisco.
A source told AllThingsD that HP isn’t instituting an outright ban on working from home. Neither did Yahoo, since some employees were granted exemptions.
Mayer received both criticism and praise when she curbed working from home. Critics said the move alienated some talented workers. Advocates said she effectively washed out less dedicated, motivated employees and had signaled a needed cultural change.
Date: Oct 8, 2013