Best Buy Follows Yahoo And Cancels Work-From-Home Program

For some reason, Best Buy believes that it's a good idea to follow Yahoo's example and forbid its workers from working from home. Considering all of the angry feedback Yahoo received from its employees as well as all of the negative press written about its structure change, you would think Best Buy would stay away from the idea. But no, it's decided to cancel its flexible work plan, entitled ROWE (Results-Only Work Environment).

Best Buy is requiring all of its corporate employees to work from its headquarters in Richfield, Minnesota. That means that many workers will have to relocate, and many others will have to start commuting. But not too many people will be affected seeing as Best Buy has laid off 400 of its corporate employees in its restructuring process. ROWE was designed so that employees could do their work wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted. Employees weren't evaluated on the number of hours they put in, but rather the quality of work they put in.

The company has no plans of ever bringing the ROWE program back, but Matt Furman, Best Buy's Chief Communications Officer/Senior VP of Public Affairs, stated, "On an individual basis, an employee and a manager will have the opportunity to work out an arrangement that's in everyone's interests. But for the most part, the goal is to have the employees in the office whenever possible."

Best Buy, like Yahoo, wants to bring its business back up and it feels that it needs everyone to be face to face with each other in order to fix the company's issues. However, this new structure change will (and most likely has) outrage many of its corporate employees who like being able to decide their own schedule. Creativity doesn't always strike at 9-5 in the office and being forced to stay in one place can actually be inhibiting.

ROWE released a statement saying, "In a Results-Only company or department, employees can do whatever they want whenever they want, as long as the work gets done. No more pointless meetings, racing to get in at 9:00 a.m., or begging for permission to watch your kid play soccer. You make the decisions about what you do and where you do it, every minute of every day."

[via Network World]