Daniel’s Idea

Until last year, everybody at Daniel’s company worked from home. Then the managers said that everyone had to be in the office every day. Daniel worked better in a quiet place, and he was not happy. He thought the company should ask people what they preferred.

On the first day, he remembered his laptop, but he forgot to book a desk. He tried working in the cafeteria, but it was too noisy. Then he tried headphones, but they only gave him a headache. After two weeks, he began working in the library on his free days.

The company asked everyone some questions. Many people said that they worked better at home, although the managers said that the numbers did not tell the whole story. Meanwhile, the director suggested that everyone should come in on Tuesdays so that teams could meet.

Daniel had an idea. “Each team can choose its own office days,” he said. “People can come to the office on two days for important meetings and work at home on the other days. We can also be flexible when someone needs to look after a child.” The managers wanted fixed rules, but the director finally agreed to a three-month trial.

The results were good, so the company decided to keep the plan. Daniel no longer worked from the library. “I was afraid to speak because I thought nobody wanted to listen,” he thought. “Next time, I will share my idea sooner.”