Coronavirus hits technology’s non-stop working culture

the coronavirus The pandemic has led the world to a massive experiment working from home. For some companies, self-quarantining for the public good has meant finding new ways to collaborate while browsing irregular Internet connections, video conference label, new applications and even new security issues. It’s a no-brainer for Silicon Valley, where businesses create applications and technologies to help power the services used by hundreds of millions of people every day.

But with schools and daycare centers closed across the country, tech companies, from Apple to Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, and Uber, face a more challenging test: family. Even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged in a March conference call with the press that caring for his two daughters at home with his wife, pediatrician Priscilla, is “a big change.”

The 24-hour uninterrupted work culture that led many technology companies to hiring high-end chefs For free food cafes, offer on-site auto oil changes, and in some cases, free dry cleaning faces the realities of child care and other family care in the home quarantine. The unspoken agreement that all of those benefits came in exchange for long and exhausting hours of work is crumbling at home.

Daycares and schools across the country have closed, while nursing homes are sending some residents to live with their families. All of this requires more of working parents, who now have to divide their attention between work, home schooling, childcare and family needs throughout the day.

Zoom said it’s a count 700% increase in evening meetings Monday through Friday on its platform since February, and a 2,000% increase in meetings over the weekend. While users have flocked to the service and Zoom’s social calls are now du jour, the numbers could also hint that an overburdened workforce pushes after-hours meetings when kids have gone to bed.

“The notion of the culture of overwork in Silicon Valley happens because innovation is really difficult,” said Silicon Valley futurist Paul Saffo, an assistant professor at Stanford University. “But now that the climate has changed, we have a whole new set of problems.”

For decades, Silicon Valley sold itself as a workers’ utopia. The promise that if you work hard, you will succeed – with great wages, employee benefits, and a reward for the stock purchase option that could make you a millionaire – is the driving force behind the ever-connected work culture. But for families stranded at home, without having to rely on caregiver backups, many employees have to choose between caring for loved ones and doing their daily work. In California, home to Apple, Airbnb, Facebook, Google, HP, LinkedIn, Twitter, Uber, and an endless list of startups, most schools won’t reopen until the fall. Meanwhile, nursing homes have been among the places hardest hit by the new coronavirus, forcing some residents to move in with family members.

While tech companies are known for their generous leave policies, they offer much more than the 12 weeks of unpaid medical and family leave with labor protection required by US law. In the US, some Silicon Valley parents say the pressure has escalated since they were trapped at home, and not just from their bosses. A parent who worked on LinkedIn, writing last month on the anonymous employee messaging app Blind, said that while his manager was compassionate about handling work and children, “I am afraid of losing my job if I reduce my work hours.”

Most of the co-workers who responded were supportive and some shared similar feelings. But others told the author to “stop whining like a baby with the right” and that “having children is not an excuse to work less.”

LinkedIn, known in Silicon Valley for its employee-centric work culture, said it does not tolerate retaliation against anyone for taking advantage of its benefits or raising concerns. It also offers employees a way to anonymously report any issues.

The social media company also offers an additional 12 weeks of paid emergency leave to help its 16,000 employees manage during the crisis (Microsoft, who bought LinkedIn in 2016 for $ 26.2 billion, has made the same offer to its 151,000 workers).

“Many of our employees have to take on additional responsibilities at home with children outside of school or parents who need care, and we are supporting them,” said Kenly Walker, a LinkedIn spokeswoman.

The Apple and Uber employees who spoke to me also said they felt overworked without much scope to care for the children. And they are not alone. More than half of the 6,163 working parents surveyed by Blind earlier this month said they felt their work was not being compared to that of their colleagues during the crisis. As a result, 61% of them, including Google and Facebook employees, said they spend at least three additional hours each day to complete their work.

“For people who have a family, you feel like you have to operate as if you didn’t,” he said. Carolina Milanesi, analyst at Creative Strategies. She has faced many of these struggles first hand, share online about navigating life in the tech world while homeschooling her daughter. This crisis is likely to change the way we all prioritize life and family, he said. It can also change the culture in companies that have historically bristled at remote work, like Google, Apple, and Facebook.

“I hope this later helps us to be more flexible,” Milanesi said. “I hope it humanizes workers more.”

More flexible

Some companies are already reconsidering how they treat staff with families. On April 16, Google rolled out a special paid family leave plan during the crisis, granting up to 14 weeks of paid time off (or 28 weeks of part time off) to help its more than 103,000 employees care for loved ones. A company spokesperson said nearly 1,000 employees signed an internal letter thanking Google for helping them juggle family and work responsibilities.

Facebook followed a similar pattern for its approximately 45,000 employees, and announced in March that it will provide up to four weeks of paid vacation while schools are closed. He also encouraged managers to offer their staff flexible working hours or even extra time off to help manage family life in the midst of the crisis.

This is a new approach for Facebook, said Brynn Harrington, the company’s vice president of people growth. The social network recognizes that “you need to be in your life,” he said. “It is no longer ‘I want to get to my son’s school concert.'” It’s ‘I need a four-hour block to take care of my kids.’ “

As the San Francisco Bay Area ordered residents to shelter-in-place beginning March 20, the Uber administrative team sent notes to managers and a group of parental resource staff who enrolled them to encourage them to find a schedule that works for them.

“Lead with empathy while helping to balance work and home needs, and be flexible where you can if you need to reschedule, disconnect at certain times, or need variable time off,” Andrew Macdonald, Senior Vice President, Uber Attractions and Global Platforms, He wrote in an email from March 17 to managers.

Meanwhile, Apple said it has increased communications with managers and employees since the outbreak began. Its 137,000 employees have been encouraged to ask for help or accommodation, but managers have also been asked to proactively help employees. That means offering flexibility, whether it’s for parents who work short hours or for caregivers who have to take time off to care for older family members.

“No deadline is too important and no priority is more urgent than caring for our loved ones. Our goal is to be flexible, collaborative, and accommodating to all the parents and caregivers on our teams,” said Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet. “This is a difficult time for everyone, especially parents, and we want to do everything we can to support every member of our Apple family.”

Work-life balance law

This is not just a Silicon Valley problem. Most employers seem to recognize that their workers are “experiencing unique challenges to their situation and that this changing situation requires more flexibility,” said Amelia Green-Vamos, career trends expert at Glassdoor.

Still, 28% of American adults from a variety of industries said their employer “has done nothing in response to concerns about the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak,” according to a survey by The Harris Poll for Glassdoor. And only 16% of respondents said companies offered additional paid or unpaid sick leave.

Surveys by email client maker Superhuman found that the maximum email time has been increased by one hour at 9am. People are also working later. Surfshark, a maker of privacy apps, found spikes in usage between midnight and 3 a.m. that did not exist before the crisis.

“While it is still too early to say what the long-term effect will be, this new way of working is an interesting test for Silicon Valley,” added Green-Vamos.

“For people who have a family, you feel like you have to operate like you don’t have it.”

Carolina Milanesi, analyst at Creative Strategies

Once the pandemic subsides and we Let’s go back to the new normal that we will live, the analysts and companies I spoke with say that their work environments will be different.

Texas-based tech giant Dell estimates that more than half of its 134,000 employees will work remotely. To lay the groundwork, the computer maker increased communication from the executive team to staff.

That includes regularly telling coworkers on conference calls when they also take care of their children or family. This makes them feel more comfortable with this new balance between life and work. It also means that a rebellious child or pet that appears in the background is not jarring.

“The job will never be the way it was,” said Jennifer Davis, senior vice president of global communications for Dell. “We need to announce the need for flexibility and that it is okay to have a home and work life.”

CNET’s Richard Nieva and Queenie Wong contributed to this report.