Slack All-In on Remote Work, Tells Execs to Limit In-Office Time

Slack is going all-in on remote work, wanting its executives to lead by example by limiting the amount of time they spend in the office.

Few companies have benefited from the global pandemic, and ensuing shift to remote work, as Slack. The company’s corporate messaging platform quickly became a staple of teams looking to stay connected and productive, despite the physical distance.

After Salesforce purchased Slack, the companies began to emphasize a “digital-first” approach. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff recently saidemployees “can do their job at home, they can be successful from anywhere,” and said Salesforce was helping customers achieve that.

In an effort to make sure its executives lead by example, Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield told CNN that executives are being encouraged to spend no more than three days a week in the office.

Executives will lead by example. There won’t be any dedicated executive floors in any of our offices, and executives will focus their office time on team events and customer interaction. Our guidance to leaders is to spend fewer than three days per week in the office.

Butterfield framed the policy as part of a goal to build a better workplace.

This is no time for retreat to the comfort of well-worn habits, or meager attempts to accommodate a restive workforce. This is a time for business leaders to build a better workplace and world.

Many companies have made remote and hybrid work a permanent policy, after the pandemic demonstrated that employees can be productive while working remotely. Few, however, have gone as far as Slack in encouraging the adoption of the new paradigm.

Butterfield acknowledged there would be challenges along the way, but expressed confidence it would pay off.

Embracing this digital-first shift won’t happen overnight. But if we’re flexible while we learn, experiment and evolve, we’ll make work simpler, more pleasant and more productive.