Essay #2 gives you an opportunity to practice the writing process (invention/arrangement/drafting/revision) for a thesis-driven, argumentative paper. We will also add to our store of critical reading and rhetorical strategies. Finally, we will take a closer look at organization, both at the global and paragraph level.
Required Materials:
Coleman, Candance. “The Pros and Cons Of A Remote Workforce: What’s Best For Your Company?
https://culturewise.com/blog/pros-cons-remote-workforce/
Cappelli, Peter. “Why the Office Isn’t Going Away
https://www.proquest.com/docview/2469602835/C2F0BA5A82DF458CPQ/66?accountid=38376
Chamberlain, Kevin H. “A Case Against Remote Work”
LogMein. “Why Remote Work Is Good for the Planet and Your Employees
https://www.goto.com/blog/why-remote-work-is-good-for-the-planet-and-your-employees
Nevogt, David. “Why Remote Work Beats the Office Every TimeLinks to an external site..”
https://blog.hubstaff.com/why-remote-work-is-better/
Topic:
On May 31st, 2022, Elon Musk shocked his employees and the world when he issued a memo canceling remote work for all, but an exceptional few, Tesla employees. He was direct: “Anyone who wishes to work remotely must be in the office for a minimum of 40 hours per week or depart Tesla.” When approached for confirmation of his intention later that day, he tweeted that employees who didn’t like the new policy “should pretend to work somewhere else.” Many business leaders and cultural critics (most notably Malcolm Gladwell) applauded Musk’s hardline approach to his company culture, but others — citing the proven benefits of remote work — believed the mogul was being far too rigid and backward-thinking in his approach. Still others countered his detractors, arguing that the drawbacks of remote work outweigh the benefits. Now, it’s time for you to analyze the situation and make your own argument. Do you think Musk is right? Or do you side with his critics?
Writing Task:
Write a 1500-1750-word, well-organized, thesis-driven essay taking a position (yes/no) in response to the prompt below. Include at least three of the readings above in support of your argument. (Note: you may include one of the readings as a counter-argument that you wish to handle rather than a positive support.)
Should businesses allow employees the option of working remotely whenever the nature of their work makes it possible?
