Larger companies such as Amazon and Meta are insisting their employees return to the office 3 days a week and Zoom have dictated a minimum of 2 days in the office. Other firms such as Osborne Clark are requesting 3 days in the office if employees wish to qualify for a performance bonus.
Many employers fully expected their employees to return to the office once the lockdown measures were lifted as flexible and hybrid working patterns were only implemented to combat the restrictions imposed during the pandemic. Working from home was often the only way in which businesses could keep afloat during a time of strict restrictions.
The Popularity of Homeworking
Employees are now unwilling to revert back to their pre-pandemic working patterns, with many opting for a hybrid solution and others not returning to the office at all. Companies tried to coax their workforce back into the office once restrictions were lifted but amidst the great resignation and a general labour shortage, hybrid working provided employers a way to retain existing staff and recruit new talent from a much wider pool.
Therefore, working from home in the long term has proved to be more popular than employers initially thought. However, amongst a cost-of-living crisis, recruitment levels are starting to settle down and employers are once again initiating back to the office policies. CEO’s are taking the opportunity to get workers back to the office by insisting on mandatory and minimum number of days in the office. Some companies are even threatening disciplinary action to ensure uptake is high.
Nevertheless, employees are pushing back. Many cannot see the benefits of returning to the office when they are hitting targets and the company is performing well. Further, the benefits of working from home such as a better work life balance and reduced commuting costs, do not outweigh the perks of returning to the office.
Why do companies want employees back in the office?
Managers want to bring back workplace collaboration and in-person creativity through their Back to the Office policies. Mentoring and training can also be restrictive if conducted online especially in large groups. Not all participants are able to contribute equally, often due to connection issues or internet problems which can all contribute to an incoherent experience. In-person interaction can be more efficient when colleagues are only situated down the corridor rather than contacting them by email or having to leave a voicemail.
In a time of economic uncertainty, employers are starting to pounce on the opportunity to encourage workers back into the office. Time will tell how successful this will be. Apple have already relaxed their return to the office policy due to employee feedback and allowed workers to choose their 3rd day in the office. Goldman Sachs mandated full time office hours back in February 2022 but by January 2023, attendance was 10-15% lower than pre-pandemic levels.
The larger firms have started to take steps to encourage employees back to the office but there is an apparent disconnect between managers expectations and employees demands.
Why are employees resisting back to the office policies?
Working from home habits have stuck. The benefits of a better work/life balance, reduced travelling costs and eliminating the commute time, has proved to employees how much more productive they can be when working from home. Employees have had a few years to acclimatise to the benefits of working from home and are resisting their employers attempts to insist on a partial or full return to the office.
A recent survey of 2,000 adults by Censuswide reported Working from Home was ranked the top perk with 51% willing to sacrifice other benefits to maintain this flexibility.
How can employers encourage a successful back to the office policy?
Companies have tried to entice their workers back into the office with perks such as a pool table or bring your dog to work day but in reality, it will be the businesses that effectively communicate and listen to their employees needs by offering a flexible return to work, who will see the most benefit.
Employees need to see a reason for returning as merely turning up, to perform the same team calls but in a different location will not entice them back to the office. This will only be achieved with a mass return as ad hoc office attendance, especially in smaller companies will not achieve the in-person and communal benefits employers are trying to achieve.
Some companies have invested in their communal spaces such as staff rooms and break rooms along with small meeting rooms, to improve the comfort and desirability of the office. Noise levels also need to be considered when encouraging employees back not the office. Some have got used to a quiet home space and the noisy open plan office can be a distraction.
Initiating a 2-way conversation with your workforce to establish their needs and desires will ensure implementation is more successful. Maintaining a flexible approach will allow those who want to work from home adapt a more hybrid working pattern.
Despite the return to the office movement, working from home looks as if it is here to stay - even if in a hybrid capacity. It is unlikely we will ever go back to the pre-pandemic days of full-time office work as the benefits of working from home have established workforce habits that employees are currently unwilling to relinquish.
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