Maybe Don’t Ask Your Staff to Return to In-Office Work (You’ll See Why)

Do you remember a couple of years back when remote work went from being a privilege to the norm? It’s been a while since then, but many businesses have adopted hybrid or full remote operations, and as such, they are able to retain a semblance of normalcy even without the return of in-office work.

Some businesses have managed to get back to the state they were in prior to the pandemic, but there is a reason why a lot of businesses are not pushing the issue. Let’s go over some of them, and why forcing the issue with your employees is not necessarily a good idea.

Some Corporate Offices Have Asked Employees to Return to the Office

Look, no one can deny that the pandemic was a bad situation, and it was certainly not the best way to instigate large-scale remote work. However, many employees found that it suited them just fine and that they were able to do their full jobs without the lengthy commute. In fact, some employees found they were even more productive than they were in the office, despite the many distractions and challenges that remote work supposedly brings with it.

It makes sense that the people who really thrived with remote work would get upset at a mandate to return to the office.

Many companies decided to push toward the end of their corporate remote work policies in 2023, including major names like Activision Blizzard, Amazon, Dell, Disney, General Motors, Google, IBM, Meta, Starbucks, Ubisoft, United Parcel Service, and Walmart. Back in 2022, Apple, Capital One, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Salesforce, Tesla, Twitter, and Uber took measures to scale back their remote work policies as well.

Some, but not all of these companies, were successful in their attempts, but one thing is for sure: employees are not giving up their remote work privileges quietly.

There Has Been a Push and Pull with Remote Work for Years

Just a couple short years ago, remote work was the exception rather than the norm. It took a massive global health catastrophe to shake things up. If nothing else, this major shift toward remote operations proved that the common conceptions surrounding remote work were simply false.

Workers thrived due to the change, adopting new pets, spending time with their families, and enjoying the flexibility that comes from such a working agreement. That said, things are starting to move back in the direction of how they were before. Even with businesses pushing for less remote work, employees are prioritizing it more and more, and they see it as something that they want with their jobs.

Simply Put, Remote Work Outweighs the Benefits of Forcing a Return to In-House Operations

Remote work has been quite beneficial to workers, and businesses attempting too hard to be rigid with their stance on the policies isn’t likely to end well for them because of the potential for turnover and other cost-inflating issues. Instead, we encourage businesses to lean into this and establish hybrid options, using technology to facilitate it. Directive can help you in this effort. To learn more, call us at 607.433.2200.