Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world ground to a halt and many office-based roles became hybrid or fully remote to abide by the regulations and laws in place at the time. Post-pandemic, many of these roles remained flexible with their work-from-home policies and have since become the new norm. However, a growing number of companies are now re-evaluating those flexible arrangements and exploring the idea of asking workers to return to the office.
Major employers, such as Amazon, JP Morgan, and Google, have already mandated in-office policies requiring employees to be physically present three to four days a week, whilst some companies are even opting for a full five-day return.
According to KPMG’s 2023 CEO Outlook review, 63% of UK CEOs expect a full return to office-based working by 2026, signaling a clear movement towards traditional in-person working models. In the same survey, 83% of UK leaders said they would consider tying financial rewards and promotions to workers who are present in the office more regularly, in an attempt to take work offline by appealing to those who are eager to climb the career ladder.
However, CEOs do acknowledge that this isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach and what works for one company won’t necessarily work for another. While some companies are eager to bring back pre-pandemic routines, others understand the value that flexibility and work-from-home initiatives offer, as it is often a key deciding factor when candidates apply for roles. So, the solution may not be to eradicate these schemes altogether.
Many CEOs and upper management argue that there are many benefits to being in the office besides the overall productivity level. There are cultural and developmental benefits to being surrounded by your colleagues as it can promote creativity and collaboration, boost morale and increase overall success. Throughout many parts of the day, employees will converse through spontaneous interactions, building relationships and strengthening company culture. Office-based work often offers significant support to career growth, particularly for junior and mid-level staff who benefit from the face-to-face interactions that bring about problem solving opportunities and hands-on learning that wouldn’t happen as easily through an online platform.
To bridge the gap between remote working and full presence in the office, some businesses are leaning towards hybrid models with a 3:2 or 4:1 ratio. It allows staff to still enjoy the flexibility and independence of working from home with some structure and connection in place. Companies are also realising they have to make their in-office
mandates worthwhile for workers to prevent staff dissatisfaction. Many companies are elevating their office spaces with better tech, creative environments, and collaboration spaces – things typically unavailable when working from home. Offering other incentives, like team building events or exclusive development opportunities, have been shown to increase office attendance, alongside regular employee feedback so the organisation can ensure policies evolve with workforce needs.
Interestingly, it is Gen Z who are most eager to return to the office. According to a JLL study reported by the Financial Times, Gen Z employees want to go into the office 3.1 days a week compared to other generations who average between 2.5 to 2.7 days a week. Reasons for this include Gen Z being at an earlier stage of their career wanting in-person mentorship, social interactions, swifter problem-solving solutions and learning opportunities with more experienced colleagues to support progression. This is in comparison to older generations such as Baby Boomers who on average prefer remote working. Usually, Boomers have already established healthy networks and are often faced with more caregiving responsibilities which are easier taken care of from home.
The future of work isn’t necessarily about choosing between remote or office work but establishing a healthy medium that is productive for both company and employee. There is a clear push from companies for employees to be more present in the office, but organisations must map their strategies carefully and make returning to the office more appealing if they want to draw employees back and reduce negative feedback about proposed return-to-office mandates.
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