In January, only 4% of CEOs said returning to the office was a top priority. They’re “throwing up their hands,” Diana Scott of The Conference Board said at the time, and focusing instead on recruiting top talent.
Now they’re hitting with their fists. Nearly eight in 10 CEOs agree with the mandate to bring employees back to the office, and some top leaders are willing to let you go if you don’t comply.
This enormous change in suits has provoked a courageous discussion. Nearly 3,000 of you responded to my recent column on the escalating pressure on workers to return to the office, sharing your own workplace arrangements and how you see this battle playing out.
The following is an edited sample of some of your comments and my thoughts on them. Feel free to share your insights in the comments section at the end to keep the conversation going.
About 75% of my time working in an office looked busy. That’s not even counting all the pointless meetings, emails, and memos that management forced me to respond to so they could justify their existence. If there is no employee on site for the job, having them on site is a waste of time and resources.
And one more:
If a cube farm requires you to sit in front of a computer all day, there’s no reason why you can’t do this at home. The savings on transportation costs and the hassle of public transportation are exceptional benefits.
KH: I completely agree. According to the US Census Bureau, the average one-way trip for Americans is 26 minutes. But I know many people who battle traffic jams both ways, multiplying that time. The out-of-pocket costs of driving can easily run into the thousands when you factor in car maintenance, gas, and parking. And in many cities, public transportation fares have increased.
I can sit at a desk in the office for eight hours and look productive. It’s not that difficult. Productivity is not location-based, but based on energy and involvement.
The main reason CEOs want to return to work is because they have leased real estate that they need to maintain. The other reason is distrust. If a CEO can’t foster a culture that can work remotely, anywhere, he’s not a good CEO.
Another reader threw in these two cents:
You can’t turn back the clock to the 20th century of work. Personally, I learn better by interacting with other people in person. But what I’ve also learned is that when I have more freedom in my day, I can be more productive in a shorter amount of time and still have my own personal time. Long commutes no longer make sense for most people.
To the point:
Going back to the office literally means a pay cut. It’s really archaic and the world just moved on.
KH: Vacant offices are not attractive for a company that is still paying rent. There’s no doubt that this is an incentive to get people back and mingling. A study by real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield showed that about a fifth of American office space was vacant at the end of last year.
However, from my perspective, the element of trust between managers and remote workers goes to the heart of it. No one wants to be micromanaged, and building that trust so your boss knows he or she can count on you isn’t always easy, especially if you’ve been virtual from day one.
Remote work can help you take ownership of your work in a way that you don’t when you’re expected to report in and just sit with your butt on a chair. I understand the impact that control over where and when you work can have on what you produce. If you take back control of your work life and succeed, “it’s sick,” as my niece would say, which means crazy cool.
Working in a loud, open newsroom drove me crazy. I felt watched and under glass, and I allowed that resentment to fester. However, some managers don’t always know how to manage people who are not in the office. But it’s not personal; they are not trained for it.
To be fair, the big companies’ argument that working in an office promotes more teamwork and innovation does have some validity. But does that have to be five days a week?
Not everyone is ready to fight back. A significant portion of reader responses believed that what the boss says is true.
If they lose their salary, their attitude will change. Employers, NOT EMPLOYEES, set the policy. If one does not agree, one can look for a job elsewhere.
And this:
Working from home requires personal discipline. There are many distractions that can affect your work. That said, some people do very well in that environment. Unfortunately, that’s not universal and probably the main reason CEOs are now clamoring for a return to the office.
Add this to the mix:
More power for companies that mandate a return to work. Get back to work. As far as I’m concerned, people who don’t want to show up for work so they can play on their phone all day deserve to be replaced by AI. If you are the boss, you can decide on the work-from-home policy.
KH: My sister calls this ‘different flavors of ice cream’. We all have different priorities and views.
I found these comments about the downstream effects of office mandates thought-provoking.
The best employees get remote jobs. The companies that require in-person work will not only have to pay for the office space – an expense that the remote companies do not have – but will also have to make do with the leftovers, and/or pay much more than the remote companies. .
Do you have a question about pension? Personal finance? Something career related? Click here to send Kerry Hannon a message.
More fuel to the fire here:
Something that I think will change the dynamics is once the RTO companies realize that their share prices and margins have been reduced because they are limiting their talent pool and have to pay local wages. For example, if you have an office in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York or another major city and it is 100% office, you will have to pay higher wages and limit the number of people who want to work there. rather than being able to recruit someone who lives in a cheaper location. Once margins are squeezed and stock prices are hit, they will think again.
KH: The reality is that it is difficult for companies to replace highly qualified workers. “Our new research shows that highly skilled workers are leaving companies after RTO mandates,” Mark Ma, co-author of a new report and professor of business administration at the University of Pittsburgh, told Yahoo Finance. “Whether the economy is good or bad, highly skilled workers always have opportunities.”
Kerry Hannon is a senior columnist at Yahoo Finance. She is a career and retirement strategist and author of fourteen books, including ‘In control at 50+: how to succeed in the new world of work” and “Never too old to get rich.” Follow her further Blue sky.
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