Return-to-office mandates have become a recurring theme in news headlines in recent months. Today, many companies in North America are requiring employees to return to the office for 3–5 days per week. But are these organizations measuring productivity in terms of presence or outcomes?
Rising employee pushback is challenging this trend, exposing major downsides of RTO mandates. Organizations that implement rigid RTO policies risk alienating talented people and driving them to look for work elsewhere.
With strong feelings on both sides of the issue, this is a critical problem for HR and organizational leadership to resolve. By understanding the implications of RTO policies and their alternatives, leaders can make choices that genuinely improve productivity and achievement of team goals. In this article, we’ll explore the reasoning behind RTO policies, and how companies can address these concerns without alienating their talent.
Key Takeaways
- Many companies are requiring employees to return to the office 3–5 days per week, but this trend is facing increasing employee resistance.
- Popular reasons for companies mandating a return to the office are: collaboration and innovation to spark creativity and engagement; culture and belonging to strengthen team cohesion; real estate and investment costs to maximize office utilization; and perceived productivity gains to monitor work, though these reasons often prioritize presence over actual results.
- Employees’ top 3 concerns regarding RTO mandates include loss of flexibility and autonomy, increased commuting time and costs, and challenges to work-life balance, especially for caregivers and those with health needs.
- Enforcing rigid RTO mandates can lead to disengagement, talent loss, presenteeism, lower inclusivity, and damage to employer brand—all without proven financial or productivity gains.
- Here are 5 recommendations to address organizational concerns without RTO mandates: by redefining productivity metrics to focus on outcomes; encouraging intentional collaboration days; leveraging data to track engagement; training managers to lead remotely; and offering flexible hybrid options.
- Adopting hybrid or remote work models can enhance collaboration, broaden the talent pool, and improve retention by increasing employee satisfaction.
- Utilizing performance management software, such as Primalogik’s goal-tracking tools, allows organizations to measure productivity based on results rather than presence, supporting flexible work arrangements.
Table of Contents
1. Top 4 Reasons Companies Are Mandating a Return to the Office
2. Top 3 Employee Concerns about Return-to-Office Mandates
3. Why Enforcing Return-to-Office Mandates Can Backfire
4. 5 Ways to Address Organizational Concerns Without RTO Mandates
5. The HR Case for Hybrid or Remote Models
6. Primalogik’s Goal Management Software Tracks Productivity, Not Just Presence
7. FAQs
Top 4 Reasons Companies Are Mandating a Return to the Office
The percentage of U.S. employees required to regularly work in the office soared to 75% in late 2024, reports the Pew Research Center. And the number of employees working in-office at least four days a week has risen to 68% in 2024. Around 40% of employees must work in the office 5 days per week in 2025.
According to the Flexible Work Models 2024 Pulse Survey by WTW, almost two-thirds of companies are mandating that employees work a minimum number of days in the office. But the same survey notes that 53% of employees say they’d look for a new job if their company required them to return to the office full time.
Nonetheless, according to the MIT Sloan Management Review, major companies like Amazon, Google, IBM, JPMorganChase, Boeing, and UPS have implemented RTO mandates. Let’s examine the main reasons driving the “return to office” trend.
1. Collaboration and Innovation
In-person interactions can spark creativity. Eliminating in-person work can lead some teams to become more siloed and reduce real-time collaboration. Employers may also believe that returning to the office will increase engagement.
2. Culture and Belonging
Leadership may also associate stronger team cohesion with in-person work. They believe better relationships and camaraderie will form on in-person teams, leading to improved team performance.
3. Real Estate and Investment Costs
When organizations have an existing office space, they feel pressure to fully utilize it. Otherwise, they believe they’re wasting money.
4. Perceived Productivity Gains
Often, managers conflate presence with productivity. When workers are at their desks, managers can physically monitor what they’re doing. But attendance doesn’t equate to accountability for results.
While these concerns are all valid, they tend to rely on inaccurate measures of productivity. Rather than focusing on results, they center on visibility. And they idealize the culture of an in-person workplace, which often faces its own challenges. Creating a positive workplace culture requires intentional effort in any context—remote, hybrid, or in-person.
Top 3 Employee Concerns about Return-to-Office Mandates
Return-to-office mandates have sparked a variety of concerns among employees. These top three come up over and over again:
Concern #1: Loss of Flexibility and Autonomy
Employees fear having reduced control over their work schedules. They may also worry about being micromanaged, not wanting their boss to be looking over their shoulder all day.
Concern #2: Commuting Time and Costs
Commuting to work can drain employees’ time, money, and energy. It can easily add an hour or more onto the workday.
Concern #3: Decreased Work-Life Balance
Returning to the office can prove more difficult for parents, caregivers, and people with certain health needs. They may worry about the expense of hiring an outside caregiver, for instance.
In terms of RTO mandates, many employees perceive a growing disconnect between leadership’s assumptions and what actually works best for them. When considering a return to work, companies should take these concerns seriously.
Why Enforcing Return-to-Office Mandates Can Backfire
Because return-to-office mandates often conflict with employees’ preferences, they can trigger an array of problems, including:
- Disengagement and reduced morale. If employees feel that leaders are disregarding their needs and expectations, they’ll lose motivation and begin feeling resentful.
- Talent flight risk. Employees may seek another job with a remote-friendly company.
- Presenteeism. Attendance is a poor measure of productivity, as it doesn’t equate to meaningful work. Rigid RTO mandates can drive presenteeism—showing up but not striving to perform at one’s best.
- Lower inclusivity. People with disabilities may face extra hurdles to returning to the office, while their home environment is tailored to their needs. Caregivers may also face steep challenges, like more difficulty with juggling childcare.
- Damage to employer brand and recruitment efforts. A strict RTO policy can be a tough sell to new recruits, who seek the flexibility of a remote or hybrid schedule.
Evidence shows that RTO mandates don’t strengthen financial performance, MIT Sloan Management Review notes. In fact, the opposite is true.
The Society for Human Resource Management reports that employees whose companies have implemented RTO mandates report experiencing higher rates of incivility in the workplace. This costs U.S. employers over $2 billion per day through absenteeism and reduced productivity.
Clearly, forcing office attendance can create more problems than it solves. Instead of adopting a rigid RTO policy, leaders should consider more effective ways of addressing their concerns.
5 Ways to Address Organizational Concerns Without RTO Mandates
Instead of implementing strict policies, leaders should work to address the root of their concerns. Alternatives to RTO mandates can often address the issues they’re facing more effectively, while keeping morale high.
1. Redefine Productivity Metrics
Shift your focus from tracking hours worked to outcomes achieved. Taking a results-based approach to productivity will enhance motivation, too. A professional performance management software suite will help you leverage data for managing remote teams effectively and efficiently.
When you set clear goals and OKRs and assess performance using key performance indicators (KPIs), you can measure goal status on a weekly and daily basis. Instead of looking at whether employees are busy, you’ll observe whether they’re working efficiently on the right tasks.
2. Encourage Intentional Collaboration Days
Foster a strong culture on remote-first teams by holding 1–2 in-office days per week to boost team alignment. On geographically distributed teams, hold virtual collaborative sessions.
3. Use Data to Track Engagement and Performance
Leverage a range of data sources to track productivity and engagement. You can use 360 feedback, goal-tracking software, and employee surveys to gather a rich variety of data to inform talent management.
4. Train Managers to Lead Remotely
Managers of remote teams need to rely on providing coaching instead of directly observing what people are doing. Encourage them to hold regular check-ins with individuals and teams, taking time to get to know them and build trust.
5. Offer Flexible Hybrid Options
Balance organizational needs with employee choice. Ask workers about their preferred working hours and in-office days, being as accommodating as possible. There are many proven ways to successfully implement a hybrid workforce.
The HR Case for Hybrid or Remote Models
Adopting a hybrid work schedule will facilitate collaboration while prioritizing flexibility. Allowing for fully remote work options will broaden your talent pool and boost retention by increasing satisfaction.
To persuade leaders of the benefits of remote work, highlight clear productivity metrics. Using performance management software will help you make a data-driven case for remote or hybrid work.
Primalogik’s Goal Management Software Tracks Productivity, Not Just Presence
Presence does NOT equal performance. This holds true on both remote and in-person teams.
Instead of tracking time spent at a desk, Primalogik’s employee goal-tracking software shifts the focus to results achieved. It allows HR and leaders to strategically track productivity and outcomes through key initiatives:
Setting Clear, Outcome-Focused Goals
Primalogik’s goal-setting platform makes it easy to set measurable objectives for individuals and teams. You can also create benchmarks to track progress. Using our intuitive dashboard, you can easily refer back to these targets to ensure clarity of expectations.
Aligning Goals Across Teams
Primalogik’s software will also help you connect individual work to company priorities through strong goal alignment. You’ll easily see the relationship between higher-level, team-level, and individual-level goals, letting you help employees set more relevant objectives. And you’ll see at a glance how daily efforts support achievement of organizational goals.
Tracking Progress in Real Time
Using our dashboard and sophisticated analytics to track progress will foster transparency and highlight ways to strengthen performance. Employees, managers, and HR can all utilize these tools to support their efforts.
Measuring Performance Without Office Presence
Primalogik’s performance management software lets you clearly track productivity even if you’re fully remote. You’ll never need to worry about whether employees are remaining on task and focusing on the right priorities.
Supporting HR Advocacy for Flexible Work
Through data-driven insights, you’ll strengthen organizational decision-making and talent development. Plus, this data will help you make the case for flexible or remote work.
By shifting from visibility to value, you’ll allow your remote or hybrid team to thrive while maintaining accountability for results.
To learn more about how Primalogik’s goal-tracking software can strengthen your team’s productivity and engagement, book a demo today.
FAQs
Here, we share answers to common questions on RTO mandates.
How many days in the office are companies in North America mandating?
Most companies mandate 3–5 days in the office. Roughly 40% of employees must report to their workplace 5 days per week, writes Tracy Brower in Forbes. And 68% of employees must work in the office at least four days a week, reports McKinsey.
What are the business reasons for RTO mandates?
Leaders typically impose RTO mandates to increase productivity and team cohesion. However, this often relies on outdated assumptions of what boosts organizational effectiveness. Leaders with strong coaching skills can foster strong engagement and productivity on remote or hybrid teams.
What do employees think about return-to-office mandates?
Overall, employees prefer the flexibility of being able to work from home most of the time. However, they may appreciate having in-office days once or twice per week, for purposes of collaboration.
What’s the impact of RTO on productivity?
Research shows that RTO mandates don’t improve productivity—but they do increase intent to leave by 10%. These findings highlight potential trade-offs organizations should consider.
What are the downsides to RTO mandates?
RTO mandates can increase turnover by creating dissatisfaction. Hence, imposing rigid RTO mandates can negatively affect retention and engagement.
Is hybrid or remote work better?
Both hybrid and remote work options bring significant benefits. To determine which will work best for your team, survey your employees to learn their preferences. Factors like length of commute and needs for flexible hours may affect whether they favour a remote or hybrid schedule.
Are RTO mandates causing turnover or quiet quitting?
Yes, strict RTO mandates are causing disengagement and dissatisfaction, resulting in quiet quitting or employee departures. To resolve this issue, employers should ask workers about their preferences.
By surveying people about their needs, then designing schedules around them, you can boost employee satisfaction. In turn, by keeping employees happy and engaged, you’ll increase retention. In the process, using quality goal-tracking software like Primalogik will enhance team productivity and outcomes.