Companies are pushing a return to office, but workers aren’t so keen
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Major corporations across the US economy are increasingly ordering their employees to return to the office more often. But so far, workers have largely resisted the pressure to upgrade from pajama chic to business casual.
State of play: Last Wednesday, the New York Times ordered opinion and newsroom staffers to come into the office at least 4 days/week by November (up from three), according to a new Wall Street Journal report.
And the organization isn’t alone:
- Both Paramount and NBCUniversal have recently told staffers to commit to 4-5 days/week in the office, or take a buyout.
- Microsoft told most Pacific Northwest employees to increase their in-office attendance to at least three days/week starting in February
- Amazon, Dell, and JPMorgan have also increased office-attendance requirements this year.
Overall, the number of days required in office by US companies has increased 12% since the start of 2024, per data from Flex Index.
But…The amount of days employees have actually spent working in the office has increased by just 1% over the same period, according to a monthly federal survey of 10,000 Americans on the topic.
Driving the trend
Analysts say a sizable portion of managers tasked with bringing workers back into the office…aren’t enforcing those requirements very harshly.
They cite several reasons for this lax enforcement, including a desire to keep workers happy, to shield top performers so they’re less likely to leave, and the fact that many managers would prefer not to be in the office themselves.
This also applies on a company-wide scale, with many businesses forgoing the effort of closely tracking badge swipes, Wi-Fi connections, time-off schedules, and other attempts to catch workers who violate back-to-office policies.
Big picture: While return-to-office ultimatums at large companies get outsized attention, data shows most businesses have settled into a routine of allowing at least some remote work. Americans currently spend ~75% of their working time at the office and ~25% at home, according to new federal data.
📊 Flash poll: In your opinion, what’s the ideal amount of time the average US worker should be required to spend at the office in jobs where WFH is doable?
- 0 or 1 day/week (4 or 5 days/week WFH)
- 2 days/week
- 3 days/week
- 4 days/week
- Full-time at the office
See a 360° view of what pundits are saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that there’s growing evidence that remote and hybrid arrangements result in lower worker performance, with some of the problems—like the difficulties new hires face in learning the ropes and becoming productive—taking years to show up post-pandemic.
- Others contend that while some workers may be more productive at home, there’s a lot of value to having a consistent workplace, which adds spice and experience to life that you simply can’t find alone in the isolating confines of a studio apartment.
- “Hybrid Still Isn’t Working” –Peter Cappelli and Ranya Nehmeh, Harvard Business Review
- “The uncertain limits of remote and hybrid work” –Baltimore Sun Editorial Board
- “Gov. Tim Walz's return-to-work order makes good sense” –Post Bulletin Editorial Board
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that politicians on both sides—including President Trump and CA Gov. Newsom—are wrong to order gov’t workers back to the office without using specific rationale, such as data on worker productivity.
- Others contend that the shift from employers to having workers back in the office more is not only ungrounded in research, but also damaging, particularly for people with disabilities and for caregivers.
- “Remote work can deliver savings for taxpayers” –Southern California News Group Editorial Board
- “Remote Work Is Increasingly a Right of the Rich” –Rachel Greenley, NY Times
- “Why return-to-office cannot be one-size-fits-all” –Gleb Tsipursky, The Hill
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