Catherine Rusoff
A quarter of U.S. companies will require their workers to come into the office more frequently next year, although this could cause some productive employees to leave.
This is in line with the new discoveries of ResumeBuilder.com, which surveyed 756 employers at companies with return-to-office policies in place since 2021. RTO mandates have been one of the most divisive issues in corporate America since the country emerged from the pandemic, with companies and employees often in conflict over policies.
Among companies that plan to require more days in the office, 86% cited productivity as the main reason for doing so. This was followed by the desire to improve company culture (71%), employee well-being (57%) and retention (55%).
However, the findings of at least one study on RTO mandates appear to contradict these reasons. Research from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business, found that RTO mandates have no impact on the financial performance of companies. It also found that RTO policies can cause a “significant decline” in employee satisfaction. This may explain why 80% of companies participating in Resume Builder’s survey said they lost talent as a result of their RTO policy.
“Unfortunately, I think many business leaders make assumptions about things like productivity, culture and employee well-being,” Julia Toothacre, resume and career strategist at Resume Builder, told the report. “Productivity is the result of clear expectations and good management. Culture is driven by people, not physical spaces, and employee well-being has more to do with how people are managed, their stress levels and the amount of flexibility they have.”
The survey also found that 45% of companies will not pressure employees to come into the office more frequently next year, opting to leave their current RTO policy as is. Another 21% said employees may come in less frequently in 2025.
Still, an overwhelming 93% of business leaders believe employees should be physically present in the office and therefore support RTO mandates. Most employers currently require employees to work in the office for a certain number of days, with 38% imposing a minimum of three days per week. Amazon, Apple and Starbucks are among the companies now requiring workers to show up three days a week.
However, as work-life balance becomes a greater priority for employees, Toothacre says companies can expect more strikes as a result of RTO mandates.
“People may have moved and are not willing to move again to maintain their position,” she said. “It is also possible that there are family responsibilities that require a flexible schedule or the need to be at home. Some people also like to work from home or remotely and don’t want to return to the office environment.”
ResumeBuilder.com drew its results from a survey conducted in May of business owners, human resources managers, supervisors, CEOs, senior managers and other key decision makers in companies. Respondents were over 25 years old, earned more than US$75,000 per year, and had more than a high school diploma.
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