The return-to-office demands

Among the findings: 52% of employees say they are more productive when they work from home and 37% work more there than when they are in the office. At the same time, 39% of managers feel working in the office has “a positive impact on employees’ careers” compared to working at home. And 19%, i.e. one in five managers, say that salary is positively affected by office presence.

Employees have probably not managed to convey to their bosses the positive aspects of home work — for the employer. It’s great that your life puzzle is easier and you can take power walks and do laundry, but how does that help the company? It’s no wonder that whispering about sneaky vacations is taking off.

The pandemic seems to have faded from our collective consciousness, as if we are actively trying to forget the traumatic and transformative experience it was.

​Many of us expected the return to the workplace to feel positive, a signal that we were back to normal times. We can travel again for business. People can make deliveries without fear of illness, meet safely, and commute via public transportation without fear. We can meet directly with customers, have a team lunch, and attend trade shows.

A preference for convenience and flexibility can also motivate employees to resist return-to-office mandates. But working remotely comes with real costs: back-to-back video conferencing and blurred boundaries between work and home life, along with working in endless isolation, sacrificing social interaction, and missing out on mentoring. Remote work is not stress-free. It is not always convenient or flexible, let alone healthy.

I hope this was helpful. Feel free to leave any questions or comments below 😎