RTO Mandates Have Been a Disaster

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RTO Mandates Have Been a Disaster

Despite their growing popularity, new research shows that return-to-office mandates have been an unmitigated disaster.

As remote work became the new norm during the pandemic, companies large and small committed to remote work as a permanent solution. Fast-forward to the present and more and more companies are going back on their word and requiring employees to come back to the office. Many companies cited improved productivity, company culture, and an economic downturn as reasons for the RTO mandates.

First spotted by Fortune, a trio of recent studies is throwing cold water on companies’ reasons for mandating a return to the office, showing that such mandates have been disastrous.

According to Unispace’s “Returning for Good” report, some 42% of companies experienced higher attrition as a result of RTO mandates than they expected. What’s more, a whopping 29% are struggling to recruit new employees because of their RTO policies. As Fortune points out, companies were clearly ready and willing to lose employees over RTO mandates, but the volume of attrition has been far worse than anticipated.

While many companies are still providing flexible work options, giving people the freedom to work from home two or three days a week, many employees now view flexible work as the line in the sand. A report by Greenhouse found that 76% will leave their job if companies eliminate flexible work altogether.

Interestingly, the three studies back up a pair of studies — one by Microsoft — showing that remote employees work an average of 10% more and are 13% more productive.

Similarly, in mid-2022, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff famously said that office mandates “are never going to work.” It’s unlikely, however, that even Benioff could have predicted just how disastrous such mandates would be.

RTO Mandates Have Been a Disaster
Matt Milano

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