Return to Office (RTO) mandates!
Is there a hotter topic right now? (Ok, maybe how crappy the new Snow White movie is.)
Now that we’re firmly past the peak of the Covid era, more organizations are pushing employees back into the office — whether by transitioning fully remote roles to hybrid, increasing the number of required in-office days, or mandating a full return to five days a week.
Most recently, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon made headlines by requiring hybrid employees to return to the office full-time, arguing that in-person interaction is critical for management and culture-building. And it’s not just JPMorgan — Amazon, UPS, Tesla, Boeing, and even the federal government (maybe as an effort to entice employees to quit?) have all issued RTO mandates.
The free-market nonprofit world isn’t immune, either. We’re also seeing RTO policies emerge in our sector.
So, what makes an RTO policy successful versus a complete disaster that causes employees to run for the hills? Based on direct feedback from professionals in our field, here are Talent Market’s DOs and DON’Ts for implementing an effective RTO policy.
- DO: Get Employee Feedback BEFORE Implementing a Policy
Management 101 teaches us that employees want to feel heard. So, before you run off and implement your new RTO policy, take the time to talk to your staff. Ask a lot of questions and do a lot of listening.Getting this feedback isn’t just a check-the-box exercise. Listening and learning from staff will help you better anticipate reactions — and will likely help you shape a better RTO policy. - DO: Explain the “Why”
Yes, return to work is all the rage now. But you’re probably not implementing it to be trendy. If you were, you could buy everyone on staff a Stanley tumbler and milk thistle supplements and be way cooler.So, why are you doing it? And why are you doing it now and not after the Covid cloud passed years ago?Employees will be much more likely to accept the policy if they know you’ve thought it through strategically and have clear objectives.
Do you believe the move will jumpstart collaboration? Are you hoping it will boost culture? Do you think it leads to better staff management? Team-building? Mentoring?
Be sure to connect your RTO policy to specific outcomes — not just “because leadership said so.” - DO: Make It As Flexible As Possible
First, some good news: not all employees hate returning to the office. In fact, some who shifted from fully remote to hybrid have found it to be the ideal balance. The hybrid schedule allows employees to enjoy office culture and spontaneous collaboration while still reaping the benefits of remote work — like increased productivity, reduced commuting stress, and more personal time (time that was previously spent in a car cursing at the rust-bucket that can’t merge or trying to read all 37 progressive bumper stickers on the rear of the Subaru Outback before the light turns green).Flexibility in your RTO plan might include:- Letting employees choose some/all of the days they are in the office
- Allowing for flexible hours during in-office days
- Requiring attendance at in-person events instead of specific days (e.g., staff meetings, strategic planning, key events, etc.)
- Letting teams and departments set their own policies
- DON’T: Ignore the Reality of Decreased Productivity in the Office
Let’s be honest: it’s easier to bend your co-worker’s ear for an hour about the hot date you had last night if said co-worker is 15 feet down the hall and not 15 miles across town. And your RTO policy is about to lead to a significant increase in “date-a-dumping”. (It’s like data-dumping, only way more lascivious!)One hybrid employee told us she still enjoys her time in the office — but her productivity nosedives if she’s there more than two days a week. Instead of uninterrupted focus time for writing and deep thinking, she’s frequently interrupted by colleagues dropping in for casual chats. Add in a multi-hour daily commute, and her actual working hours are significantly reduced.Another employee (whose job involves lots of phone work) was required to return to the office on specific days. She liked seeing her colleagues — but the open office layout meant that if she didn’t snag one of the two private offices, she was forced to make calls from the supply closet. Yikes.
Bottom line: expect and be prepared to manage a productivity dip post-RTO.
(Exceptions: For employees who struggle to stay focused when working at home and end up perfecting that mushroom frittata recipe while binging on The View, RTO may well increase productivity.)
- DO: Consider Commute Costs
There are undoubtedly benefits to being in-office with colleagues. But, unless your staff lives within walking distance of the office, they will incur commuting costs of some kind.Consider offering perks to offset those costs:
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- Transit reimbursements
- Parking reimbursement
- Flexible hours
- Gas cards
- Carpooling coordination/incentives
Ok, we’re out of time for this month. But tune in next month when we share the remaining DOs and DON’Ts of RTO mandates!
(And if you have any RTO suggestions, drop us a line!)