In January, a mere 4% of CEOs said return to office was a top priority. They’re “throwing their hands up,” The Conference Board’s Diana Scott said at the time, and instead focusing on recruiting top talent.
Now they’re pounding their fists. Nearly 8 in 10 CEOs are on board with the mandate to bring workers back to the office, and some high-profile leaders are willing to cut you loose if you don’t comply.
That massive sea change from the suits has provoked a plucky discussion. Nearly 3,000 of you commented on my recent column about the escalating pressure on workers to get back to the office, sharing your own workplace arrangements and how you see this struggle playing out.
The following is an edited sample of some of your comments and my take on them. Feel free to share your insights in the comments section at the end to keep the conversation going.
About 75% of my time when I worked in an office was looking busy. That’s not counting all of the pointless meetings, emails, and memos that management made me sit through and respond to so they could justify their existence. If the job doesn’t require an employee to be on site then having them on site is wasteful of time and resources.
And another:
If you are required to sit in front of a computer all day in a cube farm, there is no reason why you can’t do this at home. The savings in transportation costs and hassle of mass transit are exceptional perks.
KH: I couldn’t agree more. According to the US Census Bureau, the average one-way commute for Americans is 26 minutes. But I know plenty of folks who battle congestion each way, which multiplies that time. The out-of-pocket costs if you are driving can easily run into the thousands when you factor in car maintenance, gas, and parking. And public transportation fares have been on the rise in many cities.
I can sit at a desk for eight hours in an office and look productive. It’s not that hard. Productivity is not location based, it is energy and engagement based.
The prime reason CEOs want a return to work is because they rented real estate they need to keep full. The other reason is mistrust. If a CEO cannot foster a culture that can work remotely and anywhere, they are not a good CEO.
Another reader tossed in these two cents:
You can’t turn back the clock to the 20th century of work. I personally learn better by interacting with other people in person. But what I also learned is that when I have more freedom in my day I can be more productive in a shorter period of time and still have my own personal time. Long work travel commutes don’t make sense anymore really for most people.
To the point:
Going back to the office is literally taking a pay cut. It’s really archaic and the world just moved on.
KH: Empty offices are not appealing to a company that’s still shelling out for rent. No question that’s an incentive to get people back and mingling. A study from the real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield found that about a fifth of US office space was empty as of the end of last year.
The element of trust between managers and remote workers, however, cuts to the heart of it from my perspective. No one wants to be micromanaged, and building that trust so your boss knows he or she can count on you is not always easy, especially if you have been virtual from day one.
Remote work can help you take ownership of your work in a way that you don’t when you’re expected to report in and simply have your bottom in a seat. I can relate to how huge an impact having control over where and when you work can have on what you produce. When you take back control of your work life and succeed, “it’s sick,” as my niece would say, meaning crazy cool.
Working in a noisy, open newsroom drove me crazy. I felt watched and under a glass, and I let that resentment fester. Some managers, however, don’t always know how to manage people who aren’t in the office. But it’s not personal — they haven’t been trained to do so.
To be fair, the big‐name companies’ argument that being in the office fosters more teamwork and innovation does have some validity. But does it have to be five days a week?
Not everyone is ready to fight back. A significant share of readers’ comments took the stance that what the boss says goes.
When they lose their paycheck their attitude will change. Employers, NOT EMPLOYEES, set policy. If one doesn’t agree with it, then one can find a job elsewhere.
And this:
It takes personal discipline to work from home. There are a lot of distractions that could impact your work. That said, some people do very well in that setting. Unfortunately, that is not universal and likely the prime reason that CEOs are now clamoring for a return to the office.
Add this to the mix:
More power to companies mandating return-to-work. Get back to work. People who don’t want to show up to work so they can play on their phone all day deserve to get replaced by AI as far as I’m concerned. When you’re the boss, then you can decide on work-from-home policies.
KH: My sister calls this “different flavors of ice cream.” We all have different priorities and views.
Nearly 8 in 10 CEOs are on board with the mandate to bring workers back to the office. (Getty Creative) ·praetorianphoto via Getty Images
I found these comments about the downstream effects of office mandates to be thought-provoking.
The best employees will get remote jobs. The companies that demand in-person work will not only have to pay for the office space — an expense the remote companies don’t have — but will also have to settle for the leftovers, and/or pay way more than the remote companies do.
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More fuel to the fire here:
Something that I think will change the dynamics is once the RTO companies realize their stock prices and margins are reduced because they are limiting their talent pool and have to pay local wages. For example, if you have an office in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, or another big city and it’s 100% office, you’re going to have to pay higher wages and limit the number of people who are willing to work there as opposed to being able to recruit someone who lives in a less expensive location. Once the margins are reduced and stock prices are hit, they will rethink.
KH: The reality is that it’s hard for companies to replace high-skilled employees. “Our new research shows that highly skilled employees leave firms after RTO mandates,” Mark Ma, the co-author of a new report and a University of Pittsburgh business professor, told Yahoo Finance. “No matter whether the economy is good or bad, highly skilled employees always have opportunities.”
Kerry Hannon is a Senior Columnist at Yahoo Finance. She is a career and retirement strategist, and the author of 14 books, including “In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in The New World of Work” and “Never Too Old To Get Rich.” Follow her on Bluesky.
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Heather Ochoa is a news writer at the Failsafe Podcast. She has been writing about politics, health, business, parenting and finance for over a decade. She also loves to go hiking in her free time.
