The Negative Impact of Strict Return-to-Office Policies on Employee Satisfaction, Productivity, and Retention

The Negative Impact of Strict Return-to-Office Policies on Employee Satisfaction, Productivity, and Retention

Despite the shift towards return-to-office (RTO)‍ policies post-COVID-19, many companies are still struggling ⁢to find ⁣the right balance, impacting their workforce negatively.

Recent surveys ​have shown that employees​ are not enthusiastic about mandated RTO policies, especially when they are too inflexible, even in hybrid setups.

Throughout the pandemic, employees grew accustomed to flexible‍ work⁤ arrangements, with a significant⁢ majority opting for flexibility when given the choice, as per a 2022 McKinsey & Co. study.

According to Jessica Kriegel, chief scientist of workplace culture ⁢at Culture ​Partners, research indicates that rigid RTO mandates can ⁢lead to decreased‍ job satisfaction and employee retention, without any noticeable improvements⁢ in productivity or company performance.

When faced with office mandates, many employees are resorting to “coffee badging,” where they show up ​briefly in the office just to meet the requirements ⁣before heading back home to work.

To understand ‌the reasons behind employees’ reluctance to return to the office, Robin Powered, ⁣a workplace management software maker, conducted a survey involving nearly 600 full-time employees from companies with flexible work ​policies.

2024-04-08 15:00:02
Original from www.computerworld.com

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