The modern workplace was fundamentally transformed — in some cases almost overnight — during the COVID-19 pandemic.

People around the world had to adjust to working from home whether they liked it or not. And, in the process, they embraced the multitude of benefits: greater flexibility, improved work-life balance, ability to work at a time and in a manner that works best for them (among others).

Yet now, with the pandemic behind us, some organizations are implementing return to office (RTO) policies that in some cases come across as archaic and inhibitive to productivity and employee well-being. As such, some valuable employees are posing a ‘flight risk’ as they are forced to go back to confining corporate workplaces.

“If organizations are focused on on-site work for the sake of on-site work, they’re going to be really missing out on what works best for their workforce,” said Caitlin Duffy, director in the Garner HR practice. “Their performance and results will not be as strong.”

This is because, she emphasized: “Your talent really is your business.”

Leaders have ‘deeply held’ beliefs

So if hybrid work has been so successful — and many employees prefer it — why are more organizations instituting RTO policies?

“They want more visibility,” said Duffy. “They are concerned that if they can’t see employees working, they won’t be able to hold them accountable.”

Also, some say, there’s a “loss of serendipity” when workers are remote. Many leaders believe that innovation comes from “unscripted moments at the watercooler, happenstance,” she said.

“There’s a sense that they can’t collaborate as well if they’re not together in the same space,” said Duffy.

Further, executives sometimes think that remote employees are disengaged, and that cultural disconnect occurs when people aren’t in the office and “observing it via osmosis.”

These beliefs are often “deeply held” and difficult to shift despite what data might say, Duffy pointed out.

“These beliefs can be very strong,” she said. “Leaders often have ‘grown up’ in an environment that is in many cases on-site. There’s a sense of wanting to go back to the way they feel they can drive results.”

Paola Accettola, CEO and principal consultant of True North HR agreed that this ideology stems from executive and leadership belief that a “strong in-person workforce contributes to collaboration and a culture that makes their companies desirable to work at.”

High-performers, women greatest flight risks

But RTO mandates seem to deeply conflict with employee sentiment. According to Gartner research, high-performing employees’ intent to stay was 16% lower with RTO orders, double the rate of average employees. And, intent to stay among millennials and women was 10% and 11% lower, respectively.

“Generally, employees don’t want to stay at organizations that are instituting new on-site work requirements,” said Duffy. “There have been so many benefits for remote work for them, holistically, not just work, but life in general.”

Gartner defines high-performers as those who are “progressing in their careers faster than their peers,” Duffy explained. Organizations typically consider them their “pipeline for future leaders” because they have proven their ability — and desire — to progress. They willingly take on additional responsibilities and often coach their peers.

“To tell them that they’re not trusted to work in the way that works best for them can feel unfair, frustrating, painful,” said Duffy. “They can feel especially unseen or not recognized for their performance.”

By their very nature, these workplace standouts are more desirable, and therefore they have more options to pursue work at whatever organizations offer them the flexibility they want.

Women, similarly, have benefitted from work-from-home, Duffy noted, because they can better manage work and life priorities. Also, women often prefer remote settings because they have fewer encounters with microaggressions and biases.

Ultimately, Accettola agreed, RTO “does not fit for workers at every level, and can and will lead to some resentment among employees who thrive in the remote or hybrid working models.”

Benefits of remote work well-established

Organizations that don’t recognize the continued benefits of remote/hybrid work — and their employees’ feelings about it — will only suffer, experts say.

For starters, collaboration doesn’t always have to be an in-person experience, Duffy said. Some people (such as introverts) benefit from quieter, more solitary settings and prefer sharing ideas in writing rather than in open meetings. Allowing employees to flourish in their best settings can therefore spur collaboration.

Working from home can lead to “increased productivity levels and a sense of trust that their company is not trying to micro-manage them,” Accettola agreed.

Another thing that comes up again and again in Gartner’s research is the “time and cost of commuting,” said Duffy. It is stressful and expensive.

“Well-being tends to be inversely correlated with a commute,” she said, adding that “more flexible hybrid work models tend to correspond with less fatigue and better performance.”

Not to mention, when workers can be anywhere, organizations benefit from a much more diverse workforce.

“It opens up your talent pools to locations and geographic regions that in the past were constraints,” said Duffy.

Implement RTO purposefully

Rather than reflexively forcing employees back to the office, organizations should take an intentional approach, Duffy said.

Think about what motivates people and incorporate features that meet their needs and offer flexibility — such as quiet workspaces, and private collaborative spaces.

Furthermore, “setting day of the week requirements is arbitrary,” she said. Many employees are Ok with being in the office two or three days a week, but they want flexibility. Organizations might consider building day-in-office requirements based around projects and timelines that would benefit from physical collaboration.

When people understand the rationale behind RTO and how it will positively impact their work, organizations are more likely to get buy-in.

“It’s about making it really purposeful based on activities and type of work being done,” said Duffy.

Also, allow workers to help shape in-office policies, Duffy advised. Provide an overarching set of recommendations that they can customize based on what works best for them. When they feel heard and their needs are considered, they will be more engaged and perform better.

“It should not be a one size fits all; that is not going to be successful,” she said.

Another consideration is cost of work: How will employees be impacted when it comes to commute and child and eldercare costs?

Critically, organizations should ask themselves: “What is the reason for asking employees to RTO?,” Duffy said. “There needs to be a clear rationale behind it.”

Striking a delicate balance

Accettola pointed out that collaboration can be mimicked “to almost the same degree” as in-person environments due to the proliferation of digital tools.

He conceded that there may be a “sense of disconnect” with remote work and “collaboration may not measure up to what it was in the office environment.”

Therefore, it is up to each company and team to create working policies that address employee preferences.

“It is a delicate balance, and most enterprises will find the most success in implementing hybrid models that allow at least some of the workweek to be done in a remote setting,” said Accettola.

This could be, for instance, ‘work-from-home Fridays’ or a designated day that all employees meet with their team in person to create structure and habit.

“There is an argument for both sides as to whether a full return to office policy will help or hurt employee engagement and morale,” said Accettola. “There are ways to accommodate the two contrasting preferences and ensure that productivity remains high.”