Flexible Work Options Aren’t Just About Business; They’re About Culture

Dear Corporate America,

A post-pandemic culture clash is coming. Are you ready? After more than a year of working from home, both employees and employers are starting to talk about returning to the office – some with more trepidation than others. The anxiety that many employees feel about returning to work in person is real, and a company’s failure to address that anxiety thoughtfully and compassionately will say more about your organization’s culture than any carefully-worded set of values or principles plastered on your website ever will.

According to a recent survey, 83% of CEOs want their employees to return to the office full-time; however, only 10% of employees say that’s what they want.[1] There are reasons to support both remote and in-person models. Ninety-four percent of employers[2] and 95% of employees reported that they believe productivity was at least as high during the pandemic as it was before. And more than half of employees say they have actually been more productive working remotely because a quieter and more comfortable environment with fewer interruptions means they can focus more.[3] However, both Apple and Amazon say that designing devices[4] and innovating generally have been difficult to do with a remote workforce.[5] So in the end, the desire to work in-person or remote likely comes down to preference, both on the part of the employee and the employer.

And that’s why some companies, like Google and Microsoft, have announced plans to shift to a hybrid model that will allow a significant number of their employees to work from both the office and from home. However, other companies, like Apple and Amazon, are more resistant, expecting the majority of their workforce to return fully to the office. One leader from Goldman Sachs even called remote working, “an aberration that we’re going to correct as soon as possible.”[6]  

It’s important to acknowledge that not everyone has had the luxury of working from home, even during the pandemic. It’s also important to acknowledge that working from home has not been a positive experience for everyone. So getting those groups to return to the office full-time won’t necessarily be an issue. But for a significant number of employees, it’s a big issue. Do companies with full return-to-office plans expect that their employees will come back to the office just because they tell them to? Probably. Will they succeed? Probably not – or at least not completely.

All of those people who have been working from home for the last year – particularly the seasoned and experienced ones that you most want to retain – have choices. The number of companies offering hybrid and work-from-home options is rapidly increasing.[7] And even if these employees choose not to go to another company, they have the option to freelance or consult. In other words, they have the choice to take everything they have learned from and about your company and take it somewhere else. Many employees say they’re willing to take a pay cut to do it.[8]  

Why? For a lot of people working from home is more convenient and less stressful. They don’t have the challenge of a lengthy or hectic commute. They can also be more flexible with their time, which can be helpful with everything from arranging childcare to scheduling doctor’s appointments to supporting personal passions, like that sourdough bread baking trend that’s become such an important part of their wellbeing. And speaking of wellbeing, research suggests that not only do employees with flexible work options experience better mental health, but employees without those flexible work options are nearly twice as likely to report poor or very poor mental health.[9] Working remotely can also be more cost effective for employees, saving them an estimated $4k per year on things like food, clothing, and gasoline. [10]

Some employees are worried about safety, with 66% expressing concerns about the health risks of returning to the office.[11] These concerns can be even more complicated for parents with children under 12 who are not eligible for a vaccine yet. Do these parents feel safe sending their children to in-person school or daycare? If not, then requiring them to physically come to an office compounds both their safety concerns as well as the logistical issues of managing childcare. During the pandemic, women have been more likely to take on greater responsibility for childcare in American families. Some speculate that requiring employees to come back to work in-person will force more women to quit or reduce their hours,[12] which will make work environments less inclusive.

My advice for employers who want people back in the office – whether full or part-time – is to reframe your thinking. Don’t turn it into a battle if you don’t have to. The risks are too high. Start by considering how a hybrid or work-from-home model might benefit the company and how to capitalize on those benefits. For example, you will be able to attract a broader base of employees with a remote or hybrid model. Eighty-one percent of employees say they would be more loyal to their employer if they had flexible work options,[13] and companies with flexible work options experience 25% less employee turnover.[14] We’ve already discussed how remote work can improve productivity, but you can also save on real estate and facilities costs by reducing the number of employees who will be in the office at any given time.

If you still think that having people in the office is important – even if it’s just part-time – then consider how you can attract people back into the office rather than forcing them to do so. What clear advantages does the physical office space have for your employees? Being around other people can be motivating and energizing. It can also make certain types of collaboration, like brainstorming, easier.[15] Being in the office can also bring employees into casual contact with senior leadership, which can be a tantalizing career benefit. Help employees reap these rewards by intentionally scheduling opportunities to work together and build connections and a sense of community. Design your office space to take maximum advantage of those social and collaborative opportunities without eroding their sense of psychological safety.

And last, but definitely not least, consider what your company culture is or what you want it to be and how your return-to-work policy aligns with that. How do your core values support the sense of psychological safety and community that make both working from home and working from the office more productive and enjoyable? If your company has made or is considering a sustainability pledge, embracing flexible work options can provide tangible environmental benefits. And finally, think about the traits and behaviors that you use to identify the candidates and employees that you want most in your company. They usually describe people who are ambitious, intelligent, and fully capable of governing themselves. What does it say about your company culture if you can’t trust them to exhibit those same qualities from home?

At the end of the day, company leaders need to accept that the issues and anxieties that their employees have around returning to work in person are real. Employees will see the way your company responds to those concerns and make choices about how they fit into that picture – or don’t. Reassure them that you see them, that you respect their needs, and that you’re in this together.

[1] Employees Balk at End to Remote Work: 'Going Back to the Office Is Stupid" (newsweek.com)

[2] Study Finds Productivity Not Deterred by Shift to Remote Work (shrm.org)

[3] Remote Work Statistics: Navigating the New Normal | FlexJobs

[4] Apple employees might not return to offices before June 2021 - CNET

[5] Amazon updates remote work guidance, plans to ‘return to an office-centric culture as our baseline’ - GeekWire

[6] Employees Balk at End to Remote Work: 'Going Back to the Office Is Stupid" (newsweek.com)

[7] https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2021/12/27/this-is-the-future-of-remote-work-in-2021/?sh=1698ad391e1d

[8] Remote Work Statistics: Navigating the New Normal | FlexJobs

[9] Remote Work Statistics: Navigating the New Normal | FlexJobs

[10] Remote Work Statistics: Navigating the New Normal | FlexJobs

[11] (Employees Balk at End to Remote Work: 'Going Back to the Office Is Stupid" (newsweek.com))

[12] Covid-19 Is Forcing Women From The Workplace In Record Numbers—And We Don’t Know When They’ll Be Back (forbes.com)

[13] Remote Work Statistics: Navigating the New Normal | FlexJobs

[14] The Ultimate List Of Remote Work Statistics - 2021 Edition (smallbizgenius.net)

[15] The Ultimate List Of Remote Work Statistics - 2021 Edition (smallbizgenius.net)