Why Working Full-time at the Office is NOT the Future. Offering Options Is.

‘It’s time to get back to work!’ say many CEOs, pushing to get everyone back to the office full-time. It feels outdated to equate ‘the office’ with ‘work’, as well as unappreciative of employees’ efforts since March 2020, burning out under prolonged crisis conditions. Executives’ reasons for these office moves are worth investigating before plans are finalized for a full-time return to the office. The negative repercussions could be significant and long-lasting.

There are many misinterpretations and assumptions about hybrid work models which need clarifying or debunking first. A ‘hybrid’ mixes varieties or elements. A hybrid work model typically combines office-based and non-office-based working. It does not mean employees work five days a week at home by default. It also does not necessarily mean that workers get whatever flexible workdays/hours they want from wherever they want. However, it makes sense to evaluate all options. These choices and decisions are part of valuable conversations to be had between employer and employees--so everyone can do their best work.

The top justifications given below for not offering hybrid options do not stand up to informed debate about business and talent needs, especially considering prevailing conditions and what we can anticipate ahead. Countering each reason, rebuttals caution against reverting to 100% office-based workweeks and share foreseeable consequences:

REASON 1: SAFETY — Pandemic restrictions are being lifted which means it’s safe to go back to the office.

RETORT: Not so fast. Restrictions are easing, but detailed safety protocols remain. 35% of US adults are hesitant about getting vaccinated[1]. 66% of people are worried about health and safety risks going back to the office[2]. 64% of active NYC subway riders are ‘very concerned’ about health safety[3]. 46% of adults do not feel [psychologically] comfortable going back to the living life like they used to before the pandemic.

The transition back to the office needs to be gradual and handled carefully. Why not reduce concerns and logistical challenges by allowing voluntary decreases to daily office-based populations? Based on current global vaccination plans, BCG projects emergence from the pandemic in 2024[5]. We can therefore expect occasional variant surges or a new wave in the fall to lead to temporary reinstatement of work restrictions. It is imperative to incorporate contingencies into plans and flexibility into long-term operating and working frameworks. Hybrid models enable easy adaptation instead of your business being disrupted anew.

REASON 2: PROOF — We want things back to normal again. We need to get back on track. Our known, proven model is all of us working at the office.

RETORT: That model has outlived its use. The most extreme circumstances we are experiencing result from virus-related restrictions. However, the pandemic accelerated the arrival of the Future of Work with increased digitization of communications, operating platforms, and workflow. Most underlying conditions are here to stay. Newly-automated systems and processes will keep us advancing and the faster pace of business developments means continued evolution. Many new customer behaviors have changed for good such as ecommerce now being five years ahead of earlier projections and 51% of US consumers using less or no cash since the pandemic started[6].

Which previous ‘normal’ work methods and practices are still relevant? Assuming investments in newly-integrated platforms and applications are not squandered, how will office-based operations and routines be impacted? Learning from pandemic-related remote working pivots and operational adjustments also inform updated business and work practices. Workers’ responsiveness to continuing unpredictable market developments requires flexible mindsets and approaches which hybrid work models support.

REASON 3: FATIGUE — We rallied when the pandemic hit and adapted. Now, we’ve all had enough, and especially Millennials and Gen Zs want to be back in the office.

RETORT: Right now. But I predict younger employees will NOT be happy if they are required back in the office full-time. Junior team members — who typically prioritize career growth[7] — are keen to be in the office again to further their careers: connecting with leaders, nurturing relationships, and gathering intelligence about new projects and roles. 52% of employees expect office-based workers will have better career opportunities than remote workers[8]. However, this is a false choice. Hybrid models are — by definition — not binary. Career-focused socialization can be facilitated off- and online and does not require anyone to be onsite every day.

Furthermore, younger workers already objected to the tedium and limitations of having only one work location before the pandemic. Now, we are all aware of the pros and cons of being stuck in the same workspace day in day out. Once people have relearned how to dress appropriately — top and bottom — for the office and had a few ‘novelty’ in-person meetings, many will recognize that being solely office-based feels similar to being captive at home. If the viability of remote working has been confirmed, what happens to employees’ engagement if they are forced to swap one restrictive setting for another? Are rigid attitudes to work situations likely to lure, engage, and retain the top talent you need — especially younger cohorts?

REASON 4: CREATIVITY — We need everyone back in the office to brainstorm together and get creative energies flowing again. It doesn’t work when people are working remotely.

RETORT: Agreed, in part. Bringing employees together in person in the office can certainly be beneficial to brainstorm, kick off a new project, on-board new hires or gather folks for key All Hands meetings and team-building exercises. Being in the same room can facilitate effective interactions and help build relationships between employees which improves mutual empathetic understanding.

However, employees’ variety of tasks typically also includes individual, independent work for which locations like home can provide preferred settings for many employees to have concentrated solitude which will improve their productivity. Few organizations offer a range of office settings — called ‘Activity Based Work’ environments originally developed in the 1980s — to provide variety for workers’ different preferences based on their current tasks.

REASON 5: PRACTICALITY — Our particular business simply cannot be done virtually OR we don’t know how to make a hybrid model work, it’s complicated.

RETORT: Few businesses are completely unsuited for hybrid models. Most knowledge work can be done partly away from the office for many employees. Some tasks for particular roles may be done most effectively in person. Many other tasks can usually be completed offsite. There are few roles which must be office-bound all day all week. If you disagree, what options have you tested? Have you asked all employees for suggestions to explore new technologies or adapt processes?

Designing the optimal hybrid model for your company takes attention, thought and an open-minded approach to develop a configuration that accommodates: the needs of your business; different employees’ preferences — so far as possible; and teams’ compromised combinations. Select high-level parameters need confirming. Atlassian’s new hybrid model dictates a few clear musts for employees including going to the office four times a year and working in countries where the company has operations (i.e. a tax base).

Lower-level parameters can be decided among small groups who work together to devise combinations that are viable for their particular unit, team or project. The ‘Right to Request Flexibility’ provides a proven, legal framework that has been law in the UK since 2014. Every employee may ask for whatever flexibility they want that would not be detrimental to the business. Similar laws have been in place in Vermont and San Francisco City since 2015.

REASON 6: ORDER — We have been working in chaotic conditions. We need to restore order and get things under control again.

RETORT: Generally unspoken, this visceral reaction is understandable. Many feel it is high time to put the disarray of the pandemic behind us — to bring everyone back in sight and on site — and restore order. Executives may feel somewhat out of control when everyone is scattered and seek to get more comfortable. When everyone is working within the physical corporate structure, they believe it will be more manageable again. In truth, the Future of Work’s arrival will create havoc until we can absorb its impact.

Meantime, hybrid models offer flexibility, not fluidity. A hybrid framework is not ‘unstructured’. It gives form without rigidity. Once parameters are agreed and schedules in/out of the office are set, order is created, just with a different flow and distribution of employees than a full-time office model. The criteria and schedules may also be reconfigured as business needs inevitably change.

REASON 7: TIMING — We haven’t been able to figure out a viable hybrid model yet. Once everyone is back in the office, we’ll sort it out.

RETORT: Some businesses — like hospitality and travel — require proximity to customers onsite for many employees to do their jobs and hybrid models may have limited applicability. If your business doesn’t require such proximity and you haven’t figured out a solution since March 2020, are you being straight with employees about your intentions to develop a viable hybrid plan? If not, being disingenuous will lead to decreased employee engagement and increased turnover. It’s not worth it. Otherwise, commit to a deadline for creating and implementing a plan.

That said, it would be much easier time to develop and launch a new working model now. The pandemic created turmoil for everyone. Your competitors have been roiled by uncertainties and disruption as you have. Seize this moment to make changes that will set your company up for the future.

OTHER HYBRID CHALLENGES?

Culture. However, trust-based belonging can be created across locations with attention and connection.

Equitable Treatment of Employees. But, focused efforts by managers can ensure remote workers are not forgotten.

ADDITIONAL HYBRID BENEFITS?

Mindset — Flexible models are congruent with adaptable, responsive Future-of-Work approaches.

Retention — 25% of employees are ready to change job, offering flexibility may stop them leaving.

Talent Access — Low barriers to hire workers with specialized skills in competitive markets.

Commuting — Reduced time wasted in travel and lower carbon emissions.

Real Estate Savings — Decreased floor space means lower rental costs.

Caring Obligations — Child and elder care needs can be accommodated lowering stress.

Many business leaders appear not to recognize the significant benefits that hybrid work models can provide or the long-term downsides of reverting to restrictive office-only models. The Future of Work is here. Including remote working options is the only viable way forward for your business and your workers.

[1] BCG Executive Perspectives, May 2021.

[2] Envoy.com survey, March 2021.

[3] MTA survey, March 2021.

[4] Stress in America 2021, American Psychological Association, March 2021

[6] Mastercard Consumer Contactless Polling, April 2020.

[7] CNBC | SurveyMonkey Workforce Happiness Index, April 2021.

[8] CNBC | SurveyMonkey Workforce Happiness Index, April 2021.