Why Companies Mandating Five-Day Office Attendance May Lose Talent
Posted 10th December 2024 • Written by Joseph Liu on forbes.com • • • • • •
Do you dread the thought of having to return to the office five days a week? If you’ve enjoyed being able to work from home post-pandemic, you may be growing a bit nervous with some companies like Amazon, X (Twitter), and Goldman Sachs rolling back flexible work policies. However, it seems employees are pushing back, and in some cases, even turning away from opportunities in the face of these new mandates.
There’s a growing trend of employees leaving organizations that demand rigid work schedules that involve more office presence. Each one of us needs to weigh how important flexibility is to our lives as we see some companies returning to more traditional work arrangements while others are continuing flexible policies.
Recruiters Are Reporting A Talent Exodus
Recruiters are starting to see the consequences of more rigid policies. In a recent study conducted by International Workplace Group (IWG)*, two-thirds (67%) of recruiters observed an increase in candidates looking to leave companies that require five-day office attendance. Additionally, 75% of recruiters said they’ve had candidates reject roles that don’t offer hybrid working options.
It seems flexibility is no longer seen as a perk, but rather, a requirement and expectation. Employees now want to work for employers who understand and respect their policies. Long commutes, lack of trust, and archaic policies will likely drive talented individuals to seek opportunities elsewhere where they can live balanced lives while also making their professional contributions. Companies unwilling to adapt may see employee morale and retention both drop.
I recall once working on a global marketing team, where I was working long hours and hosting conference calls in the middle of the night, realizing I was devoting most of my energies to my work rather than the rest of my life. It ultimately triggered me to leave my corporate role to start my own business. After nearly a decade now of largely my schedule, I’d struggle with the idea of being mandated to be in an office every workday.
If you feel trapped in a job that demands more than you’re willing to give, what will it take for you to make a change?
Long Commutes Alone Can Cause Burnout
The work commute alone can take its toll on employees. In a separate IWG survey± of white-collar workers required to be in the office five days a week, nearly half (46%) of respondents said they were actively searching for new jobs to avoid long commutes. 63% said their employers risk losing top talent due to inflexible policies. “Flexibility is no longer a nice-to-have for employees,” says Mark Dixon, CEO of IWG. “Many will not consider new roles that require long daily commutes.”
This isn’t entirely surprising. Commuting can be expensive, time-consuming, unproductive, and exhausting. I notice a major difference in what I can fit into the day when I don’t have to commute. That extra hour or two means I can exercise, spend more time with my family, get to bed earlier, go grocery shopping, or just feel less stressed in general.
If you’re feeling drained by your commute or the rigid demands of your job, you might have just accepted it as the cost of being employed. However, think about the impact having just one extra hour a day could have on your overall well-being.
Hybrid Work Enables Trust And Productivity
There seems to be a disconnect between employees and employers when it comes to the relationship between hybrid work and productivity. Many companies still equate physical face time in the office with productive output, but workers see it differently. Only 25% of employees± believe they have to be in a central office full-time to perform effectively. Perhaps due to habit, conventional policies, or poor experiences with certain employees given more leash, many employers don’t always trust hybrid or remote work setups.
Trust directly relates to employee psychology and motiviation too. More than half (55%) of employees* said they’d feel more empowered if their employer allowed them to work from different locations. Interestingly, hybrid models seem to boost productivity. 75% of CEOs‡ who have adopted hybrid work report improved productivity across their teams. Additionally, research from Stanford’s Professor Nicholas Bloom also found a 3%-4% increase in productivity under hybrid setups.§
Personally, while I do appreciate the benefit of in-person collaboration, when it comes to focused work (like writing this article), I often feel more productive working in isolation and without distraction, which tends to come up more in larger office settings.
If your workplace is equating face time with productivity, consider whether a more flexible arrangement might empower you to do better work.
The Future of Work Is Still Hard to Predict
It’s hard to say exactly where companies will head in the short and longer term. I can understand how remote work can’t fully replace the feeling of being face-to-face with colleagues. However, according to Professor Bloom, companies enforcing five-day office mandates could see a 35% increase in employee quitting rates. He predicts that by 2025, many businesses that have returned to a five-day-in-the-office policy may be forced to reverse these rigid policies as attrition rates climb.
Regardless of which policy each company chooses, it seems the days of a one-size-fits-all workplace policy are over. Employees want options, whether that’s fully remote working, hybrid work flexibility, or shortening their commutes. There seems to be an opportunity for both employees and companies to decide whether they want to settle for the past ways of working or embrace the future.
“Jobseekers are no longer just looking for a paycheck. They want the freedom to shape their work environment,” says Dom Ashfield, SAP Specialist Recruiter at bluewaveSELECT. “The demand for flexible and hybrid work models is growing rapidly, and employers who don’t adjust their policies risk falling behind in the talent race.”
Your Career Should Align With Your Unique Needs
If your current employer is imposing rigid work policies without clear justification, the good news is that you can always explore what else is out there. The ways of working you're experiencing are probably neither unique nor widespread. Your job is to find what works for you. Having flexibility, trust, and balance are generally good places to start.
Regardless of where you fall on the continuum of wanting more traditional in-office face time or more flexible hybrid arrangements, employees no longer seem to be willing to sacrifice their well-being for rigid office mandates. Flexibility seems to be synonymous with modern work. Those who embrace it will likely feel more fulfilled and balanced in their careers and lives.
The end of the year is a good time to reflect on what you want for the year ahead. If you’ve been feeling stifled or suffocated by your work environment, start by considering what a more flexible work arrangement could mean for your career, life outside of work, and overall well-being. The onus is on you to decide if the time has come to find a work environment that better aligns with what you truly value.
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