How Companies Can Encourage Employees to Return to the Office

Decreasing cases of COVID have reignited several employers’ eagerness to return to in-office work, though not all employees share these sentiments — having grown used to remote work.

This article reviews why returning to in-person work can be a good idea, and what incentives are being offered to some employees as encouragement.

Introduction

The roller-coaster ride of increasing and decreasing cases of COVID-19 appears to have leveled off from its extreme Omicron-fueled peak during the Winter of 2021 in the United States. With temperatures rising in the United States, several companies are seeking to bring their white-collar workers back into the office, as many of them have been working remotely since the start of the pandemic. Many white-collar workers have grown used to the conveniences that remote working can offer, especially for individuals such as working mothers who may have had children accessing schooling remotely from home as well. All of this having been said, some companies see a range of benefits that employees can stand to benefit from while working in the office.

Benefits of Remote Work

According to consulting firm EY, working from an office allows employees to have greater involvement in a company’s organizational culture. This is facilitated by easier access to socialization with other workers, affording informal and unscheduled “water cooler” discussions with colleagues that are less likely to happen in a remote working environment. Moreover, the physicality of the office workspace allows for a more concrete division between work and personal life, forming social and psychological barriers between the two segments. Another benefit mentioned by the consulting firm is an assured quality of the working environment. At home, one might be working on a bed, a couch, or a chair unsuited for working for extended periods, unlike offices, which tend to benefit from ergonomic work environments. Additionally, depending on location, some employees working remotely may experience internet outages, making the ability to work remotely challenging if not impossible; a risk that is alleviated by having employees in a single physical space.

Motivating Workers to Make the Move to In-Office

Several white-collar workers have gotten used to working remotely throughout the pandemic and may be reluctant to return since having become accustomed to the practice. Consequently, employers have developed different means for incentivizing in-office work, such as free lunches or happy hours that have been paid for by the employer. On the other hand, employers have also created disincentives for remote work, such as fewer opportunities for raises/advancement if one chooses to continue to work remotely. One of the chief concerns among workers regarding the return to the office is the added cost of commuting. Therefore, some companies have considered implementing commuter stipends to help subsidize the financial costs of commuting.

More conservative examples of return to office incentives include more relaxed dress codes (depending on what type of workspace), either throughout the week or on certain days (such as Friday) — since several remote workers have gotten used to dressing up less since the start of the pandemic while at work. Additionally, while it isn’t as much of a benefit per se, implementing COVID-safety guidelines and measures, such as enhanced cleaning protocol, and/or upgraded airflow/ventilation systems (if your workspace hasn’t already), may help to alleviate concerns that some employees may still have regarding pandemic safety.

Conclusion

While it certainly has been a long time coming towards the return of in-office work — the pandemic and remote work have inevitably changed several dynamics within the process of white-collar work. While there are several benefits for workers to be gained within an in-person working environment, employers should empathize with employees during the transition back to in-person work, as was the case during the abrupt shift to remote work during the start of the pandemic. Tensions are still running higher for many people since before the pandemic, so being transparent and giving time for employees to adjust — such as implementing a staggered return to the office — may help ease workers back into in-person work.

If your company is seeking to add additional hires to your workforce, consider using a staffing agency to streamline the process of finding and onboarding qualified hires. New York Technology Partners is an agency that specializes in making placements for the STEM, IT, and Skilled Trades disciplines, and the firm has aided several businesses to locate hires that are right for the job and their organizational culture. If you are interested in bringing more skilled workers to speak with one of our recruiters a call at (585) 300–4720 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.