Recent studies have shown that return-to-office (RTO) brings mixed results for employee morale and satisfaction. Unsurprisingly, some companies also have experienced a disproportionately high turnover rate due to strict RTO mandates. However, despite growing debates among the business community and differing opinions between employees and employers, the office itself might not be to blame.
While discussions continue over the efficiency of work-from-home versus hybrid or in-office models, the real challenge lies in how companies communicate such decisions to their employees. A lack of intentional leadership has employees feeling unsupported and frustrated, left to navigate transitions without the resources needed for success. RTO, when done thoughtfully, actually can enhance collaboration and engagement, but without clear communication and purpose, it risks becoming another disruptive mandate. The truth is, returning to the office isn’t the problem; it’s the lack of communication, trust, and transparency that forces good workers to leave and promising new talent to look elsewhere.
Lessons from 2024: Where Leadership Fell Short
In 2024, major corporate giants such as Amazon and AT&T announced RTO mandates, signaling a broader shift in corporate attitudes toward in-person work. Many companies, eager to reclaim a sense of normalcy, rushed to follow suit. In several instances, how these dramatic transitions would affect employees was overlooked. Some executives viewed RTO as a solution to declining engagement, assuming that bringing workers back in person would naturally boost productivity and collaboration. However, these efforts often lacked a well-defined strategy, leading to confusion, dissatisfaction, and, in some cases, increased turnover.
Over the past year, businesses have struggled to communicate RTO decision-making to their team, highlighting an innate lack of transparency. Employees were expected to return without a compelling reason beyond executive preference, leaving people confused and even angry about the purpose of their presence in the office. After the pandemic proved that work could happen from anywhere, RTO mandates seemed out of touch, baseless, and disruptive.
Key missteps of leadership included:
- Lack of clear communication: Companies failed to explain why employees needed to return, missing an opportunity to highlight the proven benefits of in-person collaboration.
- Inconsistent implementation: Some departments were brought back in a hybrid capacity, while others faced abrupt in-person mandates, creating inequities across organizations.
- Inadequate preparation: Major corporations, such as Amazon, mandated RTO without ensuring enough physical resources—desks, chairs, or even office space—to accommodate employees.
- Lack of empathy: For some, especially working parents and caregivers, RTO mandates removed the autonomy they had built around their schedules. Stripping away that flexibility without offering adequate support led to resentment.
Due to leadership shortcomings, employees across industries felt unheard, undervalued, and increasingly disconnected from their organizations.
Rethinking the Role of the Office
For so many of us, the benefits of working from home outweigh returning to the office. Why spend half an hour commuting when you can get some extra sleep and enjoy a cup of coffee at home before hopping online?
Despite these conveniences, America has a loneliness problem. Even before the pandemic rocked our world, roughly half of adults in the United States reported feelings of loneliness. Remote work may be exacerbating these feelings of isolation. In a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, more than half (53 percent) of workers surveyed said they felt less connected to their peers due to remote work. The impacts may be especially dire for Gen Z workers. A workplace researcher found that of the 2,000 Gen Z workers he surveyed, many reported a sense of isolation from their coworkers and felt they missed out on opportunities to network.
While work-from-home certainly has its perks, what’s often overlooked amid the RTO debate is how physical workspaces contribute to professional growth and well-being. Offices are not just places where work happens; they serve as communal environments where employees build relationships, develop communication skills, and establish a sense of belonging. The work that happens in the office is just as important in contributing to increased feelings of engagement as the work that doesn’t: small conversations in the breakroom, grabbing lunch with a coworker, catching up on pop culture trends, etc.
Rather than debating whether employees should be in the office, the focus should be on ensuring that time spent there is valuable. When employees see the office as a resource and means of connection rather than an obligation, they become more engaged, productive, and invested in their roles.
Bridging the Leadership-Employee Divide
One of the biggest obstacles to a successful RTO transition is the gap between leadership and employees. Executives push for in-office work without fully understanding their workforce’s expectations, while employees often feel left out of the decision-making process.
Rather than issuing top-down mandates, leaders should prioritize open communication, explain the business case for RTO, and listen to employee concerns. When people understand why they’re being asked to return and feel heard in the process, they’re more likely to engage with the policy rather than resist it.
Strong leadership in an RTO environment requires more than policies. It calls for a shift in management style. Employees don’t need their workplace to feel like a family, but they do need to feel valued. That sense of connection isn’t built through pizza parties or putting a ping-pong table in the breakroom. It comes from managers who actively listen, support their teams, and create a culture of trust and belonging. Leaders looking to foster healthy workplaces must move away from the performative control that comes with increased visibility and toward a culture of mutual respect and accountability. The most successful organizations will be led by those that focus on results rather than rigid attendance, invest in professional development, and foster a workplace culture where employees feel valued, not monitored.
The Future of Work
RTO will continue to evolve with an increased focus on performance-driven strategies. Companies will need to rethink how they measure success and invest in ways to make in-office work worthwhile.
Restructuring middle management will be a key theme. Many organizations are flattening hierarchies, leading to fewer layers of oversight and more emphasis on individual contributions. Meanwhile, some companies may use RTO as an opportunity to assess performance and restructure teams, leading to layoffs and reorganizations.
Organizations leading the pack will be those that approach RTO with intentionality, ensuring employees see value in being in the office. This could mean offering professional development programs, fostering mentorship opportunities, or even rethinking office design and layout to better support focused work and collaboration.
It’s also important to remember that employees have autonomy. The data shows that many who desire remote work—women, parents, and younger professionals—seek flexible roles, allowing them to balance work and life. Employees will seek out workplaces that align with their values. There are plenty of companies that prioritize their people and plenty that do not. Those that don’t will quickly learn that attracting and retaining top talent may be an uphill battle.
Companies that recognize the essential role of communication will move beyond outdated mandates and focus on fostering environments where employees thrive, regardless of where they work. The future of work isn’t about forcing people back into offices or abandoning them to full-time remote isolation. It’s about striking a balance where productivity, collaboration, and personal well-being align. Leaders willing to listen and adapt their strategies will shape the next era of work—those who don’t risk being left behind.
