During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hours-long commute to and from the office each week became temporarily impossible.
For some, working from home has had the welcome benefit of eliminating the stress of commuting and increasing job satisfaction, but others miss the camaraderie and collaboration that comes with meeting in person and are yearning to get back to their daily tasks and colleagues.
Four years on from April 2020, return-to-office (RTO) mandates are becoming the norm for companies from Amazon to Google, but how is this change impacting employees?
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The return of the commute
For starters, it looks like the commute is back — sort of.
Through Analysis of this year’s traffic data, We found that commuting in the world’s 10 largest cities has recovered since lockdown, but as expected, the extent of recovery varies from city to city, and not all locations have seen the same pattern of recovery.
One reason for this is variability across companies regarding employees’ flexibility in returning to the office, and therefore the ratio of office to home that employees prefer.
Some companies are even sending the message that remote work might be the least desirable option: IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said last year that remote workers might have a harder time getting promoted, and less than 12 months later, the company immediately asked all its U.S. managers to report to the office or to a client site at least three days a week.
Workforce flexibility
when Owl Labs investigates the working environment in 2023The survey found a consistent theme: Americans want more flexibility in their work because it makes them feel more productive and balanced (and more loyal to their companies).
Some (62%) were willing to take a pay cut of 10% or more to gain the flexibility they crave, but overall, 94% of workers said they could still be persuaded to come into the office.
Meanwhile, 68% of managers believe their hybrid/remote employees miss out on impromptu or informal feedback.
“Coffee Badge”
Some people have returned to the office of their own volition because they want to take advantage of the time they spend face-to-face with their colleagues. But others don’t need that time: The survey found that while 66% of respondents are back in the office full-time, only 22% want to return.
As more and more RTO mandates are being implemented, we are now seeing reports of trends such as “coffee badges” and “office peacocks.”
“Coffee badging” is when people come into the office, make sure they’re seen, and then have a cup of coffee before leaving — a behavior that 58% of hybrid workers engage in, according to an Owl Labs survey.
“Office peacocking,” on the other hand, sees employers offering perks to make the workplace more attractive and encourage employees to stay in the office longer.
But the presenteeism that comes with “coffee badges” could have implications for your role. While it’s great to come into the office and then quickly jump into working from home, your boss may not share your enthusiasm for this new approach.
But if you find yourself unhappy with the way your company operates, you may find yourself wanting to explore a different career path where your desired working style aligns with the company’s — remote, hybrid, in-office, etc. Some companies, especially in the tech startup space, are fully or mostly remote.
Career passion
If you’re going to go to an office, it’s better to do something you’re passionate about, where neither you nor your boss feel like you’re cutting corners.
When asked what’s important to employees when they return to the office, Owl Labs found that more privacy in the office, no dress codes and company coverage for commuter costs are high on their wish lists.
While some employees will be able to easily negotiate their ideal situation, others may use this change as an opportunity to look for new employment. Employers should also bear in mind that the same report found that one in three employees would start looking for a new job if mandatory RTOs were introduced at their workplace.
If you’re looking for a new role that matches the flexibility you desire, visit The Hill Jobs Board to see if there are openings like the roles below.
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If you’re looking for the ideal level of job flexibility, check out current openings on The Hill Jobs Board.
