Written by: Malory of The Missing Ink LLC

After the novel coronavirus took the world by storm, many people had the opportunity to work from home. This event even led to the Great Resignation, where people left their jobs in search of work-from-home options.

It may seem like in-office work is becoming a thing of the past—and for many, it is. Many employees no longer are willing to step foot in-office when their position can be fulfilled at a remote location. But some employers are not budging.

Here is everything you to know about why forcing employees back into the office may backfire:

What’s Happening

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we have now seen 5 consecutive quarters of declining productivity. This would encourage the majority of employers to reassess their business strategy, correct? However, this may not be the case.

With many employers now requiring in-office work to resume, many employees are faced with the harsh decision—should I stay or should I go? Unfortunately, for employers, many are choosing to go and look for remote-based work.

Over two-thirds of employers and their respective leaders suggest they are doing their best to keep their employees motivated and productive. The efforts prove futile as employees are burned out and want the remote-working option. Evidence continues to mount that proves working from home and flexible hybrid work boosts productivity, morale, and motivation. This has not stopped many business leaders from not taking their workers’ pleas into account—as they mandate them to come back to the office or risk being fired.

The In-office Myth

Some business leaders continue to promote the idea that in-office is somehow more efficient and productive than out-of-office, hybrid work. They believe that if workers show up, the work will be completed in a more resourceful way. The data, however, tells a different story.

As more employees are seeking a more balanced work-life balance, employers are being put in a chokehold. They run the risk of losing competent employees by mandating they come back to work in-house. They are sadly mistaken that these veiled threats won’t fall on deaf ears. Employees are quitting at record speeds.

Stories suggest that instead of productivity-churning results happening in-office, the opposite is actually occurring. This can include but is not limited to:

• Gossip
• Socializing
• Stressful transit
• Unmotivated workers
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Injuries
• Lawsuits
• Distractions
• And more

It is being discovered that the controlling environment of working in-office actually wreaks havoc on motivation and employees’ drive to climb the corporate ladder. The process can be simply exhausting and destroy incentives from the inside out.

Structured Hybrid Work is Better

Although it requires the discipline of the employee to discover the best ways to remotely operate, the freedom to do so quickly elicits enthusiasm. The work-life balance and personal-professional balance have never been more important than now.

People realize that health and the value of each day are what is truly important. Workers are happily migrating into new territory as they navigate the new journey of remote work and enjoy their life outside of the office. Structured mentoring is the best approach to succeeding in business as the work feels purposeful with no distractions, drama, no micromanaging, and no office politics.

The structured approach versus in-office mentoring alleviates headaches such as inconsistency, personal dynamics and needs, and the proximity of workers as they operate day-to-day tasks.

Bottom Line

Forcing employees back into the office is backfiring at a rapid speed. Many people are no longer interested in entertaining office politics, the stress of getting to and from the office and being hovered over.

The new remote and flexible work options yield better results than in the office. The data shows that people are more motivated to work when they feel they have a semblance of work/life balance.

Our time matters, and business leaders better wake up and notice that we care about the value of it and be open to new business strategies that keep employees happy—and working.