With one in five employees ignoring their company’s return-to-office policy, providing flexibility, cultivating useful workspaces, and measuring ROI are key steps to reframing the office as an employee resource.
By Maggie Mancini
More than five years after the COVID-19 pandemic forced employees out of offices and onto Zoom screens, the journey back has been quite bumpy. Many large organizations have implemented return-to-office (RTO) mandates over the past few years, reminding their workforce that the shift to remote work was meant to be temporary and hoping for improved collaboration and productivity. Others have instead opted for hybrid working arrangements, bringing employees back into the office several days a week, but stopping short of a full return to the pre-pandemic era.
When employees understand the purpose behind gathering in person, whether it’s faster decision-making, more creative problem-solving, or building team trust, they’re far more likely to engage.
When employees understand the purpose behind gathering in person, whether it’s faster decision-making, more creative problem-solving, or building team trust, they’re far more likely to engage.
Employees are split on this, too. Data shows one in five workers admit to ignoring their company’s RTO roles, and most workers want to be in the office three days or less per week. In some cases, employees subject to RTO mandates have resorted to “coffee badging,” in which they commute to the office, sign in, and grab a coffee before going home for the remainder of the workday. Still, RTO doesn’t have to be a standoff between employees and employers, says Lucy Lin, people leader at Density, a space analytics platform for measuring and improving workplaces.
“When employees understand the purpose behind gathering in person, whether it’s faster decision-making, more creative problem-solving, or building team trust, they’re far more likely to engage,” she says. “What doesn’t work? Mandates without meaning. Transparency, clear expectations, and support for employee flexibility all help turn the office from a requirement to a resource.”
From there, Lin says HR leaders should measure whether their RTO policy is actually working. Understanding the physical workspace is part of that. Are desks, meeting rooms, and other spaces helping teams deliver what the RTO policy set out to accomplish? Are employees coming together and collaborating as intended?
“Examining the outcomes early and often will help workplace and HR leaders iterate on policies, rethink the workspace, and remain transparent and credible with employees,” Lin says.
Flexibility shows up in different ways when employees return to the office, including:
- how the workplace supports different types of work;
- how the day is structured; and
- how policies support real life.
At Density, leaders have designed the office to reflect how its employees work. The company has been measuring its own spaces for years and has ample data on how its teams like to work. This means more phone booths and heads-down areas, and fewer rows of unused desks.
“We’re also adopted core hours, where teams maximize their in-person overlap between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. but with flexible start and end times,” Lin says. “That way, we can offer greater flexibility for those with longer commutes, childcare responsibilities, and other personal commitments. And if employees need a remote day for a specific type of focus work, we appreciate and honor the request rather than frown upon it.”
Given that the majority of employees have expressed their willingness to quit over a return to full-time in-office work, organizations adopting an RTO policy should consider the impact it may have on turnover.
“Return-to-office should never be ‘because I said so,’” Lin says. “If you’re asking employees to change how they work, it’s important to offer them a clear and honest why and provide the data to back up your rationale. When leaders can clearly show that in-person time leads to better alignment, faster execution, or more mentorship, it becomes a shared goal, not just a top-down mandate.”
Policy alone isn’t enough. People managers play a major role in bringing RTO strategies to life, as they’re the bridge between company expectations and day-to-day employee experience. Equipping managers with clear communication strategies—plus training on how to lead hybrid teams—helps them set expectations with clarity, address concerns with empathy, and support employees as they navigate the impacts of RTO, Lin says.
“Yes, some turnover is inevitable. That’s not failure, though. It’s part of helping people find the work environment where they can truly thrive,” Lin says. “There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to work anymore, and that’s a good thing. With companies adopting policies that range from full-time in-office to full-time remote, employees can now find the setup that works best for them.”
HR leaders can take a strategic approach to RTO by understanding why they want people in the office, then measuring whether it’s working, Lin says. Counting badge swipes at the turnstile won’t cut it. Rather, HR needs to dig deeper, tracking how the workspace is actually used and how much time teams are spending in collaboration with one another.
Once that is determined, it’s important to measure those outcomes, she adds. If the goal is to move faster, launch better products, or improve organizational alignment, is that actually happening?
“At Density, our RTO strategy is focused on velocity,” Lin explains. “We believed that we would see faster decision-making and product development if our team spent more time together in person. That has proven true. We developed and launched our latest sensor, Waffle, in record time. We attribute that to two things: better alignment and more collaboration.”
Density’s internal data shows that meeting rooms are being used for actual meetings, rather than just people on video calls. At least 65% of meeting room use is for more than one person, and 39% of usage of Density’s largest space is by groups of seven or more.
“Language shapes behavior,” Lin says. “The word ‘mandate’ can trigger resistance, even when employees agree with the policy. Framing the office as a resource, not a requirement, goes a long way in building trust and encouraging buy-in. That’s especially true for Gen Z employees, who are often looking for in-person mentorship, learning opportunities, and connection early in their careers. The office provides all those things and more to allow early career employees to grow and thrive.”
