What’s all the fuss about Return to Office?

It’s in all the news cycles. People are talking (and arguing) about it across social media. It’s the dreaded RTO: Return to Work.

Remote work isn’t anything new. People have been working from home even before the pandemic. But then 2020 happened and remote work became the new normal, with many companies forced to move to remote work to survive.

According to a 2021 US census, the number of people primarily working from home tripled from 5.7% (~9 million people) to 17.9% (27.6 million people) between 2019 and 2021. Honestly, I thought the number would be higher than that. Many non-essential workers were told to work from home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. It was a tough transition for some, but for others — they thrived.

For me, it was weird at first. But I slowly started acclimating to working from home full time and quite frankly, I loved it. I’m an introvert by nature and the constant noise, bright lights and interruptions in an office setting was frustrating. Once I started working remotely full-time, my productivity and creativity improved. I continued to meet deadlines, attend video calls (my cats are now as well-known as me), meet with supervisors regularly, and even catch up with colleagues for lunch occasionally. I found my stress decreased tremendously and I loved the flexibility and consistent routine from working at home.

Flash forward 3 years and many company are demanding employees come back to the office. Some employers are offering a compromise in the form of a hybrid schedule — 3 days in office, 2 days at home. But is that the best way to improve productivity or increase collaboration?

The Pro and Cons of Remote Work

It’s not that working from home is the only way to get work done, just as being in the office full time isn’t the only way to be productive. There are good and bad points to each. Below are just a few of my thoughts:

The Pros:

· Remote workers have a better work-life balance. When you’re not tied to a physical office, you can plan your day in a way that works for you and gives you more time for your personal life, including family commitments and social engagements. In April 2022, Future Forum found that remote employees have twice as much work-life balance as full-time office workers. Happy employees equal more productive employees.

Remote workers have a better work-life balance. When you’re not tied to a physical office, you can plan your day in a way that works for you and gives you more time for your personal life, including family commitments and social engagements. In April 2022, Future Forum found that remote employees have twice as much work-life balance as full-time office workers. Happy employees equal more productive employees.

· Remote workers save time and money. The average commuter spends between $3,000 and $15,000 on transportation costs a year. As a remote worker, you’ll spend a lot less on gas and vehicle maintenance. You also don’t have to spend as much on clothing since you’re not in an office or on video calls all day and you’ll spend less on eating out.

· Remote workers take fewer sick days. Employees who are happy and satisfied with their jobs are also less likely to take time off sick. Plus, when you’re not feeling that great, you still may be able to get work done from home while being comfortable, medicated, and in pjs.

The Cons:

· Remote workers have less human interaction. This is the most obvious one and the main argument for companies to require employees to return to the office. Interactions at work help build a sense of teamwork and can lead to better collaboration and problem solving. Some employees crave the face-to-face meetups and watercooler conversations, which can lead to other networking opportunities that you just can’t get from behind the computer screen.

· Remote workers are at the mercy of technology. Technology is our greatest friend, until it glitches and stops working. If remote workers don’t have a reliable internet connection, they can’t be a productive team member. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to join a conference call, only to have the call drop or your earbuds don’t connect.

· Remote work is a high-trust strategy. Some managers find it more difficult to adapt their management style to coaching remote workers. Trusting an employee usually means allowing them to take ownership of a task/project and complete it. Research shows that managers who can’t “see” their direct reports sometimes struggle to trust that their employees are actually working or putting in a full day. This can lead to remote workers feeling micromanaged.

Remote work may not be for everyone or every company. I’m an introvert and have found remote work more beneficial than being in an office full-time. Collaboration can happen remotely; it just looks a little different and may take more effort than just a quick drive-by conversation in office. There are so many tools available to help stay connected — Slack, MS Teams, Zoom, SharePoint, and more.

Remote work may not be for everyone or every company. I’m an introvert and have found remote work more beneficial than being in an office full-time. Collaboration can happen remotely; it just looks a little different and may take more effort than just a quick drive-by conversation in office. There are so many tools available to help stay connected — Slack, MS Teams, Zoom, SharePoint, and more.

It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of any job to ensure it aligns with your values and is the right culture fit.

What would you add to this list?