Remote Work or RTO: Pros and Cons
Has your team been remote or partially remote since the pandemic? Is leadership creating a return to office (RTO) policy? How can you balance employees’ desire for work-life balance with the collaboration that happens when you get experts in the same room together?
A Resume Builders survey in 2023 found that 90% of companies with physical locations will require an RTO policy by the end of the year 2024 (as cited in Shiavo, 2024). To help you prepare policies and vision for your organization, consider some of the pros and cons of remote work versus a full RTO.
Cons of RTO
Costs and burdens of traveling onsite. When you factor in commute time, childcare expenses, and potential relocations for remote employees, working onsite may represent a huge burden for employees. Consider a relocation package or other compensation for travel expenses and employees’ time.
Reduced attractiveness and retention of employees. While the minority of jobs are fully remote, almost half of all applications on LinkedIn are for remote jobs (CNBC, 2024). A fully onsite job may be less attractive to talented candidates who want to balance family and personal life with their loyalty to an organization.
Increased compensation required. According to ZipRecruiter’s data, salaries for fully onsite roles increased by 40% from 2023 to 2024, a sharper increase than salary rises in remote or hybrid roles (as cited in CNBC, 2024). If your ideal candidate strongly prefers a remote or hybrid schedule, you may have to offer higher compensation for the same role if you need them onsite 100% of the time.
Reduces accommodation options. For some employees, working remotely may be a medical or disability accommodation (Fisher Phillips, 2024). If you implement an RTO policy, decide if and how employees can request accommodations and anticipate how many of your employees will be impacted.
Negative responses. Employees who are comfortable working remotely may fight against the RTO policies or choose to leave.
Pros of RTO
Cohesive mission, vision, and values. A fun, creative, safe workspace can be the genesis of new ideas and focus employees around the company’s mission and values. Kaseya, an IT company, created a welcoming environment after implementing RTO by replacing cubicle spaces with free, open areas with glass dividers, whiteboards for collaboration, and videos playing throughout the office showcasing the achievements of teams around the globe (Shiavo, 2024).
Social connections. Bringing people onsite fosters relationships and builds social connectivity among your employees, who otherwise might be siloed when working remotely.
Formal supervision. Employees who need direct oversight and coaching from their supervisors may benefit from working onsite with their supervisors.
Interdisciplinary collaboration. While it’s not impossible to foster online collaboration, it happens more organically in real time when employees of different backgrounds and skill sets are put together in the same space.
Implementing a hybrid schedule may be a great option for employers wanting to reap the benefits of onsite employees without losing the pros of flexibility and work-life balance offered by remote work. Tasks that absolutely must be in person occur on days in the office, while more independent work can be done remotely.
If the headache of figuring out who is in the office and who is at home, and on which days, sounds like a nightmare for managers, try using generative AI like ChatGPT to create employee schedules. We prompted AI to create a schedule with parameters (including when employees are available to work, the minimum number of employees needed on site, etc.), and it created a feasible schedule template. This could save you hours piecing together the puzzle of employee and organizational needs!
References
Fisher Phillips. (2023). Are you thinking about bringing your employees back to the office? Read this first. Fisher & Phillips LLP. https://www.fisherphillips.com/en/
news-insights/bringing-your-employees-back-to-the-office.html
Shiavo, A. (2024). Tech company Kaseya credits YOY drop in attrition to its RTO policy. HR Brew. www.hr-brew.com/stories/2024/03/29/tech-company-kaseya-credits-yoy-drop
-in-attrition-to-its-rto-policy?mbcid=34866522.102161&mblid=5e4c3cae484f&mid=ce42600ee7ab6b06da2fea909cc2c519&utm_campaign=hrb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew
Smith, M. (2024). Remote workers could earn up to 30% more if they come in to the office 5 days a week, research shows. CNBC Make It. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/27/remote-workers-get-up-to-30percent-pay-increase-for-switching-to-in-office-jobs-says-new-research.html?utm_campaign=hrb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew
