{"id":10180,"date":"2024-12-24T15:06:52","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T19:06:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=10180"},"modified":"2024-12-24T15:15:54","modified_gmt":"2024-12-24T19:15:54","slug":"return-to-office-mandates-spur-workplace-battle-of-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=10180","title":{"rendered":"Return to office mandates spur workplace battle of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Remote work is either on its way out or companies are vastly underestimating how attached their employees are to working in their slippers.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A handful of recent workplace reports reveal the schism.<\/p>\n

On one hand, there are the strident cries of corporate suits demanding workers return to the office at big companies like Amazon (AMZN<\/a>) and Starbucks (SBUX<\/a>), veiled with \u201cbrush off your r\u00e9sum\u00e9\u201d threats.<\/p>\n

A recent\u00a0survey\u00a0<\/a>by KPMG reported that roughly 8 in 10 CEOs envision a full return to the office in the next three years vs. 34% who had this prediction earlier this year. And 86% of CEOs \u201cwill reward employees who make an effort to come into the office with favorable assignments, raises, or promotions.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the other hand, flexible work arrangements are crucial to more than 8 in 10 workers, and more than half say they would be willing to turn down a salary increase for more autonomy over when and where they do their job, according to a recent Charles Schwab\u00a0study<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read on Yahoo Finance<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe evolution of work continues to be defined by flexibility and adaptability,\u201d Ruth Thomas, pay equity strategist at Payscale, told Yahoo Finance. \u201cWhile return-to-office mandates are gaining traction in some sectors, the enduring appeal of remote work is undeniable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Starting at the top<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Last week, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, whom President-elect Donald Trump named to head the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), joined the chorus and blasted forth about their plan to force federal employees to return to the office in hopes that some will opt to quit instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cRequiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome: If federal employees don\u2019t want to show up, American taxpayers shouldn\u2019t pay them for the Covid-era privilege of staying home,\u201d the two wrote in a\u00a0Wall Street Journal op-ed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How much time federal staffers spend working remotely varies by department, according to an August\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0from the Office of Management and Budget. The reality, though, is only a fraction of employees work fully remotely.<\/p>\n

Roughly 2.3 million civilians work for the federal government, according to the OMB report, which looked at 24 agencies that employ about 98% of the federal civilian workforce.<\/p>\n

Just over half, or 1.2 million, work fully in person since their jobs require them to be physically present. The remaining 1.1 million staffers are eligible to telework. About 228,000 employees, or 10% of the total, are in fully remote positions and are not expected to work in person on a regular basis.<\/p>\n

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Pack up and leave<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One consequence of requiring workers to show up in the office is that the voluntary turnover rate for traditional in-person work is 30%, around double that of remote companies and hybrid work environments, according to Payscale\u00a0data<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOrganizations are finding that a balanced, hybrid approach often fosters both productivity and employee satisfaction,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cAs we close out 2024, the key to success lies in empowering teams with choice\u00a0<\/em>and building cultures that prioritize results over presence.\u201d<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t make Amazon\u2019s CEO Andy Jassy flinch. Last month, in\u00a0a memo\u00a0<\/a>to office workers, he announced a full return-to-office starting in 2025, an increase from three days for the past year or so.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve observed that it\u2019s easier for our teammates to learn, model, practice, and strengthen our culture; collaborating, brainstorming, and inventing are simpler and more effective; teaching and learning from one another are more seamless; and, teams tend to be better connected to one another,\u201d he wrote. \u201cIf anything, the last 15 months we\u2019ve been back in the office at least three days a week has strengthened our conviction about the benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Starbucks is also turning the screws, threatening its employees with job termination if they fail to follow the company\u2019s return-to-office mandate, according to a\u00a0recent memo<\/a>\u00a0obtained by Bloomberg.<\/p>\n