The media is in a frenzy over the latest developments surrounding remote work (WFH) versus return-to-office (RTO) policies. Yet, like many sensational news cycles, this too will likely fade in a week or two as the next hot topic arises. It’s worth noting that the same media outlets now advocating for a return to office were once singing the praises of remote work during the COVID-19 peak. Change is inevitable, and media narratives tend to shift like weather vanes.
From a business perspective, real estate decisions regarding office space are driven by ROI and often span five-year lease cycles. Just because one company, possibly navigating its own internal challenges, makes a decision doesn’t mean that same choice should be applied universally.
The Remote Work vs. Office Debate
Before COVID-19, platforms like Zoom, Webex, and other remote conferencing tools were already gaining traction. In fact, last year, I didn’t attend a single meeting where everyone was physically present in the same room—or even in the same state. Many of those meetings involved global teams, making the argument for all white-collar workers returning to the office even more tenuous.
There’s undeniable value in having a physical office space, but in my opinion, it doesn’t need to be the default environment every day.
Balancing Workforce ‘Fairness’ & Expectations
Shifting Expectations
Pre-2020, the expectation for most employees was full-time, in-office attendance. Many companies, like Amazon, are pushing for a return to those pre-pandemic norms, asking workers to return to the same attendance policies they agreed to when hired.
What is often overlooked in these conversations is how many roles were already hybrid in nature, even before the term became a popular discussion point. Personally, most of my career has been flexible. In fact, I had a 2/3 hybrid work schedule for about two years in my role before the pandemic even began. Today, the majority of jobs I see in my field are advertised as remote, requiring only occasional visits to the office.
What About Fairness?
One aspect missing from many of the articles I’ve read about Amazon’s recent RTO policies is the consideration of different types of employees within the company. For a company with a homogeneous workforce, like a software firm with mostly white-collar employees, it’s easier to implement a one-size-fits-all attendance policy.
However, in companies like Amazon, which have both corporate white-collar employees and blue-collar workers in supply chain and delivery roles, it becomes much more complex. Certain jobs simply cannot be done remotely, and this can create a feeling of inequality among workers. Despite having different responsibilities, employees may still feel that they’re not being treated as part of the same team, which can lead to dissatisfaction.
The Future of Work: Flexibility is Key
Ultimately, this debate will continue to be a challenge for individual companies to navigate. Technology has advanced in ways that allow for a wide range of work styles that were simply not possible for many employees much before 2020. Companies and their workforces will need to adjust and evolve as new solutions and expectations emerge.
One thing is certain: the future of work will look very different from the past, and we’ll all be watching to see how these trends unfold.