Why bosses are demanding more - and what it could cost them

"Signing on from home means it's only a five-minute walk from his Brooklyn apartment to day care pickup. "I'm definitely lucky," he told Business Insider. Tobias, 39, also knows his employer's allowances are increasingly rare. After years of talking up flexibility and work-life balance, leaders across industries are taking a firmer approach - mandating office attendance, tightening performance metrics, and pushing AI-driven productivity."

""It's very much an employer-driven market, which allows for businesses to behave like this," said Alex Bouaziz, cofounder and CEO of the HR and payroll platform Deel, referring to measures like return-to-office orders. Yet CEOs reasserting control could risk overstepping, corporate observers warn.Workers might be hugging their jobs now, but prioritizing control over trust could backfire by damaging morale, engagement, and, ultimately, retention, they say."

Remote work provides tangible daily benefits for employees, such as shorter commutes to family responsibilities. Employers are increasingly mandating office attendance, tightening performance metrics, and pushing AI-driven productivity measures. A tighter labor market enables employers to demand more flexibility from workers, including longer hours and weekend work. Prioritizing control over trust creates risk of eroding morale and engagement, which is currently low. Persistent pressure could reduce retention when the job market strengthens and workers gain leverage to seek better conditions elsewhere.

Read at Business Insider