Is your office dead? Put BOND on the case

"We should not expect employees to be asked to endorse management's idea that we need to come back to the office, but helping to lay out the case as to how it is done, whether and how exceptions should be made, and crucially, what did we learn from remote work that we can carry over requires employee involvement. Even something as simple as adding evidence from employee poll results to support some aspect of the change would help."

"Build the case for connection by shifting the narrative from "returning to office" to "enhancing career growth through workplace connections." Show employees how in-person interactions lead to stronger professional networks, faster learning, and better career opportunities. Reinforce the business case by demonstrating how face-to-face collaboration fuels innovation, improves problem-solving, and enhances team performance. Acknowledge concerns, by addressing employee hesitations, and offering flexible ways to engage and provide solutions."

Employees are more willing to accept and engage with workplace changes when they participate in making them. Organizations should involve employees in designing return-to-office arrangements, including defining exceptions and identifying lessons from remote work to retain. Few employers surveyed employees about return-to-office plans in 2022, indicating limited employee input. The BOND Framework offers a structured way to encourage return and address concerns by building the case for connection and owning clear expectations for in-office participation. Shifting the narrative to career growth, demonstrating in-person benefits, using employee poll evidence, acknowledging hesitations, and offering flexible engagement options support smoother implementation.

Read at Big Think