"An executive boasting that working in an office equals success will find workers focusing on visual performance rather than actual work output. Key performance indicators tied to your physical location can push actual meaningful contributions to the wayside. Many executives claim getting "back" to the pre-COVID work environment will be better for the company's overall performance. Yet, a pre-pandemic 2018 Workplace Distraction Report by Udemy found that 54% of respondents aren't performing as well as they should due to workplace distractions."
"In any organizational change management effort, the application of the actual change gets passed down to middle managers. When a company institutes a new policy from the top-down, it is up to the middle managers to implement and enforce the policy with their direct reports. It is doubtful the CEO will be checking if you are in your assigned seat, but now your manager will have to take on this extra burden."
Return-to-office mandates shift focus from measurable outcomes to visible presence, causing employees to prioritize on-site attendance over meaningful work. Executives who equate office presence with success incentivize visual performance and risk degrading actual productivity. Pre-pandemic research indicates substantial workplace distractions, with many workers preferring flexible schedules and remote options to improve focus. Top-down RTO policies place enforcement responsibilities on middle managers, adding policing duties that distract from supporting and advocating for teams. The increased managerial burden can harm morale, trust, and equity across the organization. Such mandates can produce unintended negative effects on overall performance and employee engagement.
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