As more companies demand employees spend more days in their workplaces each week, some critics claim that tightening return to office (RTO) rulesin partaim to provoke resignations from employees unwilling to give up their remote or hybrid work arrangements. Reinforced RTO mandates, especially by large companies like Amazon and Starbucks, sparked accusations that management's tighter in-office requirements are a cover for pushing flexibility-loving workers to quit.
While this policy has been formulated to revitalise the economy, business leaders and HR teams have to consider how it will be implemented and its impact on employees. By increasing the number of working days in the office, businesses may achieve higher productivity and efficiency initially, but it can lead to increased stress and burnout among employees.
Summer Fridays were once seen as a perk that allowed employees some flexibility during the summer months... This has just lost a lot of relevance today. And there's a lot more intentionality around what employees are doing when they're actually in the workplace, primarily Tuesdays through Thursdays.