The Executive Edge: Workplace Flexibility and Return-to-Office Mandates

The Executive Edge—a quarterly newsletter from Michigan Ross Executive Education—provides insights and expert analysis on key global business challenges and trending topics. In the latest issue, Ross Professor Dave M Mayer explores how return-to-office mandates affect employee autonomy, productivity, and team dynamics—and why flexibility remains a key factor in organizational health.

What do you believe are the driving factors behind these trends of RTO mandates, and what common pitfalls are leaders facing when prioritizing RTO policies over addressing underlying organizational issues like employee burnout?

There are several reasons driving the RTO mandates. First, management may hold a belief that employees are more productive when in the office (even though evidence does not always support this notion). Second, particularly for creative work that relies on multiple perspectives, managers often advocate for the advantages of being in the same physical space. Third, as a way to reinforce culture and enhance connections, management might advocate for being in the office at the same time. One pitfall is that management does not always understand that the cat is already out of the bag. Once you provide someone with additional autonomy, making decisions such as RTO that lead to feeling like one has less control over one’s work day is particularly upsetting. In addition, many employees report being more productive at home because there are fewer work-related distractions. Thus, they fear that being back in the office could lead to more interruptions and less production. Thus, there are psychological and productivity-related factors that management may not fully acknowledge.  

What strategies have proven effective in supporting positive team dynamics during transitions back to in-office work?

It is important for leaders to adequately explain why there is an RTO mandate. If there is not a legitimate justification, employees are more likely to be dissatisfied. However, if leadership can explain the value of in-person creative work and the power of connection to build and reinforce culture, employees are more likely to see the value in RTO. If employees believe RTO is useful and even fun, they are less likely to resist. Often, employees see the value of being in the office at least a few days per week. And new data suggests that employees in their 20s are more positive about working in the office.  

Given the growing tension between employee preference for flexibility and employer push for in-office work, how should business leaders strategically balance these competing priorities?

An employee can feel flexibility in multiple ways. For example, allowing an employee to work from home once or twice per week or have four longer days with Friday off can be immensely useful. Also, providing flexibility in terms of projects to work on that match employees’ expertise and passion can give them a greater sense of control, even with an RTO mandate. The key is that employees still feel some autonomy in their day and their work.

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