How to Structure an Inclusive Return to Office Policy

To return or not to return—that’s still the question.

Years after the remote work boom, companies remain divided. Some leaders swear by in-person collaboration. Others point to remote flexibility as a win for inclusion and productivity. And employees? They’re split too.

Creating a return-to-office policy that works for everyone isn't easy. But it’s possible.

Discover how to build a flexible, inclusive strategy that supports business goals and employee needs.

Why Companies Are Reconsidering the Office

Companies are taking a hard look at office strategy again—this time with more nuance than before. Key drivers include:

1. Sparking Creativity and Connection

There’s something magical about bumping into a colleague by the coffee machine. Those spontaneous conversations and quick team huddles? They can light up innovation in ways video calls just can’t. That’s why many leaders—from Disney to startups—are leaning into office time as a spark for creativity, accountability, and connection.

2. Making the Most of Office Investments

Real talk: office spaces are expensive. And many organizations are still locked into long-term leases. For some, encouraging in-person days is a way to get value from those investments—turning unused square footage into spaces for collaboration, celebration, and shared wins.

3. Balancing Visibility and Trust

Some leaders feel more confident when they can see their teams in action. And for better or worse, return-to-office policies have sometimes become a proxy for measuring dedication. It’s a delicate balance—between building trust and staying connected.

4. Supporting Growth and Mentorship

Offices aren’t just workspaces—they’re learning hubs. In-person moments offer rich opportunities for coaching, problem-solving, and peer mentorship. For early-career employees and new hires especially, face time with experienced colleagues can be a game changer.

5. Tackling the Tough Stuff in Remote Work

Working remotely isn’t without its challenges. Leaders are noticing more siloed teams, culture drift, and even signs of burnout. Rebuilding in-office rhythms—when done thoughtfully—can help reconnect people to purpose, teams to each other, and companies to their core culture.

How RTO Impacts Businesses

Requiring employees to return to the office—whether full-time or hybrid—has wide-ranging effects.

Business Benefits of Returning to the Office

Enhanced Collaboration & Innovation

• In-person interaction fosters spontaneous idea-sharing and problem-solving. Companies report more real-time teamwork and creativity when teams are co-located.
• Office teams generate 15 to 20% more ideas than virtual ones, boosting development and growth.

Stronger Company Culture & Employee Engagement

• Shared physical space builds unity, morale, and cultural cohesion.
• Badge-and-attendance data from PwC shows peak engagement with three in-office days per week.

Career Growth, Recognition & Talent Development

• Onsite presence increases visibility. 95% of leaders say they recognize contributions more in-person..
• RTO supports hands-on training, mentorship, and networking—especially for newer employees.

Improved Work-Life Boundaries

• Being in the office helps some employees draw clearer lines between work and home life.

Better Security & Compliance

• Working from secure office environments reduces vulnerabilities to data breaches—especially important in regulated industries comeen.comALTA.

Business Downsides of Returning to the Office

Talent Retention & Recruitment Downturns

• Nearly 50% of companies with strict RTO policies have seen increased attrition.
• High performers, in particular, are most at risk: when rigid policies hit, intent to stay among top talent can drop by 16%.
• Gen Z especially is voting with their feet. If mandates feel like a “bait and switch,” they walk.

Increased Costs for Employees & Employers

• Employees can face roughly $561/month added costs—from commuting, childcare, and workplace dining.
• On the flip side, employers save about $11,000 per employee who works remotely at least half the time.

Productivity & Engagement Pitfalls

• Data shows no productivity spike with more office days—even moving from 3 to 5 days hardly changes output and can hurt satisfaction.
• Monitoring presence rather than outcomes can breed distrust: 49% of employees reported more stress under surveillance UC Today.
• Those forced back often suffer: Dell reported a sharp drop in employee satisfaction (eNPS fell from 63 to 32), with the RTO mandate flagged as a key stressor.

Culture, Civility & Inclusion Risks

• RTO mandates have been linked to a 63% rise in workplace incivility.
• Flexibility is especially crucial for caregivers and people with disabilities—mandates without accommodating them risk reducing diversity and inclusion.

Lessons Learned from Remote Work

The remote work revolution had some definite benefits to which the workforce has grown accustomed. Organizations can make the most of this going forward by asking: “How can we take those lessons and benefits of remote work and incorporate them into a return-to-office policy?” Some of the most notable advantages of remote work to consider include the following:

• Broader talent pool. Having the option or ability to work from home is more inclusive and helps all kinds of people. Remote work even helped set record employment rates for disabled workers, so organizations that can continue to accommodate employees and their needs will be more equipped to foster diversity throughout their entire operations.
   
• Save money on workspace. Because employees were not on-site very often if at all during remote work, the office space that organizations pay for became relatively obsolete. Organizations found themselves no longer needing the space and could save money that they could instead spend on more pressing expenses.
   
• Reduce carbon footprint. By eliminating commutes, people don’t have to drive every day, which reduces the toll that motor vehicles can have on the environment. For people that don’t need to be in-person during work, those employees can still help reduce carbon emissions while still getting the job done.
   
• Higher-quality work. Remote work also helps employees experience work-life wellness where they have more control over their schedules and can optimize their own work environment. When employees have more autonomy because of their location independence, they tend to be more productive: such workers produce results with 40% fewer quality defects and teleworkers are an average of 35-40% more productive than their office counterparts.

Effective Strategies for a Smooth Transition Back in Office

As we said earlier, 37% of employees say they’d like to work in an office. At the same time, however, one in four workers say they refuse to return to the office — and are even willing to accept termination as a result. Given the benefits of both in-person and remote work, each group has a point. Building return-to-office policies need to be handled with empathy and grace to address the needs of both groups and benefits of both working setups. 

Incorporate Employee Input

Asking employees to shape your return to the office plan can help it meet everyone’s needs from the start. This information can aid you in identifying any potential hurdles they foresee experiencing, so you can plan how those will be addressed before they arise. Surveying your employees can also reduce staff anxieties about returning to the office since they know the company is listening to their needs from the start.

Set Clear In-Office Expectations

The last thing you want to do is create unnecessary complications because your workplace requirements are vague. For instance, are you going to operate under a hybrid schedule or are employees expected to always be in the office? In hybrid situations, what days of the week should team members be in the office? Are there any jobs that are exempt from the return to office policy, or personal circumstances that allow for exceptions?

Every company is answering these questions differently. Whatever your policy is, help your employees successfully transition from remote work to office work by being crystal clear about what is expected. This can prevent managers or employees being put in a difficult position because expectations are fuzzy. 

Avoid Favoritism and Proximity Bias

Flex work has many benefits, but the chance of encountering proximity bias can increase when employees differ in the amount of face-time they’re putting in at the office. Proximity bias is where managers give preference to those employees they see more often, inadvertently or not, even if the work produced by remote workers is the same. 

Having established criteria written down for what’s expected of every job at every grade level can help you ward against this by providing a stable benchmark for all employees. Over time, you can track internal data to make sure remote or more-hybrid employees are not forgotten or considered for promotions or rewards. 

Be Transparent About the ‘Why’ Behind Office Attendance 

Employees appreciate transparency and trust from their employer, so communicate openly with people about why, if, and how the organization is returning to the office. 

If you are moving to a hybrid work arrangement, it’s advisable to communicate the value your organization sees in that facetime. Whether you’re creating a one-day requirement or several days a week, it’s better to be specific about what your company wants to get out of being together beyond company culture. Perhaps certain meetings are better in a conference room than a Zoom call, or maybe you’re losing valuable in-person client meetings that help promote your business. Whatever the case, making sure that employees understand the why of going back to the office can help them see the value in disrupting their current status quo.

Common Return-to-Office Challenges — And How to Overcome Them

1. Commute Stress & Costs

Challenge: Employees resist due to long commutes, rising expenses, and time away from family or caregiving duties.

Solution:

• Offer flexible hours or compressed workweeks to ease peak-hour travel.
• Subsidize transit, meals, or childcare costs.
• Let employees set their own hybrid schedule where possible.

2. Unclear Hybrid Expectations

Challenge: Mixed signals from leadership about in-office days erode trust and demotivate staff.

Solution:

• Co-create policies that specify “why, when, where” RTO matters.
• Let teams decide their in-office rhythm.
• Leadership must model transparency and set outcome-focused metrics.

3. Space Shortages & Poor Utilization

Challenge: Offices are over-crowded on some days and empty on others.

Solution:

• Use desk-booking systems and data on usage patterns.
• Offer shared or drop-in spaces.
• Reevaluate real estate based on actual hybrid attendance.

4. Weakened Culture & Spontaneity

Challenge: Lack of unscheduled interactions erodes psychological safety and cultural cohesion.

Solution:

• Schedule recurring in-person days.
• Build informal moments into the day—lunches, rituals, “water‑cooler” chats.
• Host quarterly team-building events or group workshops.

5. Burnout and Overload

Challenge: Employees equate returning to the office with longer hours and stress.

Solution:

• Normalize setting and respecting boundaries.
• Offer mental-health support and resilience training.
• Train managers to recognize signs of burnout early.

6. Coordination & Communication Gaps

Challenge: Dispersed teams struggle with miscommunication and lagging feedback.

Solution:

• Define communication norms (e.g., Slack for quick chats, Zoom for deep topics).
• Use collaboration tools with clear version and status tracking.
• Sync core working hours across time zones.

7. Focus on Presence Over Outcomes

Challenge: Managers look for badge-swiping instead of results.

Solution:

• Shift to outcome-based performance metrics.
• Ditch micromanagement tactics like time-tracking mouse jiggler tools.
• Educate leaders on trust and coaching techniques.

8. Logistics & Workspace Readiness

Challenge: Offices may lack space, tools, or quiet zones.

Solution:

• Audit office readiness: space, tech, privacy.
• Create ergonomic, reservation-enabled workstations.
• Implement feedback loops for constant improvements.

Tips For A Smooth Return-To-Office Transition

Employers

Employers have the difficult job of bringing employees back to the office in a positive and understanding manner, especially so that the workforce doesn’t suffer from poor morale or experience additional stress from this lifestyle change. Here are some things leaders can do to make this adjustment easier.

• Make an effort to support employees. For a lot of people, moving back to the office can be emotionally, mentally, and logistically complicated—it can affect family life, vacation time, personal wellness, and more. To support employees, try to understand what their needs are and what they are losing so that you can try to supplement those losses and protect their wellness.
   
• Look for opportunities to improve the workday. The work environment has always made a big impact on productivity and morale, so if there are updates to the office that add to the comfort of the workforce, that may make the office more appealing. You can also try having luncheons, playing music if/when appropriate, hosting a raffle occasionally, etc. Make coming into the office worth it for employees, too.
   
• Offer fun benefits and incentives to employees. Many employers have used unique benefit ideas to highlight the advantages of returning to work in person. You can add a commuter benefit that contributes to the cost of commuting to the office, adjust your PTO policy to retain flexibility in schedules, or offer access to a gym or fitness center.

Employees

Returning to the office can be a big adjustment for employees, but there are things you can do too in order to make this process less of a hassle.

• Readjust schedules. Many people get used to setting their own schedules when they work remotely, which may not be as widely available when in-office hours are reinstated. This may require employees to change set routines with friends and family, adjust when they go shopping or work out, and modify when they are available within working hours.
   
• Plan for commutes. A big change may be the commute, which takes both time and money. Employees need to budget for the gasoline and time it takes to travel to and from work.
   
• Prepare to communicate effectively. Any change in processes or systems is going to require even more communication than normal, including moving back into the office.
   
• Get to know any new team members. Making work friends or getting to know new coworkers is a great way to become more comfortable at work and reap some of the rewards of an in-office environment.
   
• Prioritize self-care. There are social and emotional impacts of returning to the office after years of working from home, so employees should still be encouraged to take care of themselves and their families.
   
• Have an open mind. Employees that are open-minded to the idea of in-office work may find that they can focus better, separate their personal time from work, and enjoy more social interaction.

Support Your Workplace, Wherever Work Happens 

Even if you decide your company will benefit from bringing back in-office work days, it’s a  shift that will require extra effort for your employees. Commuting or arranging childcare is additional work employees need to do in order to meet in-office requirements, and this can create stress. Prioritizing their wellbeing by rolling out additional supports at this time can help smooth the transition. 

Every employee has different needs, so consider pulling from a variety of support programs for your workforce. You could offer flexible gym subscriptions that help people exercise near their home or by the office, or add childcare stipends to your benefits package. In-office perks can help as well, like free lunch-and-learns that offer professional development while saving employees the cost of eating out for lunch.

Wellhub lets you meet employees wherever they are on their wellbeing journey. Our flexible monthly subscription gives employees access to thousands of fitness studios and wellness apps. Speak with a Wellbeing Specialist today about how we can help support your workforce, whether they're working from home or at your office!

References

• Ascalon, Anecia. (2022, January 20). 12 Team Building Statistics: We Surveyed Managers and Employees. Team Building Hub. Retrieved April 5, 2023 from https://teambuildinghub.com/blog/team-building-statistics/.
• Ceron, Ella. (2023, February 24). Remote Work Helped Push Disability Employment Up to a Record High. Bloomberg. Retrieved May 15, 2023 from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-24/remote-work-helped-push-disability-employment-up-to-a-record-high#xj4y7vzkg.
• Korolevich, Sara. (2022, September 27). The State Of Remote Work In 2022: A Survey Of The American Workforce. GoodHire. Retrieved April 5, 2023 from https://www.goodhire.com/resources/articles/state-of-remote-work-survey-2022/.
• Laurel, Farrer. (2020, February 12). 5 Proven Benefits Of Remote Work For Companies. Forbes. Retrieved May 15, 2023 from https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurelfarrer/2020/02/12/top-5-benefits-of-remote-work-for-companies.
• O’Loughlin, Henry. (2023, May 9). Return To Office Plans For Every Fortune 100. Build Remote. Retrieved May 15, 2023 from https://buildremote.co/companies/return-to-office/.
• Resilience Global Group. (2022, November 8). 1 in 4 Remote Workers Refuse In-Office Mandate. Retrieved April 5, 2023 from https://reliexchange.com/remote-workers-refuse-in-office-mandate/.