Return-to-office mandates are really getting to some people, with employees at advertising giant WPP starting a petition to rebuke the company’s new policy.
Forcing employees back to the office is all the rage right. From Amazon to Zoom, businesses around the world are ditching their pandemic-era remote work policies in favor of strict return-to-office mandates.
These mandates haven’t gone unchallenged, though, with backlash from employees manifesting as everything from walkouts to petitions, and WPP employees are the latest to take a stand.
The WPP Return-to-Office Mandate
This week, multinational advertising company WPP announced that its more than 100,000 employees would be required to come into the office a minimum of four days per week. The news came in the form of an internal memo, which highlighted why the company is planning to make this substantial change to its policy.
“I believe that we do our best work when we are together in person. It’s easier to learn from each other, it’s a better way to mentor colleagues starting out in the industry, and it helps us win pitches as a truly integrated team.” – internal memo to WPP employees
According to the memo, the new policy will go into effect in April, which they hope will be plenty of time to address the notable “capacity requirements” that could be substantially impacted by this decision.
WPP Employees Start Petition
Remote employees are rarely willing to go gentle into that goodnight when it comes to return-to-office mandates, and WPP workers are no different. A group of employees have even started a petition on Change.org that aims to get WPP to “revoke its four-day office return mandate.”
“In a post-COVID world where many businesses have embraced flexible working styles, WPP’s decision seems to be a step backwards in supporting employee wellbeing and work-life balance, citing anecdotal data that either does not exist or has been misrepresented.” – the Change.org petition
As of writing, the petition has been signed 3,418 times, which is obviously far fewer than the company’s workforce, but could still have a notable impact on the future of the company.
The Value of Remote Work
While return-to-office policies have become increasingly popular, the WPP employees are right: There is very little data to back up the claim that teams are more productive and better equipped to work when they’re in the office.
In fact, the majority of work-from-home productivity statistics show the exact opposite, with companies that offer flexible work accommodations found to be more productive. Even better, hybrid work was found to reduce the carbon footprint of a business, so if going green is a priority, remote work can help.
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Beyond that, return-to-office mandates are a surefire way to alienate employees and invite backlash. Sure, establishing these kinds of policies could be a tactic to get employees to quit, but either way, remote work is one of the most sought-after perks in the business world, which means getting rid of it will hinder your ability to attract top talent.
