As the dust continues to settle in the post-Covid era, the office-bound 9-5 feels more and more like a decaying relic of yesteryear. Suits have given way to tracksuits. “You’re on mute” has entered the public lexicon. And workers are happier, more productive, and more connected to their colleagues – in spite of the physical distance between them.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this has done little to change the sensibilities of leading figures within the tech space, many of whom are hellbent on bringing their employees back to the office – and damn the expense. In recent months, the likes of Dell, Amazon, Meta, and more, have given staff their orders, joining a long list of businesses biting back on employee freedoms.
If, like 42% of workers, flexibility is a non-negotiable, this might be a scary prospect for you. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the biggest warning signs that your company might be about to issue a return-to-office (RTO) mandate.
What Are RTO mandates?
Like the name suggests, RTO mandates are orders issued by a company that its staff must return to the office. In recent months, several businesses across the tech space have rolled back their hybrid working arrangements – often at the cost of deteriorating morale.
The likes of Dell, Microsoft, Amazon, and X are just a few of the high-profile names to issue such mandates in the last couple of years, with 14% of Fortune 100 companies issuing mandates as far back as 2021. Predictably, many of their employees have been unhappy.
So, how can you stay one step ahead of the higher-ups? Pay attention to these red flags:
7 Signs That Your Company is Ending Remote Work
- Number of in-office days on the rise
- Change of management
- RTO becomes industry norm
- Managers spending more time in the office
- Company surveying employees on hybrid work opinions
- Remote vacancies dry up
- Investors pushing to end remote working
Let’s look at them in closer detail.
Number of In-Office Days on the Rise
According to research conducted by BambooHR, 70% of companies with flexible work schedules plan to increase employees’ in-office days by 2025. This is a big indicator that your company may be soft-launching an eventual full-office return. You have been warned.
Recent examples of this include both Amazon and Dell, who initially told staff they were expected in the office three days a week, but both have recently extended this to a full five.
Naturally, there will be pushback from employees. But some leaders think that this will help to root out workers who are less dedicated, as well as minimizing the risk of potential layoffs and reducing overall costs.
Change of Management
When a business changes hands, it often heralds a period of company-wide upheaval, with incoming bosses keen to put their stamp on the new workplace by assessing their options and implementing tried and tested maneuvers.
This also applies to their attitude to hybrid working. Recently, the new Starbucks CEO caused outrage after it emerged that he wouldn’t be required to relocate to Seattle – where the company is headquartered – despite insisting that its 3-day-a-week mandate be upheld.
If you have a new incoming CEO, check out the place they worked before. What was the remote work policy when they were in charge? It could prove a good indicator of what’s to come.
RTO Becomes Industry Norm
They say there’s no such thing as an original idea. That’s definitely applicable when it comes to office policies, with the industry serving as something of an echo chamber for flexible working sentiment.
Senior figures in the banking industry – including the likes of Morgan Stanley Executive Chairman James Gorman, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon – would testify as such. They’ve all gone on record with their opposition to hybrid working in the last couple of years. Coincidence? This reporter says no.
Managers Set the Example with More Appearances
Research from ResumeBuilder has found that almost a quarter of employees attend the office more frequently than their managers, with less than half of managers attending about the same amount of time as their reports.
In other words, if your manager is starting to hang around, it’s probably a bad sign – they might be trying to get you to ditch the slippers and follow suit.
Company Surveying Employees on Office Sentiment
When it comes enacting policy change, one of the biggest assets a company has at its disposal is its staff. Increasingly, businesses are trying to shake off old school “top-down” management in favor of a more homogenous, “bottom-up” approach. Start-ups and tech disruptors have built entire companies around this philosophy.
You might start to notice your HR department circulating surveys on remote working. Your boss might casually bring it up in a one-to-one. Whatever the case may be, if remote working is on the agenda, there’s a good chance your business is mulling over bringing you back to the office.
Remote Vacancies Dry Up
As reported elsewhere by Tech.co, businesses across the tech sector are ending fully remote working in their droves, with new fully-remote roles becoming harder and harder to find. The likes of Starbucks, General Motors, Disney, Walmart, Meta, and more, have joined rank in recent months.
It’s worth checking the vacancies where you work. Are they still advertised as remote or hybrid? Or is the language used a lot more vague, or is it simply not mentioned at all? Companies committed to remote work are up front about it in their vacancy postings. Those that aren’t tend to be a bit more coy.
As the dust continues to settle in the post-Covid era, remote has given way to flexible. But that may not be the case for long…
Investors Pushing to End Remote Working
Companies that are pushing RTO mandates usually cite one or more of the following reasons: in-office working is better for productivity, fostering positive working relationships can only be done in-person, you can’t build a good workplace culture from behind a laptop screen, etc.
This is simply not borne out by the research, and, increasingly, workers are starting to take these arguments with a pinch of salt. It’s no secret that companies have expensive office leases to think about. As reported by CNBC, “financial incentives and pressure from shareholders” are forcing bosses’ hands in a lot of cases – 80% of whom are actually keen on hybrid working themselves.
But I Don’t Want to Return to the Office…What Can I Do?
All hope might not be lost. Tech.co maintains an up-to-date list of remote and hybrid roles at a variety of Big Tech companies, including the likes of Apple, Microsoft, Google, and more. There are also states and countries that will pay you to move and work remotely.
You can improve your chances too, by making sure that your resume is remote work ready. This means leaning into skills such as problem solving, and showing that you have the ability to work in isolation. Check out our guide to crafting the perfect remote work resume.
You may also be able to negotiate with your manager, and strike a deal that allows you to work a remote or hybrid schedule.
