June 2024 - Leah M. Joppy & Associates Coaching

A few years ago, it seemed like remote work was poised to become the norm, but fast forward to 2024 and it’s quickly becoming a sign of the past. Despite overwhelming enthusiasm and support for telework from workers, the trend is shifting and return-to-office (RTO) mandates are becoming more and more prevalent. In May, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (I-WV) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) introduced the bipartisan Back to Work Act of 2024 to bring employees of federal agencies back to in-person work. This legislation would limit telework to no more than 40% of days within an employee’s pay period and require agencies to report to Congress on the productivity of its telework activities.

Just like private companies whose workers threatened to leave their positions before RTO mandates, there is now similar data from government agencies. Here’s a look at a few:

• An Environmental Protection Agency survey reveals 65.9% of employees indicated they would consider leaving the agency if telework and remote work opportunities were diminished. Additionally, 80% of respondents anticipated experiencing “personal hardships” if telework were reduced.
• At the National Science Foundation (NSF), a survey revealed that 42% of respondents feel that being required to work in the office four days per pay period would significantly affect them. In addition, 27% of NSF employees view RTO expectations as “unworkable” and said they would consider finding new employment or retiring.

So, why are workers so dead set against returning to the office? Here are the most common objections:
• Commuting: The time, energy, cost and stress that workers face before even stepping into the office is one of the biggest deterrents. Some people even moved during the pandemic to get out of the city and into a larger space. This means even more time spent on commuting.
• Lost productivity in the office: People learned how to be more productive working from home and the experience shined a light on some of the inefficiencies of being in the office.
• Childcare and pet costs: The pandemic really highlighted the struggles of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, as well as the cost of spending so much time in the office. So, it’s no surprise that childcare costs and having to leave pets at home were top reasons keeping employees out of the office.
• Unenjoyable office environment: Noise levels will always be one of the reasons people may not want to work in the office, but workers also want to know when their colleagues are going in to work so they can avoid ending up in an empty office. Coordinating that overlap has proved challenging for many organizations.

How is your agency handling return-to-office mandates? Most importantly, how are your team members handling it? Like many leaders, you probably have concerns about recruitment and retention. It’s a challenging situation that can make you feel like you’re powerless. Leah M Joppy and Associates is ready to work with you to face the hurdles and develop RTO strategies for both you and your team members. Each department is different and faces a unique set of challenges. We’ll learn about yours and help you come up with effective solutions.

Call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com to learn more.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the dynamics of the workplace underwent a major shift. So many of us became used to the flexibility of working from home. Our routines shifted, we started saving hours a week in commuting time and many of us found a work/life balance. Now, it seems like we’re poised to undergo another major shift: return-to-office (RTO) mandates. And workers’ unhappiness with this “new normal” has been deafening.

Here’s something startling to consider: according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED), the dissatisfaction of shifting from a flexible work model to a traditional one has the same effect on employee satisfaction as a pay cut of up to 3%. That’s pretty sobering and something that can’t be ignored. We looked at other discouraging numbers in our last article. If you’re a leader within your department, you’re probably throwing up your hands and wondering what you can do. You can’t ignore RTO mandates, but you also can’t disregard your team members’ feelings and preferences. Here are a few things to consider:

Get employee buy-in
There are valid reasons to request that employees come back to the office, but everything needs to be transparent and equitable. For an RTO plan to be successful, leaders need to make it clear why in-person work will bring better value to team members. Give them a reason to be excited about in-person work. If your team isn’t on board, your department will be dealing with retention issues.

Build connection points
One of the main reasons people come into the office is to see their colleagues. One of the main reasons they don’t come in is because they don’t end up seeing them and the office is nearly empty. When employees are planning their hybrid work schedule, they should know in advance who else will be in the office through a workplace management system. Then, once they’re in-office, there should be spaces to make collaborating with others as simple and stress-free as possible.

Look into subsidizing costs
Commuting, childcare and pet costs are all top reasons why many workers are hesitant to return to the office. So, it’s no surprise that they’re looking for support from management to help them offset these costs. Workers don’t want to feel like they have to pay to come into the office. Does your department have the ability to subsidize some of the costs of working in-person? It could make a major difference to many of your team members.

Listen to employee feedback
Finally, your team members are your greatest asset. It’s important that leaders take the time to listen to their concerns and feedback, before and after the RTO. Making adjustments based on feedback can make a big impact when it comes to putting together an RTO strategy that puts your employees first.

Navigating RTO mandates can be challenging for even the most seasoned leaders. Leah M Joppy and Associates can work with your organization to face the hurdles and develop RTO strategies for both you and your team members. Contact us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com to learn more.

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