Return to Office Mandates Are Failing — Try This Smarter Alternative
Rather than issuing mandates and threats, make the office a place where people are inspired to do their best work.
The battle over return-to-office policies continues to intensify. Major corporations are increasingly demanding that employees work on-site most of the week, yet workers are pushing back hard. Reports suggest these mandates often fail to achieve their intended results, with employees finding ways to opt out or simply ignoring the requirements altogether.
This standoff reveals a fundamental disconnect. When forcing people back to their desks becomes an uphill battle, perhaps it's time to ask a different question entirely: What would make the office worth coming back to?
The Trust Problem
Strict return-to-office policies often backfire because they communicate a troubling message. When leadership mandates in-person attendance without consultation or flexibility, employees hear: "We don't trust you to work effectively on your own."
This top-down approach damages the very things organizations need most—trust, morale, and genuine engagement. Workers increasingly reject what some call "productivity theater," where appearing busy matters more than actual results. Many have discovered they're more effective at home, free from lengthy commutes and unnecessary interruptions.
The issue isn't that people have become lazy or disengaged. It's that heavy-handed policies treat symptoms rather than addressing root causes. Ordering people to show up doesn't automatically create the conditions for great work.
When Office Life Actually Works
Here's what often gets lost in these debates: some teams genuinely thrive in person. At certain companies, employees themselves expressed missing face-to-face collaboration once pandemic restrictions lifted. The energy of spontaneous brainstorming, the momentum of working side-by-side on tight deadlines, the creative spark that emerges when teams share physical space—these elements can be difficult to replicate through screens.
The key difference? These returns happened because teams recognized what they were losing remotely, not because management forced compliance. When people returned, the benefits became evident through renewed energy, stronger collaboration, and tangible productivity gains.
This points to an essential truth: people don't resist offices inherently. They resist offices that drain more than they give. When the trade-off for commuting is sterile environments, pointless meetings, and rigid schedules, resistance is rational. But when offices enable what remote work cannot—deep collaboration, meaningful mentorship, and genuine connection—they become destinations rather than obligations.
Rethinking the Office Experience
If mandates are failing, the solution isn't abandoning in-person work entirely. It's reimagining what offices can be.
Make in-person time purposeful. Nobody should commute just to attend video calls they could join from home. Instead, reserve office days for activities that truly benefit from physical presence: collaborative workshops, hands-on training, product demonstrations, or creative sessions where real-time interaction matters.
Design for connection. Culture doesn't emerge from mission statements—it grows through countless small interactions. The quick hallway conversation seeking feedback. The impromptu coffee chat that sparks an idea. The casual exchange that builds understanding between colleagues. These moments can't be mandated, but they can be encouraged through thoughtful space design and genuine community-building.
Listen and adapt. What works for one team may not work for another. Rather than imposing one-size-fits-all policies, discover what your specific employees need. Experiment with different approaches. Gather feedback. Iterate. Treat office culture like any other design challenge—test, learn, and refine.
Focus on attraction, not coercion. The most effective strategy isn't forcing attendance through threats and ultimatums. It's creating an environment so compelling that people choose to be there. Make the office a place where people feel energized, supported, and able to do their best work.
The Real Challenge for Leaders
The current return-to-office conflict represents a larger leadership challenge. In an era where talent has options and expectations have shifted, command-and-control approaches simply don't work. Effective leaders recognize that trust, autonomy, and meaningful work matter more than physical location.
This doesn't mean remote work is always the answer. It means understanding that the office must earn its place in modern work life. When it does—when it genuinely enhances collaboration, creativity, and connection—people will want to be there. When it doesn't, no mandate will change that fundamental reality.
The question facing organizations isn't whether to require office attendance. It's whether they're willing to build workplaces truly worth attending.