A new study has revealed some interesting information concerning workers.
For companies requiring employees to be in the office at least once a week, 500 of these managers were asked by Capterra if they would enact stricter RTO rules. According to the survey, 69% are already stricter about enforcing office attendance policies or plan to be.
Not only are managers becoming more stringent, but they also state that they will track attendance in the office and incorporate it into their performance reviews. They have sometimes even fired employees who didn’t return to work.
So, what does this mean for employees?
Millions of workers have found remote work to be a blessing. But that seems to be changing now, with some more stats from the survey:
- Capterra discovered that 42% of managers who insist that employees are in-office at least once a week believe that their entire department or team adheres to the attendance policy.
- 81% of managers claim they have or plan to track employee attendance, while 74% have or plan to incorporate office attendance into employee performance reviews.
- And 27% of managers say they fired at least one employee because of poor attendance.
Considering this survey, will employees quit if they know not going into the office will mean punishment? Most likely, yes.
Monster, a career site, found that nearly two-thirds of employees would leave their job if required to return to the office full-time. On the other hand, 40% would quit if their managers required one in-office day per week.
Although it seems like no one wants to be in-office again, experts believe companies want their workers to return to have greater in-person interactions. However, they also believe remote workers are more productive than those working in-person. The truth is many people find that the benefits of in-office amenities are not enough to offset the negatives of working in an environment that can be long, stressful, and toxic.
If employers want employees to come into the office more often, employees might be motivated to follow if they fear losing their benefits, getting a poor performance review, or being fired. However, this doesn’t always work. Instead, companies could lose top talent quickly if attendance requirements are too harsh, too punitive, or poorly rationalized.
To willingly get employees back into the office, consider these tips:
1. Make The Office The Preferred Place To Work
Your office should be a place where employees want to work.
Remote work is not the only option for employees, but what makes the office better? Perhaps employees want a faster internet connection, a printer that works, somewhere to learn, or just a change in scenery. Because of these assets, it could be the preferred place to work. This could motivate employees to come more often.
2. Try Not To Be Hypocritical
As a manager, set an example. For example, it’s a problem if a worker has to come into the office, but their manager is staying at home.
3. Schedule Days For Everyone To Gather
Encourage workers to come into the office; however, give them freedom of choice. Of course, it can be discouraging if no one else is there.
Therefore, managers should schedule specific days for their team—whether once a month, once a week, or more often—to allow everyone to get together and create a cohesive team.
4. Allow Exceptions
Although covid-19 may be over for some, it still poses serious health risks to the immunocompromised. Also, there will always be workers who perform better when they are at home and feel more secure staying there.
Therefore, show empathy and don’t force them to be in-office.
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