5 reasons people aren’t going back to the office
Why would they?
While researching for articles about hybrid work, flexible work patterns, 4-day week and other work-related topics, I’ve stumbled upon a number of interesting themes.
One of them is this divide between companies requesting (some insisting or demanding) that their employees come back to the office for X days a week (or, in some cases, all five).
Clearly, this has resulted in a bit of a backlash, not least from the media, with CEOs of large corporations being lambasted for this command-and-control approach.
Why are they struggling to get people back into the office?
The reasons are pretty clear why people don’t want to come back — here are some, in no particular order, many of which may apply to you or your colleagues:
1. They don’t need to.
- After the COVID-19 pandemic, most office workers now have full connectivity from home, from laptops and wifi to full office set-ups in the their garden.
- They can join meetings from home — pretty pointless in person when you can join via phone or Teams.
2. It doesn’t fit in with their life outside of work.
- They go to the gym early in the morning, the middle of the day or after work. It’s a short drive or a stone’s throw from their house.
- They pick up and/or drop off their children at school.
- They have local caregiving responsibilities for relatives/neighbours.
- In this cost of living crisis, they have a local second job.
- They want to be able to go out to lunch locally.
3. The commute costs time and money (and hassle).
- Many people saved a fortune during lockdown while they didn’t have to commute to their place of work, either by car or public transport.
- Lunches and coffees at work also cost money, so they saved there too.
- Time in a car or on a train could be better used for other things: family; exercise; long lie; more leisurely breakfast; earlier evening meal; catching up on work tasks, etc.
4. They don’t care enough about their job.
- They see their job as just that: a job. Nothing more.
- They lack purpose at work. It doesn’t feel like they’re contributing to the greater good, so they’re not bothered about going into the office when they can churn through tasks at home.
- They may have a side hustle, which they can keep an eye on while they’re working at home, doing just enough not to get fired.
5. More experienced workers are comfortable in their home environment.
- They have a home office, desk, home comforts, and family around them.
- They have enough friends so don’t see the need to come into the office to socialise and make new ones.
- They don’t see the need for experienced workers to help upskill and inspire less-experienced people (lack of experience of both work and the workplace, i.e. young people/first jobbers).
Conclusion
Companies need to do a better job of selling the benefits of working from an office before people will come in, ensuring that there’s a good reason for physical presence and an understanding that not all work will need to be done from an office.
It’s a compromise, a conversation — listening and responding — and treating people like adults and equals rather than children or underlings.
Read more: What Will Make People Return To Offices?
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