Although many U.S. companies have implemented return-to-office policies since 2020, 1 in 5 workers say they aren’t following their company’s mandate, according to an Oct. 1 report from Resume Builder.
Most workers said they want to be in the office for three or fewer days per week — and about half said they’ll quit if their company enforces RTO compliance.
“Today’s workforce enjoys flexibility and choices that were unprecedented before COVID-19. Remote work, once considered a temporary solution, has now become a preferred option for many employees due to convenience, work-life balance and the ability to avoid long commutes,” Stacie Haller, chief career advisor for Resume Builder, said in a statement.
“For many employees, remote work has become a non-negotiable part of their professional lives,” she said. “As companies attempt to reinstate in-office requirements, there has been pushback from workers. Employers should know job seekers today still have options if they are looking to work remotely.”
In a survey of 1,030 full-time employees working for companies with an RTO policy, 78% said they abide by the rules, 18% occasionally evade the policy, 2% rarely follow the policy, and 1% don’t adhere to RTO rules at all.
Compliance appears to vary based on workers’ schedules. For instance, those on a hybrid schedule have higher rates of noncompliance, with only 61% following the RTO policy if required to be in the office 1-3 days per week.
Employee satisfaction varies as well. About two-thirds said they’re very or somewhat satisfied with the current RTO policy, while 14% are neutral and 21% feel somewhat or very dissatisfied.
If companies begin to enforce compliance, 20% of workers said they’re very likely to leave, and 33% said they’re somewhat likely to leave.
Workers pointed to several challenges with current RTO policies, including commute time, commute costs, a lack of flexibility in work hours, difficulty balancing personal responsibilities, office distractions and reduced productivity compared to remote work.
To improve employee satisfaction with current RTO policies, two-thirds of workers said a raise would help, and half prioritized flexible start and end times. Beyond that, workers said they’d like transportation benefits, a lunch allowance, catered lunch and an employee wellness program.
After Amazon announced a five-day RTO mandate slated to begin in January 2025, employees overwhelmingly expressed dissatisfaction with the new schedule, according to a Blind survey. Nearly three-quarters also said they’re thinking about looking for another job due to the policy.
Although 80% of employers reported losing talent due to RTO mandates, about a quarter said they’re still planning to increase in-person work days, according to another Resume Builder survey. About half of companies said they already ask workers to be in the office four days per week, and most said they planned to maintain those in-office days — if not increase them.
Certain benefits can help employees return to the office, particularly a commuter benefit, according to a Jawnt report. HR pros said commuter benefits also led to other advantages for the company, such as meeting environmental goals, increasing talent acquisition and retention and helping current employees save money.