In the years since COVID-19 restrictions changed the way people work, many employers have continued to demand their employees to come back to the office to drive team bonding and boost productivity. However, Gallup reported 1 that more than 90% of employees who worked remotely in 2022 enjoyed their flexible work schedules and weren’t looking forward to giving them up. If you’re experiencing pushback from employees because of your return-to-office mandate, having your team return to the workplace won’t be as easy as sending them an email with your office’s reopening date. You need a structured return to office (RTO) policy that makes the transition easy and entices your employees to return. This blog goes over what an RTO policy is and highlights five best practices to create a policy for your company that will serve both your employees’ needs and your business goals.
Get our HR compliance calendar to keep track of your HR and benefits compliance deadlines.A Resume Builder survey 2 of 1,000 corporate business owners found that 90% will return to the office by the end of 2024. Because navigating RTO is so tricky, many organizations 3 decide to opt for a hybrid schedule.
As difficult as it was transitioning to remote work at the beginning of the pandemic, asking employees to return to the office can be just as stressful and frustrating. That’s why creating a strong RTO policy can help you pave the way to success.
You may have several employees concerned about safely returning to work. That’s why you should survey your employees to find out how they feel about returning to the office before you start designing your RTO policy.
Asking for input early in the process can build employees’ confidence and show them you care. According to a Salesforce report 4 , employees are five times more likely to be productive and engaged at your organization when they feel like you respect their opinions—which leads to greater retention.
Surveying your employees about RTO is an excellent way to:
Your employees are in the best position to tell you what they need to make the transition easiest for them, so take the time to gather their feedback and use their ideas to help you outline your policy. Once you draft your policy, you can send a follow-up survey to your employees to determine how comfortable they are with the steps and address any concerns.
Employees want to know what to expect when returning to work. Having open and honest communication about why they’re returning, the benefits of being in the office, and the details of your RTO policy will keep everyone on the same page when transitioning.
Communicate through multiple channels, like emails, instant messages, and company meetings, to ensure employees are up-to-date on important information. Early communication about the return date is crucial. It allows employees to start planning childcare, transportation, and personal schedules ahead of time, which can help reduce stress.
Having conversations about safety measures is another crucial task. You should share any office policies around vaccinations, masks, and sick leave to help instill confidence in those returning to work. If you decide to use a hybrid schedule or another agile work model, you should also communicate this to your employees.
Lastly, give employees a contact list if they have questions about returning to the office or the RTO policy. They can always reach out to their direct manager, but you could also include members of your HR or leadership teams for extra support.
A strict RTO policy could put you at risk for employee dissatisfaction and turnover. The Great Resignation saw many workers leave their jobs for companies offering flexible work schedules with better work-life balance. While some workers may be eager to return to the office full-time, giving employees more flexibility can improve retention and morale.
Allowing for flexibility doesn’t mean you can’t put guidelines in place. For example, if you’re using the hybrid method, you might allow employees to work only one day of their choosing in the office instead of two or three. Or you can let employees leave work for time-sensitive personal reasons, like picking up a child from school.
Some other ideas around work flexibility include:
Employees have gotten used to readjusting their schedules and juggling their work and personal lives over the past few years. They’re more likely to avoid burnout if you’re as flexible and understanding as possible when requiring them to return to the office.
Returning to the office is no small feat. It’s a lengthy process requiring constant organizing and monitoring. To succeed, you’ll need the right workplace technology to automate tasks, analyze data, and facilitate scheduling for a dynamic and modern transition back to work.
Below are workplace software programs to help you manage the RTO process:
Moving from a remote role to the office is bound to frustrate some people. Some of your staff will like the change, but you may also experience backlash from employees. While you can’t please everyone, slowly implementing your RTO policy will give your staff time to adjust.
For example, suggest one day back in the office per week for a certain period of time and then add more days later if necessary. A gradual return policy will help employees acclimate more efficiently and reduce the risk of in-office burnout.
Keep your employees’ personal schedules and obligations in mind. It may take a while for someone to get settled if they’re used to working from home and caring for a child or an elderly parent simultaneously. The more understanding and communicative you can be about their unique situation, the more they’ll feel valued and appreciated.
Your original plan to return to the office will likely shift over time as you go along. But if you focus on flexibility and employee satisfaction, you can reduce stress and keep your employees happy.
Once your employees are back in the office, it’s an excellent time to review your benefits package. A comprehensive benefits package with various perks is critical to recruiting and retaining top talent. Better yet, showing your employees that you value them by offering perks to use at home and work goes a long way toward improving morale, creating high levels of job satisfaction, and boosting company culture.
Let’s go over four benefits you can offer better to support your in-office, hybrid, and remote workers.
A health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) is an IRS-approved and employer-funded health benefit that allows you to reimburse your employees tax-free for their qualifying medical expenses and sometimes individual health insurance premiums.
Two popular types of HRAs are the qualified small employer HRA (QSEHRA) and the individual coverage HRA (ICHRA). QSEHRAs are for organizations with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs), while ICHRAs are available for employers of any size.
Both options support employees who work onsite or have fully remote roles. They even provide health benefits for employers with workers in multiple states. HRAs are a flexible health benefit option that allows employees to choose the individual health insurance plan that works best for them and their current location, empowering them to take control of their health.
Stipends are a fixed amount of money offered to employees to help pay for work, wellness, living expenses, and more. There’s no limit to the number of stipends you can provide or the amount of money that can accompany them.
Stipends are available to all employees, whether they’re remote, hybrid, or fully in-office. Unlike other benefits, you can also offer taxable stipends to 1099 contractors or international workers.
For example, you can offer various benefits to your in-office and hybrid employees who are working parents, like public transportation, childcare, or pet care stipends to support them and their loved ones while they’re at work.
Remote companies can offer their employees remote work stipends to purchase necessities for their home office and wellness stipends for items like gym memberships, fitness trackers, and exercise equipment.
Paid time off (PTO) is always a great benefit to include in your compensation package. Employees returning to the office will significantly value a robust PTO policy that allows them to take time off when they need to recharge.
If your business operations allow it, unlimited PTO lets employees take off as much time as they want to spend with friends and family, as long as their manager approves it and they still complete their tasks promptly.
Additionally, having an appropriate amount of sick leave has become a top priority for employees. Offering increased paid sick leave for employees who may become ill with COVID-19 or have family members with it shows you care about their health and wellbeing.
EAP is a work-based program where trained professionals offer free assessments, counseling, referrals, and resources for employees with personal struggles, work-related problems, and mental health issues. These services can be particularly beneficial for individuals stressed about returning to an office plan after the pandemic.
In-office EAP support can be available for in-office employees. However, most counseling uses phone, video chat, online messaging, or email. So, EAP is a tool that can support all your employees, no matter their location.
EAP services are sometimes available through your group health plan’s provider. If you don’t have a group plan at your organization, some stand-alone vendors provide EAP services that you can add to your benefits package.
For many employers, remote working was a temporary solution to social distancing guidelines. Now that in-office work is again being looked at as the standard, having an RTO policy to help transition is vital to reduce pushback from employees. The more you consider your employees’ needs when designing your policy, the more successful you’ll be at retaining them.
While you work on your RTO policy, check to see if your benefits package has room for improvement. Adding fringe benefits like an HRA shows your employees you care both in and out of the office.
This article was originally published on January 18, 2023. It was last updated on November 13, 2023.