The COVID 19 pandemic is a few years in our collective rearview mirrors, and across the globe, organizations that employ knowledge workers are increasingly mandating more in-office days for workers many of whom have been primarily working remotely since 2020.
Workers tend to feel that they are more productive in a remote environment and that employers are more concerned about their real estate utilization that worker satisfaction. Employers tend to ground their mandates in the statement that corporate culture and team effectiveness requires in-person time. Who’s correct?
The short answer is that they both are. Exploring the perception gap between employers and employees as it pertains to remote/in-office work was the topic of my I/O Psychology Master’s research paper in 2024, and as return-to-office mandates continue to expand in companies both near and far, this hot topic of conversation has not died down.
Productivity studies from during and after the pandemic shut-down demonstrate that for some industries and roles, fully remote work outperforms in-office work. Studies also show that in-person interactions can significantly increase output (see the WEF article on return to office here for more studies – https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/08/return-to-office-flexibility-remote-work/).
It is also true that flexibility in hybrid work models supports well-being and employee retention, helps increase women’s participation in the workforce, and facilitates workforce participation of people who live with disabilities who may experience barriers to employment should they need to come into a physical location on a daily basis.
What’s an inclusive leader to do when pulled between these two poles? The takeaway here is to navigate with nuance, curiosity and intentionality.
Nuance
** One size does not fit all. Different work and different workers require different environments to be effective. Understanding the kind of work your team does is a key foundational plank of striking the right balance between remote and in-office work. Does your team need to interact with each other or internal partners to do their work? If so, help them leverage in-office time to have those key interactions face-to-face whenever possible. If your team is geographically dispersed or primarily does solo work, does coming into the office hinder their productivity with noise and distractions? The team members can also provide valuable insights on how to make the most of their in-office and remote work schedules. Physical space scheduling applications can be very useful to determine the best use of space and calendaring between and among internal groups to find the most effective days and times to be co-located.
Curiosity
** Be curious about what makes your team tick. How do they work best? Does hot-desking make them feel anxious as they worry all the way into the office about whether someone is sitting in the desk they reserved and rehearsing how they will react if that happens (do you call them on it, see if you can find a different desk, sit in the lunchroom all day, or get back on the subway and go home?). Do you have social butterflies who flit from cubicle to cubicle, checking in and catching up for an hour before settling in to get some emails answered? As a leader, understanding how your team works better positions you to create an environment that enables them to do their best work.
Intentionality
** Be intentional about how you use your time, and that of your team, while you are in-office. Schedule creative, multi-person work, team meetings, or book in-person meetings with internal business partners for in-office days. Be aware that team members who are earlier in their careers, or in the organization, will benefit from in-office time to build their networks, meet with mentors and senior leaders. And, while the professional networks of organizational veterans may already be robust, they are the folks that the newer employees need as mentors, connectors and role models. Creating time for those connections strengthens the organizational culture and helps retain institutional knowledge.
Closing thoughts
There are lots of feelings involved in this conversation, and along with research that can seem contradictory, navigating the fine line between remote and in-office work is tricky business. Fully remote or fully in-office isn’t likely the right answer for most knowledge-based employers and workers. Enabling leaders and teams to find the right balance will be an iterative process, but approaching it with nuance, curiosity, and intentionality is a good start.
Interested in more work model articles? Check out some of these resources
- https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/return-office-not-everybody-doing-it
- https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/08/return-to-office-flexibility-remote-work/
- https://archieapp.co/blog/return-to-office-statistics/
- https://www.wtwco.com/en-us/news/2024/12/us-companies-push-for-greater-in-office-presence-to-drive-engagement-opposing-a-leading-benefit
- https://wfhresearch.com/
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