Posted on 28/05/2025
The working world dramatically changed in 2020 – with the pandemic came new, dynamic ways of working without the walls of a traditional office. It meant that more and more employees worked from the comfort of their homes, staying in touch with their co-workers through video conferencing, emailing, and digital communication platforms.
Now that some time has passed, this change isn’t as stark, as many of the people who worked from home during this time are now back in an office. That doesn’t include everyone, though – many businesses found that keeping remote workers was beneficial as it saved money and, in many cases, boosted productivity.
That leads to the question: should companies force employees to return to office? There are two arguments here, and it’s hard to find a perfect answer, especially considering every business is unique.
Is office working actually the way forward? To figure out where you stand, here are some undeniable pros and cons of forcing employees back into the traditional office.
Let’s start with an obvious positive: working in a physical environment can often lead to easier collaboration. Teams can get together in the office and bounce ideas off of each other without the restraint of video calling. However, keep in mind that communication technology has become increasingly smarter and more seamless in recent years.
Many employees have now worked remotely for several years. Their lives may have changed during that time, and they may not even live close to their place of work anymore. That doesn’t impact their ability to work when they can do it all from their homes. However, forcing them to return to office may mean making them choose between uprooting their lives, taking on an intense daily commute, or resigning from the company altogether. When remote working is an option, all of that seems pointless.
Many long-time workers find no problem with remote working, as they know what they are doing. However, a physical office does make onboarding much better, as it’s easier to integrate a new person into an office when everyone can meet the person in real life.
Most employees will not appreciate being forced to return to the office. Mandating a return may lead to significantly reduced morale, with employees not feeling as motivated. This could lead to a significant loss of talent – and many businesses know how difficult it can be to fill certain roles!
Many businesses find that having an in-person office system creates a stronger team and boosts morale. This is likely because of the connections you can make in real life compared to over a video conference. These stronger connections can lead to a more resilient, collaborative team that builds each other up.
Getting employees to return to the office means a massively disrupted work life balance – a balance many employees will have perfected since working remotely. For one, working from home means no commute to the office, which can be time-consuming and stressful, especially for those who have to deal with busy trains or rush hour traffic. Suddenly having to do this commute once more can really impact a person’s overall lifestyle and even stress levels. Then, there are all the benefits of working from home that will be taken away, such as being able to complete chores during work breaks or even seeing family.
A company culture is important for creating a sense of belonging. This is easier to produce when teams can meet in real life, which makes a return to office seem more appealing. Little things like celebrating as a team and going on company lunches can make a big difference to the company culture, which may not be as easy to do when employees work from home.
If workers have comfortably worked from home for several years and managed to keep up with their work goals, telling them they must return to the office will only lead to a loss of trust. They will feel like you do not trust them to complete their work from home, and they won’t like the lack of autonomy they have with their jobs. As a result, it can lead to a high turnover rate, which can be pretty drastic for any company to deal with. Not to mention the loss of trust with the employees that do stick around – they may not have as much respect for the company going forward, which could impact some other benefits like a boosted company culture.
Overall, it’s best not to force any employee to change their working arrangements. The key word here is force – anything enforced can lead to a lack of trust and dissatisfaction. It’s best to offer a return-to-work solution for the employees who want to do it, as many actually prefer office working! However, for those who are just as productive working from home and would rather do it that way, forcing them will only lead to an unhappy employee and potentially a loss of talent.
If a physical office is essential to your company, there may be a middle ground: hybrid working. Hybrid working involves employees working from home a couple of days a week but returning to the office for the other days. This allows employees to keep enjoying their home-like work environments but also means the company can benefit from in-person office workers.
Enforcing a strict rule that employees must return to the office probably is not the best solution, as it can quickly lead to distrust and dissatisfaction and even a higher turnover rate. It also means disrupting employee’s work-life balance, which can impact productivity. While there are benefits to getting employees back in the office – such as being able to create a stronger company culture – it’s better not to force it but have it as an option for those who live nearby.
Remember, there are many ways to make remote working easier for the company and its employees. Investing in a great virtual office address can boost credibility, while better communication platforms can mean easier collaboration without having to force employees to return to a physical office.
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