When hybrid wins, why are employers forcing full-time office returns? There are no easy answers
2026 probably crept up quickly for many workers facing full-time office returns with the new year.
Thousands of public sector workers in Ontario are now expected at the office five days a week, after being given months to prepare by transitioning from two or three days per week. Government workers in Alberta will face the same mandates as of February.
The headlines have been filled with other employers such as the big banks — BMO, Scotiabank and RBC — also requiring employees back in their cubicles for at least four days per week.
Despite public outcry and union pushback, many workers are facing a losing battle, because employers ultimately have the right to say where their workforce must work – within reason.
For many people obliged to be on-site for years, such as workers in healthcare or the skilled trades, any pushback against the return-to-office (RTO) mandates must seem comical if not annoying. Why should some employees enjoy the privilege of working from their homes while others must endure long commutes and rigidly enforced hours to do their jobs?
Of course, there’s always been inequality among jobs and professions, but this swinging back of the pendulum for many professionals to full-time office work is a reset that doesn’t easily make sense.
Is it about trust or control?
In doing a Google search on “the benefits of returning to the office full time” or “why employees should be back at work five days a week,” the responses are limited to null. Why? because there’s really no reason for people who have worked more than capably at least a few days each week at home to trudge back to the office between weekends.
Trust is a big reason why many people say employers are pushing for bigger office returns: they don’t always know what employees are doing with their workday. But to me, that seems a weak argument since most leaders these days should have an accurate sense of people’s work requirements and capabilities.
So, is it largely about the old-school approach of command and control? That’s not going to help when it comes to employee retention – and could mean losing top performers. But then we’ve heard some employers are counting on that turnover.
Metrics that matter with RTO
The challenge, of course, is this is not a black-and-white issue, with office work good/work from home bad, or vice versa. It depends a lot on what you’re measuring.
When it comes to wellbeing, there are obvious gains to working from home in avoiding a stressful commute, taking advantage of flexible hours to pick up kids from daycare or go for a walk for exercise. For the neurodivergent or people with disabilities, telework can make a job a lot easier in terms of accommodating any physical or mental health challenges.
However, studies have also shown the risks of people being isolated in working from home, in not feeling valued by their employer or connected to their colleagues.
On that note, many employers tout the advantages of greater collaboration and innovation in having people work together from an office, citing the limitations of virtual calls and meetings. But naysayers might also say the more relaxed, flexible environment of home allows for greater creativity and teamwork.
Hybrid work always wins
The amount of time spent at home or at the office makes a big difference, but overall, hybrid work — where people work two to three days at the office — easily wins out.
One study showed that a hybrid approach of two to three days at the office is the ideal scenario when it comes to lower burnout and work-life conflict, and higher job and life satisfaction.
When it comes to other metrics such as employee retention, employee productivity and promotions, hybrid work is also ideal, according to another study.
Stanford University also found that two days per week at the office is the “sweet spot” to see the strongest engagement outcomes, such as higher work-life balance, job satisfaction and lesser feelings of isolation.
The benefits were especially notable for managers, who saw increases in quality of work, productivity and creativity.
Best practices for RTO
And yet here we are, with many employees returning to four or five days at the office. While I can’t complain myself, having a generous employer that has for years supported a hybrid approach, I can appreciate, somewhat, the merits of five days a week back at the office.
These include not worrying about who’s working where, so teams are always together, and fewer concerns about fairness in terms of how policy is applied. Plus, I’m sure it means an improved overall culture with people spending that much more time together in-person.
For those employers that are pushing for much more in-office attendance, please check out my story outlining best practices for HR in ensuring a smoother transition from largely remote workforce to a largely in-person workforce.
