Zoom out, workers in: As more companies pull back on hybrid and remote work, employment law attorney offers guidelines for transitioning a workforce back to the office 5 days a week

Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications; 248.260.8466; barbara@eafocus.com

Detroit – September 23, 2024 – Amazon’s announcement requiring employees to return to the office for a full work week starting in January 2025 may be the latest accelerant in a movement by employers—including Google, AT&T, Disney, Goldman Sachs, GM, and Bank of America—to rein in their hybrid and remote work policies.  According to a recent Resume Builder survey, one in four companies plans to increase the required days in-office in 2025, and while return-to-office policies remain a hot topic for employees, attorney Deborah Brouwer, managing partner of Detroit-based management-side labor and employment law firm Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer PC, explains it doesn’t have to be all negative.

 “The challenge for employers is that return-to-office policies are often unpopular with employees who view it as a loss of a benefit,” Brouwer said. “Post pandemic, employers continue to walk a fine line in response to any change they make with workplace policy, so they need to put in the extra effort to mitigate concerns by addressing employees—who have been accustomed to working from home—in key areas like personal flexibility, families and scheduling, and mental health issues.”

Brouwer adds that even if employers put a positive spin on their call-back, many employees could still be averse to return; accordingly, she offers some pointers to ease the transition.

1. Implement a clear-cut return to office policy; who does this impact/are there employees who are the exception? Delineate the number of required days in office and the handling of any workplace accommodations such as emergencies, staying home with a sick child, doctor appointments, etc. Also, re-communicate company expectations such as hours of operation and dress code.
2. Carry out a communication strategy to tailor specific messages to meet employee needs and address where the message stems from initially. Who is announcing it to employees? How is it being announced—a CEO letter, company memo, immediate supervisor, video conference, in-person meeting? Don’t blindside employees; blanket additional company communication channels and public messaging only after impacted employees are alerted first.
3. Provide a feasible timeline; give employees enough time to adjust; allow ample lead time for employees to make arrangements for child/parent/pet care, navigate the commute, and reshuffle schedules. And, when employees are back in the office full time, expect and accept some initial glitches until the new routine is the norm.
4. Emphasize the positives to build a strong workplace culture; explain the thought process behind bringing workers back in; reiterate myriad benefits to employees; listen to employee concerns and collaborate to come up with solutions; encourage employee participation in making the office not only a location of work but also a place that employees look forward to coming to.
5. Incentivize employees/build enthusiasm for the return; offer perks that can only be realized when employees are physically in the office; be creative with rewards—and perhaps acknowledge remote work; for example, if employees ‘bank’ a certain number of days in the office, they can use one day to work from home.
6. Prepare for employee pushback: Some employees would rather quit than return, so react with a respectful exit response, typical to company practice, for those who leave or retire. Also, have a response at the ready for employees and labor groups who stay on the job but rally opposition to the return-to-office policy or petition for change.

“While many in the workforce have encountered full, in-office work weeks as the norm before the pandemic, there are others who only know of a remote/hybrid workplace and will be experiencing their job in-person for the first time,” Brouwer said. “While it’s within the employer’s right to call people back into the office, it’s important to recognize that there may be pushback and a learning curve, and to act thoughtfully as a result.”

About Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer PC

Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer specializes in employment litigation, traditional labor law, workplace investigations, and management consultation and training for private and public sector employers. The firm also provides arbitration and mediation services. Woman-owned and led since its founding in 1992, Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer exclusively represents management in the prevention, resolution and litigation of labor and employment disputes.