Listen to this article:
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted many organizations to shift to remote work, leading to gains in employee well-being, productivity, and flexibility. However, as vaccination rates increased and infection rates declined, some companies have implemented partial or full return-to-office (RTO) mandates, which have been met with resistance from employees and may negatively impact job satisfaction. This article explores research on the relationship between the work environment and employee attitudes, highlighting how flexibility and autonomy during remote work contributed to increased job satisfaction. It examines case studies from the technology, accounting, and education industries, demonstrating how RTO mandates have undermined these recent gains, potentially threatening innovation, morale, and retention. The article suggests that a balanced approach, treating remote and in-person work as flexible options based on role and employee preference, can help organizations maintain or improve upon job satisfaction while addressing operational needs.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, many organizations shifted to remote work as a means of promoting safety. While this transition was challenging, it also unearthed some positive findings regarding employee well-being, productivity, and flexibility. As vaccination rates increased and infection rates declined in most areas, many companies began considering a return to the physical office space. However, return-to-office (RTO) mandates, even those with hybrid options, have been met with resistance from employees and may be negatively impacting overall job satisfaction.
Today we will explore the research on how the work environment impacts employee well-being and organizational commitment.
Job Satisfaction Research
For decades, researchers have studied the relationship between the work environment and employee attitudes like job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention. Job satisfaction, defined as “a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one's job or job experiences” (Locke, 1976, p. 1304), has consistently been linked to increased productivity, engagement, and retention (Fisher, 2010). Environments that provide autonomy, meaningful work, flexibility, and support for work-life balance have repeatedly been associated with higher job satisfaction (Spector, 1997). Given this established research foundation, organizational leaders should carefully consider how return-to-office policies may impact employee well-being and, ultimately, business outcomes.
Flexibility and Autonomy Gains During Remote Work
During the widespread shift to remote work in 2020, many employees discovered benefits to working outside the traditional office setting. According to a survey by FlexJobs (2021), 84% of respondents said working remotely gave them a better work-life balance. They enjoyed increased flexibility to care for family, exercise, cook meals, and avoid long commutes. Remote employees also experienced greater autonomy over how and when they completed their work. Without micro-managers looking over their shoulders, many felt empowered to structure their days in a way that optimized their personal productivity. For introverted personalities and those with sensory processing challenges, the lack of open office distractions was liberating (Goudreau, 2020). These gains in flexibility and autonomy led to notable improvements in job satisfaction, mental well-being, and overall work performance across industries (Bloom et al., 2015; Dutcher, 2012; Golden, 2006; Konradt et al., 2003).
Heading Back to the Office
Of course, the transition to remote work posed operational challenges for companies as well. Leaders cited diminished collaboration, culture, innovation, and mentorship as downsides (Brynjolfsson et al., 2020). As a result, many organizations have implemented partial or full return-to-office mandates to regain perceived benefits of in-person interactions. However, research suggests these policies may undermine the autonomy and flexibility gains of the past two years in ways that reduce job satisfaction. Three industries in particular—technology, accounting, and education—provide real-world examples.
Technology Industry Example
The technology industry rapidly embraced remote work and found productivity increased or remained stable without in-office requirements (Bloom et al., 2015). However, many large tech companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft have called employees back to physical workspaces multiple days per week despite pushback (Lunden, 2022). While allowing some remote days, these partial RTO mandates have removed much of the improved flexibility that contributed to rising job satisfaction in the sector. Speaking anonymously to news outlets, engineers and programmers across companies expressed frustration with commuting requirements that cut into family time and distracting open offices after enjoying distraction-free home environments (Morris, 2021). As a result, attrition rates have jumped for major tech employers as unhappy employees seek full-remote positions at startups and other competitors (Conger & Scheiber, 2021). This threatens to undermine the innovation, morale, and retention gains tech companies experienced during the pandemic.
Accounting Industry Example
For accounting professionals, tax season and audit weeks demand long hours concentrated into small windows of time each year. The shift to remote work allowed them greater control over their schedules outside of busy periods. However, the big four accounting firms of Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC have instituted partial return-to-office requirements of three days per week on average (Dimitropoulos, 2022). Interviews with midlevel accountants found levels of job satisfaction declined as the return diminished autonomy and flexibility during less demanding periods to balance work and family care responsibilities (O'Keefe, 2022). In particular, mothers reported frustration over lack of schedule control as children's activities resumed fuller in-person schedules. The loss of perceived support for work-life balance may threaten retention in an industry already challenged with high stress levels and attrition (Cohn, 2022).
Education Industry Example
For educators, the pandemic shift to hybrid and remote learning required significant adaptation but also uncovered benefits of schedule flexibility. Teachers appreciated having more control over mornings and evenings without long commutes, allowing better work-life integration. College and university faculty members experienced greater productivity without campus distractions (Dorn et al., 2020). However, with children returning to full-time in-person K-12 classes, teachers have faced full return-to-classroom mandates. University faculty have had partial requirements to teach some classes in-person despite large class sizes still posing COVID risk. The loss of scheduling autonomy and increased health concerns have damaged educators' overall job satisfaction at a time when the profession faced acute staffing shortages in many areas (Kraft et al., 2022).
A Balanced Approach
While in-person interactions provide value, a one-size-fits-all return-to-office approach risks eroding employee well-being without clear necessity. Research indicates alternative solutions exist. One approach gaining traction treats remote and in-person work as flexible options based on role and employee preference (Goudreau, 2022). Weekly team days allow for in-person collaboration as desired, with autonomous remote scheduling the rest of the time. Companies are also experimenting with outcomes-based rather than hours-based performance management to increase employee autonomy (Roberts, 2022). Offering hybrid trial periods that respect employee choice and feedback provides valuable data for long-term policies optimizing both business needs and employee experiences. By balancing operational requirements with flexibility and continuing to support work-life integration, organizations can maintain or improve upon job satisfaction gains since the start of the pandemic.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic upended long-held assumptions around work and highlighted flexibility's positive impacts on employee well-being, productivity and satisfaction. However, partial or full return-to-office mandates applied broadly risk eroding autonomy, trust and support for work-life balance – key drivers of job satisfaction. As research consistently shows,environments that provide meaningful work and respect for employee preferences correlate to increased retention, engagement and business outcomes. Technology, accounting and education examples illustrate how even hybrid RTO mandates undermine recent flexibility and autonomy gains in ways hurting attraction and retention. Alternative balanced approaches respecting employee choice and feedback offer a path forward valuing both operations and experiences. With job satisfaction linked to performance, organizations would be wise to tread carefully on policies that reduce well-being without clear need.
References
Bloom, N., Liang, J., Roberts, J., & Ying, Z. J. (2015). Does working from home work? Evidence from a Chinese experiment. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 130(1), 165–218. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qju032
Brynjolfsson, E., Horton, J., Ozimek, A., Rock, D., Sharma, G., & TuYe, H.-Y. (2020). COVID-19 and remote work: An early look at US data. National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w27344
Cohn, J. (2022, May 12). Big 4 firms hit with new wave of young talent departures. Accounting Today. https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/big-4-firms-hit-with-new-wave-of-young-talent-departures
Conger, K., & Scheiber, N. (2021, November 12). Why Silicon Valley is going remote-work crazy. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/12/technology/tech-companies-remote-work.html
Dimitropoulos, E. (2022, January 19). Return to office plans 2022: Big 4 accounting firms. Business Because. https://www.businessbecause.com/news/return-to-office-plans/7112
Dorn, E., Hancock, B., Sarakatsannis, J., & Viruleg, E. (2020). COVID-19 and education: The lingering effects of unfinished learning. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/covid-19-and-education-the-lingering-effects-of-unfinished-learning
Dutcher, E. G. (2012). The effects of telecommuting on productivity: An experimental examination. The role of dull and creative tasks. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 84(1), 355–363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2012.04.009
Fisher, C. D. (2010). Happiness at work. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(4), 384-412. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00270.x
FlexJobs. (2021). The state of remote work in 2022 report. https://resources.flexjobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2022-State-of-Remote-Jobs-Report.pdf
Golden, T. D. (2006). The role of relationships in understanding telecommuter satisfaction. Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 27(3), 319–340. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.369
Goudreau, J. (2020, June 1). 8 benefits of working remotely, according to science. Inc. https://www.inc.com/jenna-goudreau/8-science-backed-benefits-of-working-remotely.html
Kraft, M. A., Simon, N. S., & Lyon, M. A. (2022). An early look at predictors and consequences of teacher attrition following return from the pandemic: Results from California. Educational Evaluation & Policy Analysis, 0162373721999044. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737221999044
Konradt, U., Hertel, G., & Schmook, R. (2003). Quality of management by objectives, task-related stressors, and non-task-related stressors as predictors of stress and job satisfaction among teleworkers. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 12(1), 61–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/13594320344000020
Locke, E. A. (1976). The nature and causes of job satisfaction. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (p. 1297–1349). Rand McNally.
Lunden, I. (2022, February 3). Apple will ask staff to come into offices 3 days per week starting in early May. TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2022/02/03/apple-3-days-per-week-return-to-office/
Morris, J. (2021, November 4). Workers say return-to-office policies are crushing productivity and work-life balance. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2021/11/04/return-to-office-policies-crushing-worker-productivity-work-life-balance-covid/
O'Keefe, S. (2022, April 18). Hybrid work is hurting young accountants' satisfaction. Accounting Today. https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/hybrid-work-is-hurting-young-accountants-satisfaction
Roberts, L. (2022, January 7). Remote-first companies are ditching time-based metrics for outcomes. Quartz at Work. https://qz.com/work/2097491/remote-first-companies-are-ditching-time-based-metrics-for-outcomes/
Spector, P. E. (1997). Job satisfaction: Application, assessment, causes, and consequences (Vol. 3). SAGE.
Additional References
Westover, J. H. (2024). Optimizing Organizations: Reinvention through People, Adapted Mindsets, and the Dynamics of Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.3
Westover, J. H. (2024). Reinventing Leadership: People-Centered Strategies for Empowering Organizational Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.4
Westover, J. H. (2024). Cultivating Engagement: Mastering Inclusive Leadership, Culture Change, and Data-Informed Decision Making. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.5
Westover, J. H. (2024). Energizing Innovation: Inspiring Peak Performance through Talent, Culture, and Growth. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.6
Westover, J. H. (2024). Championing Performance: Aligning Organizational and Employee Trust, Purpose, and Well-Being. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.7
Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Workforce Evolution: Strategies for Adapting to Changing Human Capital Needs. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.8
Westover, J. H. (2024). Navigating Change: Keys to Organizational Agility, Innovation, and Impact. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.11
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). The Impact of Return-to-Office Mandates on Job Satisfaction. Human Capital Leadership Review, 16(3). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.16.3.9
