Over the past year and a half, many office workers have figured out a few things. First and foremost, employees are just as productive from home as they are from the office; some studies suggest even more. Secondly, that flexibility is perhaps the most important benefit they can receive from their employer. 

There are an abundance of headlines about how workers are quitting at higher rates now than in over 2 decades. Surveys and multiple articles have reported that 40% of employees would rather quit than return to the office. I’ve spoken to dozens of peers about their work situations, and several high earners have expressed the fact that they would leave if they were required to go back into the office.

Depending on what side of the fence you’re on, that may sound a little entitled. For example, some from the Baby Boomer generation look back on what they had to do when they were younger and can’t understand, “what these kids are complaining about nowadays”. Also, if you’re in the C-Suite and invested in commercial office space, then you are more likely to be motivated to want your people back in their seats.

However, let’s look at it from the perspective of the employee. If they are a skilled person, and they can do the work from wherever they are, then what’s the point of them being in the office? The world has changed in so many ways, and with technology, you’re connected from anywhere. For other workers, a large portion of them are caretakers raising young children or helping their elderly parents. Being able to be home more with your loved ones (and pets) is invaluable. 

Personally, I haven’t been employed by anyone else in over 8 years. Even back then, I clashed with the owner about my ability to work from home. If I’m making sales calls and sending emails, then why do I need to be at a desk in the office? Their perspective was, “If I’m paying you, I want you here”. This was not a job that was meant to last for me, and it didn’t. 

For our first year in business, we had an office as part of a coworking space. It was more of a place for Sylvia and I to meet. We got rid of the office well before the pandemic started, and we typically meet out of my home office once a week for 3-4 hours. The rest of the time, we work independently and communicate as needed through Slack, Zoom, email, and calls. We have 8 contractors who work regularly with us from all over the country (California and Michigan) and the world (Canada, India, and Africa). 

As a business owner or executive, you can’t expect your people to work harder or more than you. In fact, you’re better off if you reframe it and think about it as you are working for them. Your people are making things happen. You brought them in because you needed help and you trusted them. Support them however you can, and in some cases just get out of their way. Let your subject matter and technical experts do what they do best the way they do it best. 

 This carries over to requiring your people to come back into the office. Why are you making them come back? Why is it mandatory? Are you really willing to lose good people because of an office policy? If you have good reasons for people coming in, then it’s worth strategizing what that would look like and how to communicate it to your team. In general, be flexible, and work with your people to accommodate how they like to work.