The data is in: RTO policies don't improve employee performance or company value, but controlling bosses don't care
www.businessinsider.com
Researchers studying RTO policies of S&P 500 companies found no improvement in the value of the businesses that brought workers back to the office.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/10481867

Billionaire CEOs were quick to sing the praises of working from home at the start of the pandemic, calling it the way of the future — but over the last three years, they’ve slowly changed their tune.

Late last year, Forbes reported that 90% of companies will return to the office in 2024, with 28% threatening to fire workers who don’t comply.

But it turns out that the motivations for calling workers back to the office may have less to do with employee productivity or profit margins and everything to do with catering to the egos of controlling managers who want their workers back, according to a recent study published by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh.

Mark Ma, an associate professor of business administration from Pitt’s Katz Graduate School of Business, who led the study, told BI he started the research hoping to understand why some S&P 500 firms want employees to return to the office while other firms avoid calling them back.

…

“One of the most common arguments management suggests is that they want to return to office because employee productivity is low at home, and they believe returns to office would help firms improve performance and ultimately improve the firm’s value,” Ma told BI. “That’s the reason they give — but our results actually do not support these arguments.”

  • bedrooms@kbin.social
    32·
    11 months ago

    I think these managers who love open office don’t understand we need individual rooms.

    Also, before talking about returning, there are bigger factors that contribute to productivity. Having a secretary is probably far more important than working in an office.

    And to completely de-motivate to return, I work for my life, not the other way around.

    • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
      14·
      11 months ago

      I think these managers who love open office don’t understand we need individual rooms.

      It’s hard to understand while sitting in a corner office

      • minorninth@lemmy.world
        12·
        11 months ago

        I think it’s more that it’s hard to understand when you’re extroverted and your job depends on talking to people all day.

    • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
      2·
      11 months ago

      Yeah I’d kill for an office at this point. Like it’s not even to fuck around, I just need to not be constantly distracted or on show. I’m a professional, part of my job is sitting there thinking, I’d like to have space to do that. But nope, open office plan with insane upper management