The Press is Obsessed with RTO
Note: This blog is a revised version of a post I originally used on LinkedIn in response to an article. My opinion has grown and expanded since then (just a few weeks ago), so forgive the content reuse. And, definitely consider this an opinion piece. I look forward to comments and maybe some debate on the topic. We’ve got to start somewhere in building this community!
In 2025, there tends to be a lot of business press coverage about Return-to-Office (RTO), and it seems to be rampant at the moment. Every publication is covering it, and my feed is overrun with it. RTO is the latest “trend!” Is this something we want to see as a trend?!? Are we maybe mis-using the word trend?
RTO seems popular with micromanaging leaders, many of whom are people who might be rejected by the AI-driven ATS systems that screen candidates for jobs these days (an observation). Many of these articles do not call out these obvious points, as they would be seen as a bit political. Maybe they are political points, but that also gets to the heart of some of the resistance employees feel with being forced back into the office, yes?
Not many of the articles dig into why people don’t want to RTO, how many people refuse to RTO, or related metrics. That would be a less positive-sounding storyline, but I’m super curious what companies sent out an RTO demand but then enough people refused/ignored it that they had to deal with one or more negative consequences. Does that make you curious also?
So, publications are being politically correct, and they’re asking a valid question, trying to get folks back on track with collaboration and treating people nicely with normal behaviors that used to be expectations in all the places we would go. Oh, those were the days… They’re asking:
How can employers help reduce the risk of employee burnout and disengagement?
I’m going to ask something slightly different, because the trends in the market — difficult hiring conditions, high layoff and RIF numbers, unexplained poor performance commentary against large groups of employees — imply that many employers don’t seem care about employee engagement, burnout, or much of anything beyond compliance.
Why are employers actually demanding that workers return to the office now?
The costs per employee to make this change are pretty high, so it’s not likely about saving money. Social norms have eroded considerably since 2020, so it’s not likely about collaboration being so much better if you’re in person. Many people are so much more comfortable with their devices than with other humans.
Some of the memos RTO leaders have sent to their employees imply an attitude that sounds as if companies have returned to the 1900’s. Yeah, I said it — the 1900’s. They seem to expect people to work many hours for their company each week for less money than they’re worth. And they should be grateful to receive anything in return.
Unfortunately for these leaders, there are generations in the workplace that have evolved beyond that point and are will not accept those terms for the long haul. Employers can and should put forth more effort to establish balance, but the climate (more than just politics) isn’t applying enough peer pressure for it to happen across industries at the moment.
There will be some innovative leaders and some companies that put people first, and they will set the standard. Those companies will shine through as things start to shift to be more employee-focused over time.
In the meantime, employees have to stand up for themselves. This will mean different things for each individual. If you aren’t sure how to measure your work-life balance or how to determine where you can make changes in your life and work to gain better balance, I am working on some content around this and will be happy to share it. (Stay tuned – Work-Life Balance Self-Assessment is coming later this month!).
What are your thoughts? Have your employers actively worked to help people in the company maintain balance? Have you had to work through balance on your own? What is working for you? Do you find your balance is more threatened by work, family, friends, church, volunteering, or other activities?
