Despite the benefits of remote work for employees, many organizations are abandoning it in favor of returning to the office full-time or part-time in a hybrid model. BetterUp’s 2024 survey shows that the number of primarily remote roles has halved – and one in four organizations cite better connections and culture as the business rationale behind returning to the office.
However, our research found that returning to the office too often is a major disruption to one’s routine, primary function, and overall life experience. We surveyed 1,400 full-time US employees who were forced to return to work in the office and found that they had higher burnout, stress and turnover intentions. They also had low confidence in their organization, engagement and productivity levels. Our findings suggest that if the office-to-home transition is not handled with a high degree of humanity, sensitivity and empathy, workplace culture suffers, and the workforce’s sense of belonging declines.
We also found that RTOs result in stress on employees’ flexibility, time, and even bank accounts. If you’re struggling to adjust to the mandatory return to the office, know that you’re not alone.
Key Challenges of RTO
There are Benefits of working in person. For example, research conducted by BetterUp in partnership with the University of California, Riverside found increased life satisfaction and social connectedness as benefits of in-person interactions over technology-mediated interactions.
While it seems intuitive that people form better working relationships in person, poor communication and implementation of the office-to-office return mandate creates resentment against employers. Angry employees are less likely to bring their authentic selves to the workplace and less likely to invest in those around them.
The hardest part of being back in the office is the commute. This is not surprising because a commute of just 30 minutes is associated with greater stress and anger, while 45 minutes or more is associated with better overall health, daily mood, and well-being.
Unsurprisingly, the second most difficult aspect of returning to work is: the loss of flexibility to switch between work and home tasks such as accepting deliveries or switching to laundry between meetings. In a time-starved world, even small time savings can be critical as people try to “do it all.”
While some leaders may read this and think “Ah! I knew people were multitasking when they should be working!”, the truth is that remote work is actually a net benefit to the organization. Research has found that remote workers contribute more total hours to the company.
With obstacle comes opportunity.
BetterUp’s evidence shows that agency in work management choices enables people to find ways of working that improve performance and well-being.
We also saw that an organization’s decision to require office work represents a financial burden for employees. The average employee returning to the office spends $561 per month on transportation, additional child and pet care, and household assistance. That’s comparable to the grocery bill for the average two-person household in the U.S. for an entire month.
So what can you do if your employer orders you back to the office?
First, focus on maximizing the benefits of this life change, including the opportunity to deepen your relationships and collaborate more with your coworkers. Leverage a hybrid work model to connect with as many people as possible physically (rather than just logging into virtual meetings).
Second, consider whether returning to the office represents an opportunity for a better work-life balance. If you were to return to the office full-time, could you afford to leave work at work? Can you create desirable new habits or routines like going to the gym every day on your way? Getting back into personal work is a big systemic hurdle, but with that hurdle comes the opportunity to design healthy habits.
Finally, ask about what you need to thrive during your return to the office. Do you need a late start so you can keep dropping your kids off at school? Do you need better passenger benefits to cover financial expenses? Do you need a coach to help you during your return to the office? Carefully raise these requirements with your manager.
A back-to-office mandate can affect employees—and not necessarily in the ways leaders hope. If you’re in a situation where you’re being asked to dramatically change the way you work, know that it’s normal to find the transition difficult, to have mixed feelings about it. And most importantly, it’s never wrong to ask. you need.
Christine Carter, PhD, is a sociologist, author, speaker, and coach dedicated to redesigning the way we work. She is currently BetterUp’s VP of Coaching, Excellence and Innovation.
Erin Eatough, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and co-founder of Fractional Insights, an evidence-based HR consultancy that helps organizations navigate the challenges of a post-industrial workforce.
Kristi Leimgruber, Ph.D., is a comparative psychologist currently working as a behavioral scientist at BetterUp Labs. His research on the psychology and evolution of cooperation has been published in peer-reviewed journals worldwide.
Khoa Le Nguyen, Ph.D., is a behavioral scientist at BetterUp Labs, studying well-being and human potential inside and outside of work.
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A version of this story originally appeared on Fortune.com on February 1, 2024.
