- A growing number of Americans have been told to return to the office full time.
- If you’re not used to the daily commute or have never worked in person, you can prepare.
- You can test out commuting options and ask questions to someone who has more in-office experience.
So you’ve been told to return to the office full-time.
Maybe you’re looking forward to the in-person interaction. Or perhaps you’re worried about the commute, aren’t sure about the dress code, or want to know if the policy is flexible.
John Morgan, president of Career Transition & Mobility and Leadership Development at LHH, told Business Insider that being in the office can be important for people starting out their careers because it can help with onboarding, creating connections, and understanding the workplace’s mission.
Nicholas Bloom, a Stanford University professor and an economist, said being in the office can be helpful for innovation and mentoring opportunities, but many people like working from home because it gives them quiet time to focus.
Whatever your views on the policy, Business Insider spoke to experts to learn the biggest challenges of RTO and the immediate steps you can take to feel more prepared.
Plan out your commute and in-office schedule
If you’re feeling hesitant about going back full time, Amanda Augustine, career expert for TopResume, suggested talking to your manager about whether you can gradually build up from one day a week to five days. She also suggested trying out commuting options to identify what works best for you.
“You may find you’re a lot less miserable if you get to ride a train or take a bus or take some sort of mass transportation where you could take a nap or listen to a podcast or read a book or zone out or put your makeup on, whatever it might be so that you kind of have your own time and you don’t have to worry about being on the road,” Augustine said.
Brian Elliott, author of “How the Future Works” and CEO of Work Forward, said to discuss with your team which meetings everyone is required to attend.
“If you can at least adjust the commute times, that can be really beneficial,” Elliott said. “Meaning, if I don’t have to commute during rush hour both directions, my commute may cut from being an hour to an hour and a half to being half an hour long, and that’s a huge benefit.”
Kyle M.K., Indeed’s talent strategy advisor, said to find out what resources are available, including commuter benefits at your workplace.
Ask about appropriate office attire
An Indeed survey about returning to the office, conducted by The Harris Poll from January 30 to February 3, found that 28% of remote or hybrid workers said the need to buy clothes would be a large barrier to fully returning to the office.
Your casual working-from-home clothes might not be appropriate in the office.
Augustine said it’s OK to ask what you are expected to wear when working from the office.
“In some companies, jeans are fine, and in other companies, khakis and a blazer are as underdressed as you’re going to get,” she said.
Talk to your boss and coworkers about expectations
You should get clarity about the exact expectations for time in the office and your responsibilities.
Elliott suggested asking, “Hey, what results am I expected to achieve? And as long as I’m achieving those, can I have some degree of flexibility back in return for continuing to perform on a very high level?”
Some people, such as those who graduated from college during the pandemic, have only ever worked remotely. Augustine’s advice for them is to seek out someone respected at their company who has had more in-office experience. She said you can ask this person what the typical attire was like before employees worked remotely, suggestions on concentrating while working from the office, and rules for decorating office space.
“The questions you ask this individual can really run the gamut, but the idea is to leverage their experience so your transition back to the office goes smoothly,” she said.
She added you should also talk to your manager about the office, including how they prefer to communicate while working in person — over a messaging platform or face to face.
What to do if you don’t want to return to the office
If you’re frustrated by the new work policy but don’t want to leave your job, Augustine said try viewing this as an opportunity.
“If you really love what you’re doing and you don’t want to leave, but you’re upset about this, and it’s pretty hard that there’s not going to be any flexibility, then you’re going to have to bite the bullet,” Augustine said. “You’re going to have to accept it.”
If you still want to leave, be prepared for a competitive remote job market. Recent Indeed data showed a lower share of job postings advertising remote or hybrid options recently compared to 2022.
Elliott said job seekers are more marketable when they’re holding a job.
Plus, there may be less enforcement of the mandate over time. “If it were me I would comply initially to see if the new mandate is going to be enforced,” Bloom said in an email. “Often the enforcement is initially high but wanes over time. It also provides some time to actively search for another job.”
Augustine suggested waiting to quit until you’re financially secure unless the job damages your health. She said in the meantime to take inventory of your skills and strengths while considering your non-negotiables for your next job.
While many US workers are returning to an office after being remote for the past few years, Kyle M.K. of Indeed thinks this return-to-office trend will be short-lived, and employers will give employees some flexibility again.
“I think eventually employers are going to recognize that the well-being of their employees is far more important than any other assumption that they might have about what it takes to have a great workforce, and listening to their employees is probably going to be their best strategy moving forward,” he said.
