Visibility Beats Productivity for RTO & Remote

While return-to-office (RTO) mandates from big names like UPS, Boeing, and JPMorgan Chase are making splashy headlines, most businesses are looking for more measured approaches to hybrid work. In fact, according to a 2024 report by Flex Index, 82% of Fortune 500 companies offer a flexible working environment, with only 18% requiring full-time in-office work.

With employee engagement, retention, and company culture hanging in the balance, it's important for leadership and HR to get hybrid and flexible working policies right. BambooHR surveyed 1,504 full-time US employees, including 504 human resources professionals, to understand what they think about returning to office, working from home, and hybrid/flexible models.

Read on to explore the results, and gain insights from HR expert Anita Grantham on what you can do to drive both productivity and employee satisfaction at your organization.

• Half of workers (52%) prefer to work remotely, while 2 out of 5 (39%) prefer to be in the office.
• The majority of both remote (88%) and in-office (79%) workers take actions to prove they’re online and working.
• 42% of employees who returned to the office say they feel like they are showing up just for visibility.
• Close to a third (32%) of managers admit the desire to track employees was a main goal for their company’s RTO mandate.
• 22% of HR pros admit their organization doesn’t have any metrics to measure a successful return to office policy.
• A quarter (26%) of employees say a greater divide has developed between remote and non-remote workers since RTO, and close to half (44%) of hybrid/in-office employees say they don’t have as strong of a relationship with remote colleagues compared to those they see in office more often.

Whether they’ve been called back to the office or are working in a remote or hybrid environment, office workers are taking actions to make themselves more visible. The goal: to prove their productivity to colleagues and management.

The vast majority of in-office (79%) and remote (88%) workers feel the need to prove they’re being productive.

Employees are adopting various strategies to demonstrate their productivity and presence, whether working remotely or on-site. Here's how they ensure their efforts are visible:

The motivation behind this behavior is the need to prove their productivity and dedication to their colleagues and managers, as remote work environments often lack tangible performance metrics.

In an in-person setting, in-office workers experience their own version of the Green Status Effect—actively socializing and moving around the office (37%) to be seen by their colleagues and superiors.

Whether remote or in-person, this behavior is driven by the desire to create a visible presence and maintain a positive image within the organization.

The implementation of RTO policies has further intensified the pressure for employees to be visible, both inside and outside the office.

When it comes to who’s more productive overall, in-office workers spend around one hour more socializing than their remote counterparts, while remote workers spend that time on work-related tasks and responsibilities.

Vague expectations or goals around returning to the office may not only be encouraging performative Green Status behaviors—it’s actively eroding employee trust.

There’s also a disconnect between stated goals for RTO and actually measuring the success of those goals. Half of managers (52%) say that the main goal of their company's return to office mandate was improving employee development, followed by improving customer interactions (49%) and improving company culture (46%).

As organizations navigate RTO and remote work policies, clear expectations are crucial for productivity and employee wellbeing.

The volatility of the last few years has underscored that every worker has a unique situation. Whether it’s related to commuting, caretaking, or creativity, many employees have developed strong preferences for the work mode that best suits them.

Nearly all (90%) workers who prefer remote work say it’s because of the flexibility and work-life balance it gives them. Specifically, more than half (51%) say it helps fulfill their family responsibilities, and 74% like not having to commute.

Unsurprisingly, 81% of in-office employees like the opportunities for socializing, networking, and visibility with bosses. But that doesn’t mean that they’re less concerned about their productivity than their remote counterparts.

“I’m more focused in the office as opposed to home where I can veer off to do other things.”
“My kids at home sometimes distract me.”

The majority of employees who prefer in-office work say it’s because they feel they do better work in the office (74%), and close to half (48%) of post-RTO workers say their work results have improved since going back to the office.

The evolving dynamics of workplace preferences across different generations reveal certain trends. The youngest workers in our survey were least likely (41%) to want to work from home, with Millennials (53%), Gen X (53%), Boomers (53%) all expressing a stronger preference for working from home. Instead, Gen Z is slightly more likely to prefer in-office work (46%), followed by Baby Boomers (42%) and Gen X (40%), with Millennials (37%) coming last.

Preference for Working in the Office

Additionally, the interaction patterns across generations also differ significantly. Younger generations tend to spend more time socializing than older generations, with Gen Z socializing for around 30 more minutes a day on average than Boomers and Gen X. This desire for socialization and connection is one reason why Gen Z has a higher preference for in-office or hybrid work models. However, for Gen Z, in-office and 9–5 don’t mean the same thing; they still prefer flexibility, including working hours.

With the time they save by socializing less, older generations are spending more time on work tasks and responsibilities than younger generations, with Boomers spending a full hour more on average than Gen Z and Millennials.

Workers with disabilities prefer remote work and would consider leaving if RTO was mandated at their organization:

• 63% of workers with disabilities prefer remote work, compared to 51% of non-disabled workers.
• 43% of workers with disabilities say they’d consider leaving if RTO policies happened at their organization, compared to only 27% of non-disabled employees.

One of the largest issues companies face is bridging the disconnect between remote/hybrid workers and their in-office peers.

More than two in five (44%) hybrid/in-office employees say they don’t have as strong a relationship with remote colleagues as those they see in office more often. Since having an RTO mandate, more than a fourth (26%) say a greater divide has developed between remote and non-remote workers.

By using RTO mandates as a workforce reduction tactic, companies are losing talent and morale among their employees. Nearly half (45%) of the employees who have experienced RTO report significant talent loss within their organizations—talent that was highly valued and wished to be retained.

Moreover, the discontent with return to office policies is strong among employees, with more than one in four (28%) stating they would consider leaving their positions if subjected to such mandates. This level of dissatisfaction could lead to a further drain of talent, affecting not just morale but also the stability and innovation potential of the workforce.

Companies aren’t just downsizing their workforces; they’re also downsizing real estate, which has caused a commercial real estate crisis. As many employers reduce office square footage, employees are left wondering if their job is the next one to be cut, with 42% of employees believing companies might enact RTO to justify spending on office spaces and help local businesses.

While no one wants to be laid off, many workers (52%) would be willing to take a 20% pay cut in order to achieve their desired quality of life, according to a recent study by Ford. But that doesn’t mean compensation isn’t important to employees.

Employers should consider these factors before implementing a return to office policy. Even just some time in the office as a hybrid employee can cost $408 per month, with commuting and associated expenses, and more than $1,000 per month for full-time office workers, according to CNBC.

Successful companies embrace a culture of openness rather than oversight, and are moving away from micromanagement to an environment that values and incorporates employee feedback.

Understanding individual employee preferences and tailoring work environments accordingly can significantly impact organizational success. By leveraging flexible work arrangements and focusing on culture as much as on workplace efficiency, companies can foster an environment where productivity and employee satisfaction reinforce each other—without the need for “big brother” watching over.

BambooHR^® is the leading provider of cloud-based HR software solutions that empower HR professionals to manage, support, and grow what matters most—their people. As a company, BambooHR's mission is to set people free to do great work, by automating, centralizing, and connecting employee data all in one place to support better decisions. The platform’s intuitive and intentionally designed payroll, time tracking, benefits, performance, and reporting solutions support the full repertoire of HR responsibilities—all backed by award-winning customer service. Over the past 15 years, BambooHR has been the trusted partner of HR professionals at 32 thousand companies in over 150 countries and 50 industries in supporting millions of users throughout their employee experience.

BambooHR conducted this research using an online survey prepared by Method Research and distributed by RepData among n=1,504 adults (age 18+) in the United States who are who are full-time salaried employees that currently work in a desk job position, and included a subgroup of n=504 HR professionals who have a manager title or above. The sample was equally split between genders, with a spread of age groups, race groups, and geographies represented. Data was collected from March 9 to March 22, 2024.