Return to Office: Back to compulsory attendance?
More and more companies are calling for a return to the office — but does that make sense? The article highlights the “return to office” trend, shows advantages and disadvantages and gives practical tips for the successful implementation of hybrid models.
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Many are observing the current trend with mixed feelings: After years of flexibility, more and more companies are calling their employees back to the office. The return to office phenomenon concerns managers all over the world and presents them with complex decisions. On the one hand, companies expect more control and better collaboration, on the other hand, they risk dissatisfying their most valuable resource: their workforce.
The benefits of working from home have proven their worth during the pandemic, but now you are faced with whether and how you can bring your teams back into the office space. This article shows you what is behind the return to office trend and how you can find a balanced solution.
What does return to office mean?
The world of work has fundamentally changed since the pandemic and is increasingly moving into home office relocates — not always to the delight of companies. Many managers fear that they will lose control of their teams in the process, even though in reality the productivity rarely suffers under hybrid working models. This concern reflects outdated leadership philosophies that have not yet made the leap to Leadership 4.0 have succeeded.
Return to Office or Returning to Office describes exactly this trend: Many companies that have worked from home for a long time are now introducing face-to-face days in the office again, or are even demanding a complete return to the five-day week in the office. The return to office in Germany follows international developments, but also shows specific German peculiarities in the approach.
However, this return to compulsory attendance should by no means be reckless. Successful return to office strategies require well-thought-out planning that takes into account both the needs of the company and the employees. New leadership plays a decisive role here, as modern leadership focuses less on control and more on trust and results.
The challenge lies in benefits of hybrid working not to give up completely while achieving the desired presence effects at the same time. After all, Work 4.0 demands flexible solutions that include various working time models and combine forms of work intelligently. Companies that enforce strict return regulations unfortunately risk more than they gain.
Where does the return to office trend in Germany come from?
The return-to-office phenomenon is now being addressed by numerous new work studies, which provide interesting insights into motivations and effects.
An international perspective is provided by a survey by Gartner, which caused a stir in 2024. It shows the attitude of employees towards return to the office: 48 percent of employees feel that return to the office orders prioritize what managers want and not what employees need to do a good job.” This finding reveals a fundamental conflict between management level and workforce that extends far beyond Germany.
The study also revealed an aspect that your company should definitely not neglect when returning to the office: Very high-performing employees, women and millennials in particular, are more likely to resign if too strict return to office regulations are introduced. Mutual trust between employer and employee is immensely important for these groups — and rigid rules of presence are often perceived as a breach of trust.
Companies that rely on a diverse workforce are instructed, must therefore act particularly carefully when making return to office decisions so as not to unintentionally disadvantage certain groups or even lose them altogether.
Home Office vs. Return to Office: Pros and Cons
The decision between home office and return to office is complex and should be based on an honest assessment of all advantages and disadvantages. This shows that both forms of work have specific strengths and weaknesses, which must be weighted differently depending on the sector and context. For many companies, a hybrid working model is still the best solution.
| Arbeitsmodell | Vorteile | Nachteile |
|---|---|---|
| Homeoffice |
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| Return to Office |
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This comparison makes it clear that there is no general correct answer. Hybrid work tries to combine the advantages of both worlds, but also requires innovative management approaches.
10 tips for return to office measures
If you want to implement return to office measures, you should be strategic and thoughtful. These seven recommendations will help you find a balanced solution that takes into account both your business goals and the needs of your employees:
1. Implement new leadership
Focus more on trust and performance instead of tried and tested control mechanisms. This requires a deep rethink in the organization and comprehensive change management. A new type of leadership and a modern, open and diverse organizational culture are essential for success. Treat your employees as partners — not as resources that need to be monitored.
2. Realistically assess the current situation and goals
Analyze honestly why you want to return to office. Are they measurable business problems, or are they primarily control needs? Also define clear, verifiable goals for your return strategy.
3. Set priorities
Not all activities benefit equally from face-to-face work. Identify areas where physical presence really creates added value — for example, during creative brainstorming sessions or when onboarding new team members. Activity-Based Working can serve as a guiding principle here to assign different types of work to optimal environments.
4. Actively involve employees
Conduct comprehensive surveys and involve your teams in decision-making. This does not ensure the satisfaction of your employees and thus prevents layoffs. Take the needs of individual team members seriously and use their input to develop a successful strategy for returning to the office.
5. Promote work-life balance
The work-life balance can be shaken as a result of the abandonment of the home office. Compensate for this with flexible working time models that make commuting to work more bearable. Offer flextime, compressed work weeks, or other new work options to make up for the loss of home office flexibility.
6. Step-by-step implementation
Implement return to office measures gradually instead of enforcing radical changes overnight. Start with one or two days of attendance per week and evaluate the impact before taking any further steps. This approach reduces resistance and enables adjustments based on experience.
7. Continuous evaluation and adjustment
Implement regular feedback cycles and be ready to adjust your strategy. Return to Office is not a one-time project, but a continuous process that requires regular evaluation and optimization. Use data from aroom booking systems like Flexopus and employee surveys to refine your approaches.
Flexopus: The Workplace Management Solution
It doesn't always have to go straight to full on-site operation — many successful companies have implemented hybrid working models that combine the best of both worlds. However, such solutions require a well-thought-out organization that productivity not endangered and at the same time maintains the flexibility that today's employees expect.
One desk sharing software like Flexopus can offer decisive help here in a hybrid office and motivate employees to consciously book a place in the office. Instead of forcing them, the platform makes it possible to make office visits a positive experience.
Flexopus supports your return to office strategy on several levels: The data enables you to carry out intelligent capacity planning, which helps you make optimal use of your office space and thus to save costs. Employees can decide flexibly when they want to come to the office — without having to worry that there won't be a suitable workplace available.
Room booking systems such as Flexopus also provide valuable data on actual office usage. These insights help you optimize your return to office strategy based on data and understand which incentives really work.
Integration with existing systems enables seamless workflows: calendar systems, access control, etc. can be automatically synchronized with workplace bookings. This makes working in the office a seamless experience.
Conclusion: How useful is office presence mandatory?
The general answer to whether return to office is a good idea for your company is: It depends. Many successful companies do not rely on rigid mandates, but on intelligent hybrid working models that take into account both business goals and the needs of employees.
Today, however, absolute presence time in the office is no longer absolutely necessary: New leadership and modern workplace management solutions make it possible to intelligently combine flexibility and presence. Instead of choosing between home office and office, you should take advantage of hybrid working and give your teams the freedom they expect and deserve in the modern working world.
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