From Cubicles to Connections: HR’s Take on Rethinking Full-Time Office Work

By: Kate Hill, DBA

Remember the classic work-office culture of the 80s and 90s? Rows of cubicles, power suits, printers, fax machines, and employees clocking a punch card to begin a rigid 9-to-5 workday. This era painted a workplace picture where success meant showing up every day to the office, engaging in corporate politics, and thriving in board meeting sessions well into the evening. Work-life balance was not a high priority; HR policies such as zero flexibility and limited PTO days encouraged an all-or-nothing attitude often reflected in the movies of this era. Hit fast forward on that VHS or DVD player and the workplace culture of today is vastly different. Today, remote and hybrid work models have redefined how organizations compete. However, as the corporate world inches closer to post-pandemic normalcy, there have been debates around the best way to operate in the new work environment. Many corporate leaders now insist that organizations should rebuild their culture and collaboration by hitting the rewind button and returning to the ‘classic’ work-office model from former generations. However, with remote and hybrid models proving to have many advantages and value in employee productivity, work-life balance, and flexibility, the question is not just about where work happens but how HR practitioners can navigate this shift to help balance organizational objectives with employee happiness and retention.

The recent debate stems from high-profile corporations such as AT&T, X (Twitter), and Amazon, mandating a 5-day-in-office return to bring back company culture, collaboration, and increased oversight. However, implementing this full-time return to office has brought unanticipated challenges. For instance, AT&T has faced many logistical challenges, such as inadequate workspaces, desk shortages, and overcrowded offices, creating internal issues, such as operational inefficiencies, increased employee disgruntlement, and turnover. Similarly, Amazon’s 2025 return mandate of 50,000 employees has caused external issues that communities must deal with, such as a slew of traffic obstructions and substantially longer commute times.

While top leaders promote the benefits of in-person attendance, with polls indicating that 79% of CEOs convey confidence in a three-year return to office plan (KPMG, 2023), 48% of top managers consider in-person attendance to enhance collaboration, and 42% believe it improves productivity (PwC, 2023), employee preferences tell a much different narrative. A 2023 survey found that 80% of employers lost talent due to office return mandates (ResumeBuilder, 2023). A Gallup survey demonstrated that only 8% of remote-capable employees favor full-time, in-person work (Gallup, 2023). Additionally, 66% of employees would consider quitting their jobs if mandated to return to the office full-time (Owl Labs, 2023). Opposing viewpoints such as these highlight the critical importance of aligning policies with employee preferences and indicate a greater need for organizations to remain thoughtful and intentional while driving these changes.

HR professionals must consider and understand the underlying impacts of return-to-office policies on turnover, attrition, employee morale, performance, and workplace culture. Statistical evidence suggests that HR departments may see higher employee turnover and lower retention rates when mandating employees return to rigid and sometimes isolating workplaces. The transition also poses serious risks to motivation and employee engagement, with evidence supporting a 60% rise in employee stress and a 40% drop in quality of work life (Future Forum Pulse, 2023). A Stanford University Professor, Nicholas Bloom, stresses the risks of forcing employees to go back to full-time office work, arguing that hybrid work models are a better solution to addressing employees’ resistance to change and also a way to keep higher levels of performance. HR practitioners must understand how these adjustments can lessen trust, lower discretionary efforts, and hinder performance. The challenge for today’s HR is navigating these policies while ensuring organizations take the proper steps from the executive level to support the company’s bottom line.

The Unintended HR Consequences

From an HR professional standpoint, especially those responsible for managing the fallout of this new change, the transition to a full-time work model has risks and opportunities. While an office return may seem straightforward and practical for growing stronger collaboration, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Sudden workplace shifts carry unintentional consequences like turnover, talent retention, lower productivity, and a decline in psychological safety. However, a more pressing concern is the unintended implications of indiscriminate attrition induced from these policies. Rigid mandates can inadvertently affect the top-performing employees organizations want to retain the most. These high-functioning and innovative thought-provoking leaders flourish in flexible work structures, value autonomy, and are highly mobile. When their flexibility is revoked, they are the first to leave.

In contrast, less mobile employees are more likely to remain employed when rigid policies are implemented because of skill mismatches and fewer external network opportunities. Over time, organizations develop into a more mediocre workforce, with fewer top performers to lead innovative excellence. To address these challenges, companies should focus on a more balanced approach that ties workplace flexibility with performance metrics. Remote and hybrid models should be contingent on meeting performance benchmarks and allow the highest performers to preserve a flexible work structure that provides autonomy while achieving firm objectives. HR practitioners must proactively anticipate and mitigate these risks while balancing employee resistance and engagement.

Expert HR recruiters stress the importance of creating supportive environments that foster productivity and team collaboration instead of control. According to research from SHRM, 68% of employees would contemplate seeking new job opportunities if mandated to return full-time to the office, with a whopping 79% among GenZ employees (SHRM, 2024). The loss of workplace flexibility is synonymous with employee satisfaction. Despite reports of 68% of employees being equally or more productive while working remotely (PwC, 2023), the loss of flexibility in full-time office models poses the risk of alienating top-performing employees and potentially threatening high levels of productivity and innovation.

Key HR Strategies and Opportunities

Despite these challenges, full-time office environments create a unique opportunity for HR practitioners to drive fundamental transformation and create a more inclusive workplace. From an HR perspective, this work model enhances collaboration, communication, company culture, increases resource access, and allows visibility to more career development opportunities. By having clear and coherent communication explaining the reasoning and policies surrounding the return-to-work change and its potential benefits, HR leaders can effectively use change management to increase adoption. HR can support employees by prioritizing well-being by providing mental health resources and wellness programs and organizing social engagements and watercooler sessions to demonstrate and reinforce an organization’s commitment to employee well-being and satisfaction.

The ultimate success of returning to-office policies centers around the organization’s leadership and transparency through an employee-centric approach that provides an ongoing feedback loop. Developing the capabilities of leadership to adequately and empathically address employees’ concerns and create an inclusive sense of belonging to the organization can help merge the gap between employee expectations and the organization’s goals. HR should ensure that leaders and managers are skilled with the proper tools to navigate the complexities of transitioning teams and environments. Further, HR leadership should provide critical tools to help facilitate positive change, such as communication platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Slack), employee feedback tools (e.g., anonymous surveys), change management training (e.g., techniques for managing resistance), scheduling software tools, wellness initiatives, and dedicated support channels for employee concerns.

While many companies are committed to full-time work models, data suggests that supporting hybrid models should not be ignored. A Stanford study claims that moving from a full-time office model to a hybrid model reduced employee resignations by 33%, specifically among non-management employees, women, and long-distance commuters (Stanford University, 2024). Furthermore, other survey data indicates that hybrid work arrangements are the most sustainable approach, helping firms retain top talent while adopting creativity, innovation, and collaboration (Future Forum Pulse, 2023). Depending on the corporation, organizational goals, objectives, mission, and work type, offering a hybrid approach to work models may allow firms to balance performance, management oversight, collaboration, and employee work-life balance.

So, are you an HR leader reusing those ‘classic’ workplace cultures to set the tone for what was once considered the five-star standard of professional success (i.e., long in-person office hours and face-to-face collaboration only), or are you jumping on social media to help your company, employees, and leaders navigate this ‘new normal’ and the complexities of a hybrid office work models? In either case, it is important to remember that evidence confirms that today’s workplace culture has significantly evolved. Quality of work life, flexibility, and well-being are now a large part of measuring a firm’s competitiveness and success. As firms weave and paint a new narrative of what culture and collaboration look like, HR leaders must create a practical and employee-centric process that balances organizational aims, employee needs and well-being, fosters communication, and prioritizes workplace balance. In the end, HR leaders hold the key in creating workspaces that are robust and adaptive to the changing needs of the workforce. The question is not just about returning to the office but how to redefine the office for this new age of work.

About the Author

Dr. Kate Hill is an expert in workplace models, assisting HR leaders and organizations navigate significant challenges like high work demands, evolving work environments, employee well-being, and burnout. With over a decade of leadership experience, she has partnered with Fortune 500 companies to implement strategic HR initiatives, optimize team performance, and manage large-scale projects. As a post-doctoral research fellow for the Center for Innovation Management and Business Analytics (CIMBA) at Florida Tech, Dr. Hill continues to deliver worldwide academic analysis focusing on team collaboration, work-life integration, and HR leadership, sharing her research globally and mentoring HR professionals to drive impactful organizational change. Dr. Hill can be reached at [email protected]