Perceived Organizational Support in the Return-to-Office Era: A Strategic Framework for HR Leaders

By Abram Walton, Ph.D. & Alex Silverman, M.S.

The return-to-office (RTO) movement represents more than a logistical shift; it signals a new chapter in the social-work contract (i.e., psychological) between employers and employees. At the core of this transition is the concept of Perceived Organizational Support (POS): the belief among employees that their organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being. In the wake of widespread remote work, employees’ perceptions of what constitutes support have evolved, creating both risks and opportunities for HR leaders and managers throughout the organization. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory, which posits that mutual investment underpins organizational commitment and performance, this article explores the changing contours of POS in the RTO era and outlines best practices for HR leaders navigating this shift.

The Stakes: What Happens When POS Erodes

POS is not just a “nice to have” sentiment; it is a measurable predictor of key organizational outcomes. A broad meta-review of literature confirms low POS is associated with a significant decrease in employee engagement, a significant increase in turnover intentions, and a significant reduction in organizational citizenship behaviors (Kurtessis et al., 2017). Firms with low POS experience outcomes reflecting a workforce that is disengaged, less collaborative, and more likely to quiet quit. Chronic absenteeism, presenteeism, and even subtle disengagement (e.g., reduced idea sharing), often reflect unseen deficits in support. Moreover, when employees perceive a lack of support, they are less likely to take initiative, propose innovations, or go beyond prescribed roles. These indicators signal organizations must urgently reevaluate their support strategies.

Redefining POS in a Post-Pandemic World

The pandemic catalyzed a reevaluation of workplace norms. What began as a reactive transition to remote work resulted in long-term shifts in expectations. During this period, organizations invested in tools and benefits that not only reinforced POS, but increased the bar of expectation among employees, through provisions such as virtual mental health support, increased schedule autonomy, and remote-friendly engagement practices (Kniffin et al., 2021). The result? Employees experienced an unprecedented level of autonomy, flexibility, and trust, which many now view as non-negotiable.

As RTO policies roll out, a growing body of evidence reveals many employees perceive a disconnect between past support structures and current mandates. This is congruent with Social Exchange Theory, which suggests such perceived withdrawals of support can feel like a breach of the psychological contract, eroding trust and commitment (Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002). Importantly, these shifting expectations are not limited to employees who experienced prolonged remote work. Even in organizations where remote work was brief or never fully adopted, today’s workforce has recalibrated its sense of what workplace support and flexibility look like. Regardless of a firm’s specific RTO methodology, HR leaders must recognize today’s workforce does not just want balance, they expect integration. For many, work is no longer the center of life but rather one part of a broader personal ecosystem, and policies viewed as regressive can have ripple effects on morale, engagement, and retention.

Peer Support: A Strategic Lever for Rebuilding POS

While organizational policies matter, day-to-day employee experience is often shaped by peer dynamics. Research rooted in Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory underscores that high-quality peer and manager relationships foster trust, reciprocity, and a deeper sense of inclusion (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995). In the RTO era, employees crave informal feedback loops – conversations over coffee, spontaneous brainstorming, and peer mentoring.

Fostering psychological safety is foundational here. Defined by Amy Edmondson (1999) as the shared belief it is safe to take interpersonal risks, psychological safety correlates strongly with innovation and collaboration. In fact, Baer & Frese (2003) found psychologically safe teams generate up to 30% more ideas, while another study found creative output drops by as much as 25% in environments lacking psychological safety (Amabile et al., 2005). It is incumbent on organizations to intentionally engineer these conditions to rebuild relational trust in hybrid or in-person settings. This may be done through promoting a sense of belonging and open communication, establishing team-level feedback rituals or normalizing upward feedback through anonymous surveys, reconsidering the design of office layouts, providing digital collaboration tools for asynchronous use (such as Miro, Notion, or Canva), creating affinity spaces or resource groups, training managers in inclusive leadership, providing childcare support or stipends, encouraging video-free meetings or “audio-only” Fridays to reduce Zoom fatigue, and more.

A national retail brand recently implemented store huddles – brief daily check-ins focused on wins, challenges, and shout-outs. These five-minute gatherings improved peer rapport, increased shared accountability, and led to a 9% increase in same-store sales. The initiative reinforced POS by emphasizing employee voice and camaraderie even in a high-turnover environment.

Organizational Support in the RTO Context

In the new normal, support must extend beyond traditional benefits. HR leaders must build systems that prioritize outcome-based performance, recognize individuality, and support well-being in nuanced ways. While paid time off and employee assistance programs (EAPs) remain foundational, they need modern updates. For example, EAPs can incorporate app-based mental health support, digital sleep coaching, or AI-driven schedule balancing and shift adjustments. Research suggests these micro-interventions can increase productivity by 15% (Spector & Meier, 2014).

More critically, autonomy has emerged as a centerpiece of POS. Flexible work hours, asynchronous collaboration, and trust-based performance management are no longer perks, they are widely-held expectations. Equitable access to flexibility is also key; when high performers are rewarded with greater autonomy (social capital), systems must ensure such opportunities are inclusive and not reserved for a privileged few.

A large logistics company piloted a self-rostering platform allowing drivers to choose routes and hours within pre-approved ranges. The result: a 14% drop in missed shifts and a 21% increase in job satisfaction. By increasing autonomy within operational guardrails, the company significantly boosted POS while maintaining service standards.

In structured settings like manufacturing or retail, where full autonomy is less feasible, support can still thrive. Practices such as employee-driven scheduling, self-rostering, and shift-swapping within guardrails have been shown to reduce absenteeism by 12% (Lambert, 2008). Even within operational constraints, a sense of control can go a long way toward reinforcing POS.

Five Key Strategies for HR Leaders

Building a culture of support requires alignment between policies, leadership behavior, and employee experience. To meet evolving employee expectations and sustain high levels of POS in the RTO landscape, HR executives can implement the following strategies:

Deploy Targeted Assessments: Launch frequent pulse surveys with targeted questions such as, “Do you feel supported in managing personal responsibilities?” and “Is it safe to express dissent or share ideas at work?” Utilize the data collected in a transparent way – communicate key finding with employees and clearly outline how feedback will inform organizational decisions and improvements.
Leverage Integrated People Analytics: Analyze correlations between POS indicators and key HR metrics – turnover, productivity, mental health claims, and exit interview data. For example, spikes in unscheduled absences may signal inflexible scheduling policies. Establish an internal POS dashboard with KPIs tied to retention, engagement, and innovation.
Institutionalize Equitable Flexibility: Pilot models with co-created team norms, such as four-day workweeks or hybrid work models, asynchronous collaboration, or split-shift options. Implement the successful ones at scale. Ensure policies are accessible across functions, not just for knowledge workers. Pair flexibility with accountability by training managers on setting expectations and providing feedback based on outcomes – promoting redesigned performance evaluations prioritizing collaboration, adaptability, and trust over presenteeism.
Develop Human-Centric Leadership: Offer coaching to managers on empathetic listening, behavioral cues of disengagement, trust-building, and developing a positive environment. Roll out manager training programs focused on psychological safety and provide scripts or toolkits for difficult conversations. Leadership training initiatives focused on compassion have been shown to improve POS by 19% (Avolio et al., 2009). Additionally, provide managers with nudging tools that prompt regular check-ins or pulse questions to stay ahead of disengagement.
Engineer Peer Connectivity: Launch mentorship programs, digital affinity groups, team-based reflection sessions, and host monthly town halls to communicate updates and demonstrate leadership accountability. Even in high-turnover environments like retail, structured peer check-ins reduce stress by up to 10% (Lambert, 2008).

Conclusion: Redefining Support for a New Era

The return to office is not a return to the past, it is an inflection point. HR leaders must rise to the moment by advancing a model of support aligning with contemporary realities. This requires redefining what support looks like, personalizing it across job types, and rigorously measuring its outcomes. From an investor standpoint, POS can serve as a forward-looking indicator of workforce resilience; a critical metric amid an increasing focus on human capital in ESG frameworks.

In light of RTO concerns, POS is no longer a passive construct; it is a dynamic organizational asset. Organizations leading in POS outperform their peers in multiple areas: 20% lower turnover, 25% higher engagement, and up to 30% more innovation (Harter et al., 2020). These gains translate to improved customer satisfaction, employer branding, and reduced recruiting costs. Conversely, firms failing to adapt may face a 15% drop in productivity and skyrocketing attrition (Bersin, 2019). POS also influences talent acquisition. With 70% of job seekers citing flexibility as a top priority (ManpowerGroup, 2023). Critically, strategic HR leaders can report POS metrics alongside financial performance, demonstrating their organization’s capacity to attract, retain, and activate top talent sustainably. With a 1% increase in employee engagement potentially saving mid-sized firms over $100,000 annually (Gallup, 2020), strategic investments in support systems offer substantial ROI.

The call to action is clear: listen deeply, act deliberately, and build cultures of trust able to withstand the turbulence of change. By anchoring their strategies in empathy, evidence, and equity, HR leaders can not only navigate the RTO transition, but also future proof their organizations for the challenges ahead.

Happy RTOing!

Dr. Abram Walton is an internationally recognized expert in management and innovation and a Full Tenured Professor of Management at Florida Tech. With a specialization in Management and Innovation, he is also the Executive Director of Florida Tech’s Center for Innovation Management & Business Analytics (CIMBA). He holds key U.S. Delegate roles within the International Standards Organization related to AI, Blockchain, and Innovation Management. With over 20 years of research experience, he consults with major organizations like NASA, GE, Alstom, Harris, Bristol Myers Squib, and Delta on topics including leadership, lean process improvement, innovation strategies, and new product development. Dr. Walton’s diverse expertise, extensive publications, and involvement in academic journals and boards-of-directors demonstrate his commitment to advancing knowledge and fostering innovation.

Alex Silverman is a Business Analyst at the Center for Innovation Management & Business Analytics at Florida Tech, where she is pursuing a doctorate in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, specializing in Employee Well-Being and Addiction, and is a Certified Facilitator in Addiction Awareness (CFAA-HR). As a research associate with the Institute for Culture, Collaboration, and Management at Florida Tech, she has worked on a number of projects, studying a wide range of psychological topics including teams research, trust and distrust, employee behavior, addiction, and well-being. Previously an undergraduate instructor in the School of Psychology, she has helped foster engaging and supportive learning environments for students, as well as mentorship and guidance as they navigate their education in Psychology.