Sales & Business Development

The Great Return to Office Debate

Pooja Lawrence · 1 Aug 2026

Frustration is running high among colleagues who do not want to give up their remote work arrangements, but our company is pushing for a full return to the office by the end of the summer. We have been told it is to improve collaboration and creativity, but many of us feel this is just an excuse to cut down on flexible working. As someone who has to manage a team, I am struggling to find a solution that works for everyone, so I was wondering how other managers are handling this situation. What strategies are you using to make the return to office work for both the company and your employees?

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4 replies

Hazel Webb · 1 Aug 2026

I've seen companies like IBM and Dell successfully implement flexible work arrangements that prioritize results over face time. What specific concerns do you think are driving your company's push for a full return to the office, is it something that's come from the top down or are there other factors at play?

Marilyn Garcia · 1 Aug 2026

We've tried offering a flexible core hours policy, where everyone's in the office from 10am to 4pm, and they can work from home outside those hours.

Joe Cross · 1 Aug 2026

I forced my team back to the office about 6 months ago and we've actually seen productivity drop by about 20% since then.

Samuel Palmer · 1 Aug 2026

I think we're underestimating the impact of a full return to office on our carbon footprint, we've reduced our emissions by about 20% since going remote. Also, have we considered using tools like Microsoft Teams or Slack to facilitate collaboration and creativity, rather than relying solely on face-to-face interactions?