Ask a Manager

MAY 28, 2015

how to change course on a bad office policy that you put in place was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. You can read my answer to this question over at Inc. today , where I’m revisiting letters that have been buried in the archives here from years ago (and often updating/expanding my answers to them).

Office Policies 34

Office Policies 34

Office Snapshots

OCTOBER 22, 2024

There is also a wellbeing and prayer room to support inclusivity, and features to support Slalom’s dog-friendly office policy are also subtly incorporated, including drinking bowls and treat stations.

Equipment 80

Equipment Consulting Office Policies Computer 80

Work Life

OCTOBER 18, 2023

Fast-forward to 2023, and companies keep talking about how they are preparing for a recession that hasn’t come, white elephant half-vacant office buildings dot the skyline in major cities, and the economy appears to be in a state of suspended animation. It’s only fair.

Problem-Solving 105

Problem-Solving Office Policies Payroll Purchasing 105

Workplace Insight

AUGUST 11, 2023

Key findings: Leaders are digging into their data to find out if return-to-office policies are working. 88 percent of those surveyed work for organizations that have an in-office policy – and most are now measuring the success of this policy by delving into their data.

Real Estate 88

Real Estate Office Policies Equipment Government 88

Workplace Insight

JANUARY 10, 2024

Half (50 percent) of respondents say their employer has “productivity paranoia” over employees working away from the office, with 62 percent reporting their organisation has implemented a return to office policy within the last two years.

Software 111

Software Office Policies Reporting Flexibility 111

Workplace Insight

JUNE 23, 2024

In workplaces with flexible schedules, employees spend nearly half their in-office time in meeting rooms compared to those with mandated in-office days. The report claims that enforcing a mandatory three-day in-office policy only increased peak daily utilization from 29 percent to 46 percent.

Catering 64

Catering Office Policies Equipment Influencing 64

Work Life

JULY 31, 2024

In recent months, however, companies have sought to wrest back control by imposing stricter return-to-office policies and cracking down on workers who they believe are shirking their duties.

Software 90

Software Office Policies Security Controlling 90

Workplace Insight

MARCH 21, 2024

As a result, more stringent RTO mandates are giving rise to stealth management whereby managers are discreetly taking a more flexible approach to company policies to retain top talent. As it stands, nearly three quarters (70 percent) of managers have allowed team members to work from home despite an official return to office policy.

Flexibility 116

Flexibility Flexibility Office Policies Promotion 116

Work Life

OCTOBER 22, 2024

Some experts have already said that Amazon’s new in-office mandate—which will require employees to be in the office five days a week—is effectively a way to increase attrition, leading employees to voluntarily leave the company.

Multitasking 75

Multitasking Supplies Food Office Policies 75

Workplace Insight

JUNE 11, 2024

“The study highlights a concerning trend of potential manipulation within return-to-office policies,” said Anita Grantham, Head of HR at BambooHR. ” Beyond covert layoffs, the study also found the return-to-office shift has contributed to a “performative, suspicious, and divisive” office culture.

Office Policies 59

Office Policies Software Prioritization Flexibility 59

Workplace Insight

JUNE 25, 2024

Sean McPheat, CEO at Skillshub, commented on the potential consequences of a rigid return-to-office approach. “Our research suggests that many employers may be putting themselves at risk of mass resignations if mandatory in-office policies are enforced without proper consideration.”

Office Policies 59

Office Policies Finance Flexibility Flexibility 59

Envoy

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

Set and measure in-office policies Save admins the time and effort of manually tracking and reporting on in-office policies. Ensure correct attendance data even if employees forget to check in or “tailgate” a coworker’s badge swipe to enter the building. Available on Workplace Premium. Learn more.

Office Policies 52

Office Policies Security Delegation Networking 52

Work Life

FEBRUARY 13, 2024

” Your ability to multi-communicate may also be impacted by office policies. If there is an open device policy, for example, the team may not consider someone checking email as a rude or unprofessional behavior. “It may not be perceived as a rude behavior; it could have a positive relational impact.”

Multitasking 113

Multitasking Office Policies Technology Communication 113

Workplace Insight

JANUARY 25, 2024

According to the report, despite lengthy delays and commuting costs (including lunch and travel) of up to £7,540 a year, commuters returned to the office in their droves in 2023, with 52 percent of workers preferring to work in the office and 39 percent going in more frequently than in 2022.

Transportation 95

Transportation Office Policies Influencing Small Business 95

Workplace Insight

APRIL 30, 2024

UK employees are suffering higher cost-of-living expenses, especially due to transportation costs and tensions may rise as many companies enforce return-to-office policies. That is according to the latest study conducted by Capterra on 248 U.K.

Finance 59

Finance Transportation Office Policies Flexibility 59

Envoy

OCTOBER 23, 2023

It’s also important that leaders enforce their on-site policies while also stressing how these requirements benefit both the company and individual employees. Taking another look at market performance, tech companies with employees who adhered to in-office policies financially outperformed those who didn’t.

Technology 95

Technology Office Policies Flexibility Flexibility 95

Workplace Insight

OCTOBER 17, 2023

Those that have set ‘number of days in the office’ policies have found that their people are not conforming to those policies, yet few organisations are prepared to take disciplinary action with ‘non-conformant’ staff. This leads to a feeling of unfairness and lower morale.

Real Estate 115

Real Estate Office Policies Technology Training 115

Work Life

JANUARY 28, 2024

And the worst part is, not only is a rigid return-to-office policy the opposite of inclusive—it’s also completely unnecessary. Because of the inclusivity that remote work offers, rolling back on flexible working conditions is harmful to a company’s fabric of diversity.

Flexibility 119

Flexibility Flexibility Office Policies Prioritization 119

Workplace Insight

MAY 20, 2024

Now the picture has shifted once more, with headlines pointing to increasing return to the office policies introduced by organisations, with greater productivity and collaboration among their top reasons for doing so.

Catering 118

Catering Office Policies Influencing Reporting 118

Attendance Bot

MAY 30, 2024

hours per week Employees using AI report significantly higher productivity levels Importance of Flexibility 71% of desk workers find working the same hours as their colleagues enhances productivity Structured flexibility in office policies is crucial for effective hybrid work environments.

Flexibility 52

Flexibility Flexibility Catering Office Policies 52

Success

SEPTEMBER 21, 2024

Now, not only have some studies shown hybrid workers to be as productive as in office, it is becoming a must for competitive companies looking to recruit top talent. More and more people are moving away from hustle culture and prioritizing quality of life and work-life balance.

Flexibility 100

Flexibility Flexibility Coaching Office Policies 100

Workplace Insight

JANUARY 30, 2024

The majority of UK travel managers (89 percent) say travel is a growing business priority in 2024, anticipating increased budgets driven by return-to-office policies, inflation and ESG requirements. This is a key finding in new research by Uber for Business which claims to reveal a resurgent demand for business travel.

Office Policies 64

Office Policies Government Reporting Flexibility 64

Work Life

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

If you create an engaged and positive work environment, then employees will do better work whether they are home or in the office. Return to office policies must factor in communication, well-being, health, safety, and flexibility for the unique needs of all individual employees.

Flexibility 96

Flexibility Flexibility Office Policies Construction 96

Work Life

MAY 22, 2024

Employee surveys show clear risks of mandatory return-to-office policies. In the four years since the pandemic began, the availability of remote work as an option has become not just a coveted benefit for employees, but often an expectation. These same employees would also trade more than 20% of their compensation to work remotely.

Onboarding 98

Onboarding Software Catering Healthcare 98

Work Life

MAY 21, 2024

Middle managers have led their employees through the pandemic, navigated the Great Resignation, and implemented upper management’s return to office policies to disgruntled workers. They are, unsurprisingly, increasingly burned out. And they’ve become prime targets for the chopping block— 30% of laid off workers are middle managers.

Coaching 92

Coaching Office Policies Leadership Software 92

Success

JULY 16, 2024

Why companies should implement pets at the office policies But pets at work are much more than just fun, furry colleagues. When it came time to head back to the office post-pandemic, pet owners became concerned about leaving their pooches home alone.

Office Policies 79

Office Policies Home Office Promotion Influencing 79

Work Life

OCTOBER 30, 2024

The problem is, stating a preference without committing to a policy allows managers to avoid taking responsibility for addressing the challenges inherent in the hybrid style of working, such as sparsely populated offices that are depressing places to be and bosses without the skills to manage remotely.

Cubicle 72

Cubicle Office Policies Salary Training 72

Work Life

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

X’s rigid return-to-office policies and layoffs led to an exodus of top talent, including key engineers and creatives. By moving away from employee-centered policies, Amazon risks a similar outcome—losing the very talent it needs to stay competitive in an increasingly flexible, skills-driven market.

Problem-Solving 75

Problem-Solving Flexibility Flexibility Leadership 75

Office Space

MAY 1, 2024

We’ll discuss modern office policies such as activity-based and remote work, and how they can promote improved collaboration between teams. We’ll then touch on the importance of technology in the workplace, and how businesses like OfficeSpace are making it easier than ever for team leaders to optimize their office space.

Teamwork 130

Teamwork Software Problem-Solving Office Layout 130

Insperity

JUNE 2, 2022

According to a Future Forums study conducted in Fall 2021 about inflexible return-to-office policies, 44% of executives want to return to fully in-office work, compared to only 17% of non-executive employees. Employers’ view on a return to the office. What’s still the issue? So, what’s the solution?

Cubicle 227

Cubicle Flexibility Flexibility Communication 227

Insperity

MAY 11, 2021

Office policies surrounding sick leaves and personal leaves had to be reevaluated. Some policies, such as those governing remote work , had to be created quickly and on the fly.

Planning 216

Planning Office Policies Leadership Government 216

Insperity

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

Before the pandemic, employees were seen as “heroes” for coming to the office and powering through whatever ailment they had. Common office policies, such as rewarding no sick days taken or lumping in sick days with overall paid time off (PTO), may have inadvertently encouraged the practice of coming to work sick.

Cubicle 257

Cubicle Flexibility Flexibility Food 257

Success

JULY 10, 2023

On June 15, Charles Schwab joined the many corporations requiring most or all employees to return to the office. Google’s change to their three-day-a-week office policy now includes checking employee badge swipes to hold employees who have simply chosen not to report to the office accountable via their performance reviews.

Office Policies 59

Office Policies Consulting Finance Flexibility 59

Office Space

JUNE 27, 2024

What this means It may be time to reconsider if your company still adheres to a full-time in-office policy. Returning them to the office full-time could lead to dissatisfaction, decreased morale, and even turnover. Employees increasingly value the flexibility and autonomy hybrid and remote work arrangements offer.

Flexibility 130

Flexibility Flexibility Real Estate Software 130

Envoy

AUGUST 17, 2023

Establish a clear in-office policy Once a centralized system is in place, employers need to ensure their employees leverage the workplace on a regular basis. To establish the right in-office policy for your company, you should leverage occupancy and space usage data to determine the best days for teams and departments to work onsite.

Real Estate 52

Real Estate Security Office Policies Controlling 52

Work Life

FEBRUARY 24, 2024

Implement a flexible work policy The hybrid model seems to be dominating businesses—with 90% of U.S. companies planning to implement return-to-office policies by the end of 2024, according to a report from Resume Builder. Here are three ways businesses can adapt to Gen Z workers.

Real Estate 111

Real Estate Catering Flexibility Flexibility 111

Insperity

NOVEMBER 22, 2022

Prioritizing quality and results over time spent in the office. Modeling desirable behaviors – managers should adhere to any office policies that promote work-life balance and avoid showing reluctance to take time off. Encouraging employees to take breaks and time off when needed.

Leadership 241

Leadership Multitasking Real Estate Communication 241