Return to the Office, Says the CEO

Business owners and C-level executives grudgingly accepted hybrid and remote work after the COVID-19 pandemic ended. No longer — the bosses want everyone back in the office.

Eighty-three percent of CEOs expect companies to demand employees return to the office, full time, within three years. Big Four accounting firm KPMG polled 1,325 CEOs from 11 countries, including the U.S., for its 2024 CEO Outlook. Opinions on the need for a full return to the office varies based on CEO demographics:

• 84% of men compared to 78% of women
• 87% of CEOs age 60-69
• 83% age 50-59, and
• 75% age 40-49.

These execs believe their organizations and businesses as a whole need to get back to pre-COVID ways of working. CEOs understand top talent who currently enjoy hybrid or remote work arrangements deserve financial rewards for going with the flow. KPMG found 87% of CEOs are “likely to reward employees who make an effort to come into the office with favorable assignments, raises or promotions.”

Return to the Office Edict by Amazon Turns Heads

Some of the largest employers are proving to be test cases for weaning people off of hybrid and remote arrangements. Earlier this year, United Parcel Services (UPS) ordered its salaried workers to return to the office five days a week. UPS also cut payroll to the tune of 14,000 layoffs.

And the premier test case is just beginning. Amazon instructed all of its employees to return to the office five days a week. The move by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stunned thousands of employees who protested (not so silently) a prior three-day-a-week mandate.

The online retail giant is giving employees until January 2 to comply. Jassy also wants to “flatten” managerial positions to help cut payroll. The writing is on the wall for middle and upper management: “If you want to keep your job, we’d better see your face in the office Monday to Friday.”

Employers that choose to buck the return to the office trend won’t be left clamoring for talent. In-demand employees consistently rank flexible work arrangements as a top perk they look for in prospective employers. Also: Return to the office mandates could be a much harder sell in many major cities.