While employees have begrudgingly accepted return-to-office mandates as part of this new era of work, it wouldn't hurt to offer a few incentives.
In 2025, 47% of workers report that their companies have either implemented or increased return-to-office mandates, according to a recent survey by Owl Labs, with 19% requiring five days a week in the office and 10% mandating three. Employees don't have much leverage, other than looking for a new job. To keep workers happy and retain their talent, employers should consider offering benefits and other perks to smooth any hard feelings.
"We've proven that we can [be productive] outside of the office, but in the world we live it's entirely up to the employer how they want people to work," says Katie Smith, a senior manager at Accenture. "If you're set on asking employees to come in five days a week and you're not paying them any more or offering anything better, it does go into the decision making of the employee on whether or not they take the job."
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After almost four years of flexibility, bringing employees back to the office even just part-time requires some level of sacrifice. Post-pandemic, employees have gotten used to scheduling doctor's appointments during office hours, picking up their children and even doing laundry during the work day. Returning to work also means employees are likely waking up earlier, staying out later and missing out activities they were once able to fit into their schedule. There is a monetary cost to returning to work as well in the form of gas, the price of food, transit and parking.
Smith advocates for paying employees more for coming into the office, whether through salary increases to one-time bonuses. For companies where financial compensation isn't an option, organizations can offer commuter benefits, free parking and other stipends employees can put toward office clothes or food.
These small acts can help reduce some of the tension between employees, especially for companies with a hybrid workforce where a portion of employees work from home permanently. Acknowledging the employee experience is important, no matter where employees are logging in from, Smith says.
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"Wanting employees back in the office isn't bad," she says. "But [employers] should also want to make sure that they're supporting employees in ways that make an office a comfortable space to be."
To find the most valued benefits to suit their employee base, Smith suggests doing internal surveys and holding open forums to gauge what employees really want and need. She also urges the employees themselves to talk to benefit managers about the possibility of RTO incentives and perks.
"We're going to see many more returns to work and employees coming into the office more days a week," Smith says. "But that compensation piece still isn't being talked about enough, and that conversation needs to be at the forefront to keep employees around."
