Want more people to be in the office? Look for perks that better utilise their time

Whether you prefer your Monday to Friday in the office, at home, or somewhere in between, the great HR debate around attendance rages on.

A survey of 1,038 US adults who currently or until recently worked as remote employees finds that most (96.3%) are willing to find a middle ground in what is widely known as an RTO mandate by companies (return to office mandates).

For a handful 3.7% of remote working employees, no amount of salary increase or in-office perks are enough to convince them of a return to the office.

This study, conducted by Ringover, also found that commute times has a big role to play in people's perceptions of the benefits of remote working. 

Note - While this study was conducted in the US, HRO believes the findings provide food for discussion for readers in Asia. 

So what might convince remote workers to go back to the office? This is what the data showed:

• Paid commute 83.2%
• On-site gym/wellness facilities 77.1%
• More social time with co-workers 76.0%
• Charitable contributions 75.7%
• Four-day work week (in-office) 74.1%
• Social events 72.4%
• Free lunch 70.2%

How common are compulsory RTO mandates?

Ringover data shows that 77% of Fortune 100 companies have initiated a return to the office since 2021, with most staff in for three days per week.

Per the survey respondents, the following is the frequency of how many employees are being asked to return to office setups:

• Not faced RTO 17.2%
• Heavily encouraged 38.3%
• Mandatory 29.8%
• Optional 14.7%

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Which side of the debate do you stand on, and do you believe a middle ground is possible? Write in to be featured in our next story with your views: editorial@humanresourcesonline.net 

ALSO READ: How long office workers spend commuting in Bangkok, Melbourne and New York

Lead image / 123RF