Dive Brief:
- Guilt from British bosses, hybrid work tug-of-wars in Korea and American plays for FOMO: these are snapshots of return-to-office (RTO) around the world as painted by The New York Times. The Times’ photo essay of work-time commutes in Berlin, New York, and Seoul provide an overview of global RTO. Likewise, the photo essay highlights a 2023 study by researchers at Stanford University, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México and the Ifo Institute, among other institutions, which illustrated that residential density factors into workers’ willingness to return to the office.
- Between Asia, Europe and North America, work-from-home (WFH) levels in Asia are the lowest, the study found; Taiwanese, Japanese and South Korean residents work remotely less than three days a month on average.
- Researchers theorized that workers with larger homes, such as those in suburban America, are more inclined to WFH; meanwhile, workers with more densely packed living situations, such as talent in major Asian cities, may feel more productive in the office.
Dive Insight:
American bosses are keen to create an enviable in-person work environment, the New York Times report noted; unfortunately, American employers are competing with talent who have built comfortable offices due to time spent in lockdown.
Additionally, managers have set a precedent wherein they judge employee performance by deliverables, not simply time spent in-office.
Two HR experts who spoke to HR Dive about RTO this summer highlighted an easy way to dissolve some of that post-lockdown hybrid work tension: Have a conversation. One called a lack of conversation with workers a “major” mistake that employers often make.
One way employers can entice workers back to the office, besides worker engagement events, is through intentional design. A focus on lighting, color and amenities can create environments that rival workers’ home offices.
