RTO or WFH?: Designing the Best Policy for your Small Business
The fall is a period of change and renewal for many across the US. Students begin a new school year, new routines become established – and lately? A whole new wave of return to office mandates are hitting workers. According to commercial real estate giant CBRE, companies are both monitoring and enforcing attendance policies at the highest rates in 5 years. With the federal government leading the charge, many organizations are following suit and requiring workers to be in the office even more frequently. While office work is still not at pre-pandemic levels, the impacts are being felt across industries.
While return to office mandates are often served with a side of dread, it doesn’t have to be all bad. For small businesses, there are both opportunities and drawbacks to mandating a return to the office, all of which should be thoughtfully considered when designing your next policy. Not sure where to start? Flex HR has identified three critical areas of consideration as you take this next step in your business growth.
1. Determine the best model for your business
The way we work has changed over the past five years, and technology has allowed us to work effectively from almost anywhere. Despite these advancements, there is real benefit to interacting in-person, instead of over a screen. Tech company Robin delivered a report on the science behind in-person work. Citing a study from the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, research found that individuals working in a collaborative setting were 50% more effective at completing tasks compared to those working alone. These competing perspectives have forced leaders to reckon with what really matters to their business.
While external data is important, rely on your own workplace culture to determine what is best for your business and your employees. For many companies, 100% remote work continues to be successful – including Flex HR. As VP of Marketing, Jamie Sieja, shares with EBN, “Our employees really adapted to work-from-home conditions well. Now, when we ever do return to the office or get together offsite, the company morale is so much more enhanced and valued.” For others, being 100% onsite may be best for the business. This includes many prominent larger companies, such as Amazon, who maintain that innovation is dependent upon in-person collaboration.
Perhaps the most popular RTO model has been the one that combines the best of both – the hybrid work model. The hybrid model typically mandates specific days or times in office, while allowing for some remote flexibility the remainder of the week. Learn more about Flex HR’s recommended hybrid model strategies here!.
2. Understand the impact on your workforce.
As a business leader, you know that it’s impossible to please everyone. You also know that choosing to ignore the needs of your workforce will backfire. So, where’s the balance? Start by understanding the basics:
- Where do your employees live in relation to the office?
- Are they working parents or caregivers?
- What are the associated costs with travel to your office (paid parking, public transportation)?
- Do you have enough space to accommodate everyone?
Consider the employees that might be most impacted, and what reasonable mitigations the company can make. For example, working parents – specifically working mothers – have been most negatively impacted by return to office mandates. Fortune.com reports that RTO mandates have lead to an “exodus” of working mothers. Research showed that the “labor force participation rate for women ages 25 to 44 with children under 5 fell nearly three percentage points between January and June 2025, reaching its lowest level in over three years.”
Whether it’s the loss of flexibility or rising childcare costs, working mothers are forced to make tough decisions with in-office mandates. If you are concerned about losing working mothers, explore opportunities to make the transition easier. This might involve a requirement that employees be onsite specific days of the week, but only between the hours of 10am-3pm, allowing for flexibility to get kids to school – and to miss the morning and evening rush-hour (bonus!). If your office is located in an urban area with paid parking or no parking, consider offering subsidies for parking or public transportation.
Above all – be flexible. While it is important to apply a consistent standard, not every employee will nail their new schedule right away. Presume good intent, give your employees some grace, and address the “bad apples” over time.
3. Gain clarity and conviction on your “why”.
When asking employees to make a big change, they want to understand the reasoning behind the decision. Connect your decision to your company’s vision, purpose, and mission. Understand – and be prepared to explain – why having employees onsite makes a difference in achieving your goals. Avoid leaning on overused jargon and insincere motives. Employees can see through the guise of “increased collaboration” if your leadership style suggests micromanagement or if the decision is purely financially driven. Instead, focus on transparency, ensure your leadership team models the behaviors you expect, and reinforce a shared sense of purpose. While not everyone will welcome this shift, the goal is to create an environment where employees can recognize the long-term benefits of being together in person.
Designing the best office policy for your business is as much about trust and communication as it is about logistics. Leading with clarity, transparency, and genuine empathy for the employee experience will transform what could be viewed as a negative into an opportunity to strengthen culture and performance. If your organization is in a period of transition and would benefit from expert advice as you navigate this step, the Flex HR team is here to support you. Contact us today to learn more!