Perspectives

As more companies call employees back into the office five days a week, executives aren’t so eager to let go of their ability to work from home.

“There is still a gap between people’s willingness to return to office full time and companies’ desire to bring employees back,” Kyle Rudy, a senior partner, told Footwear News.

Going to the office five days a week has become an anomaly in American work life after hybrid and fully remote models became the norm due to the pandemic. However, more companies are pushing to bring back pre-pandemic ways of work through return-to-office mandates. While RTO mandates are gaining popularity, Rudy said companies could risk losing top talents who can’t relocate.

“Candidates are much less willing to relocate when there’s a belief that other companies are offering greater flexibility,” he said. “Not every company can afford to lose out on the subset of talent that isn’t willing to relocate or go back to a full return to office environment.”

Advocates for RTO mandates claim that working in person five days a week strengthens productivity, teamwork, and company culture. Rudy said larger firms’ rollout of RTO mandates won’t necessarily influence others to follow. The hybrid model is still the most common arrangement adapted among retailers — many of whom are performing well, Rudy said.

“There are plenty of examples of retailers and brands that are doing very well with the hybrid model,” Rudy said. “The proof of performance is there to back it up.”

Read the full article on Footwear News: What Amazon’s Return-to-Office Mandate Could Mean for Other Retailers and Shoe Companies>