With Return-to-Office Programs, Flexibility Is Key

As the pandemic winds down, many employers wonder what a return to normal looks like—including employees’ presence in the office. The world of work has changed. While smart leaders take advantage of the shift, legacy thinking causes even more turnover. To make the prospect of returning to traditional office spaces more enticing, forward-thinking organizations are embracing flexibility, which might take different forms. For some, it’s going to be a hybrid working environment, a combination of at home and in the office. For others, it might come in the form of sabbaticals or time off to upskill in formal education environments. “That’s what some companies are really kind of trying to sell as another opportunity,” says Ben Friedrich, a strategy professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. “You know, you might be ready to come back to work now, but you might worry that you’re going to miss that type of flexibility that you had during the pandemic to some extent, and so taking these natural breaks—creative breaks, I think—is another piece that companies are considering.”