RTO Policies Ignored by 1 in 5 Workers—The Future of Work Remains Unclear

Employers may be convinced that having their workers return to the physical workspace is exactly what their organization needs, however, employees strongly disagree. A new survey suggests that RTO policies are being ignored by a large number of employees. Resume Builder surveyed 1,030 U.S.-based full-time employees at companies that have had RTO policies in place since 2020. The study found that 1 in 5 employees are ignoring RTO rules. 

Workers are ignoring the return-to-office regulations set in place by their organization and finding ways to continue indulging in a hybrid work model or working from home instead. 

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RTO Policies Ignored by 1 in 5 Workers

The numbers might sound like a disproportionate representation of the workforce, but reportedly, 1 in 5 workers are ignoring RTO rules. Just as the popular hushed hybrid trend suggests, employees are skirting RTO policies by getting creative about how they win themselves an opportunity to work from home. 

The survey found that employees who follow a hybrid model are more likely to work around RTO policies. They accomplish this by leaving work before the scheduled hour or even asking co-workers to cover for them or marking their attendance at work. The preference for a work-from-home policy is not new and neither is it surprising. 

Many workers have showcased their desire to work repeatedly, from prioritizing WFH jobs while job hunting to placing it as a priority over other benefits. FlexJobs reports that 95% of working professionals want some form of remote work, with 63% choosing it as the most important aspect of their work, even placing it above their salary or a work-life boundary. 

Tech company Dell attempted to force workers back to the office by giving them an ultimatum—workers who did not give up remote work would no longer be eligible for promotions. The company’s RTO policies were promptly ignored, with around half of the workers choosing a remote job over a future promotion. The company responded by becoming more stringent about tracking workers who chose remote work via VPN, but despite the dislike for the precaution, workers remained committed to their decision to stay home. 

Resume Builder also found similar results with the employees who admitted they were not following RTO rules. These respondents stated that if companies started enforcing their RTO policies more seriously, over 20% were certain about quitting, with about 33% also somewhat likely to leave. 

Amazon recently announced its plan to bring workers back to the office full-time starting in 2025, and employees have begun considering moving jobs in order to reject the change. Considering the state of the job market, it is difficult to predict how many workers will truly quit, but those who choose to stay will inevitably allow their dissatisfaction to show in their work as well.

What Motivates Employers to Pursue RTO Policies?

No work policy in the last decade has been as polarizing as the shift back towards in-person work. Employers are certain that employees are slacking off by working at home and that their lowered productivity levels are affecting the organization as a whole. Organizations also feel that the critical component of teamwork is being impaired by the employees’ lack of face-to-face interaction with each other. 

Employers have been put on high alert by trends like quiet vacationing, with employees going on a holiday or escaping from their responsibilities briefly without informing anyone. Employees have admitted to running errands or stepping away from their tasks during work hours and such actions are bound to disappoint employers.

The struggle with supervising employees has been one of the biggest challenges for employers in the last few years, with a large number of them exploring different ways to monitor their workers throughout the day.

Why Are Employees Skirting RTO Policies?

Employees, on the other hand, refuse to believe their work quality or overall quality of life will improve if they return to working within the physical office space. These employees are committed to resisting RTO rules, but the act of rebellion isn’t arising from a base desire to ignore their bosses—the problem goes much deeper. 

One of the most obvious reasons for an employee’s preference for a work-from-home job is the element of comfort. Workers are able to start work without the stress of waking up early and commuting to work in a rush. Saving money on travel expenses doesn’t hurt either. They also enjoy the familiarity of their own home without any of the pressures of a formal setting. 

In-person jobs are also inflexible with their work timings, but employees who work from their homes are able to work more comfortably on their own schedule. Employees who dislike the small talk and the constant distractions that occur in a work setting are able to escape from it without having to pointedly ask a coworker to leave them alone.

Despite all of the support for remote work, employees cannot deny that it makes them disengage from their organization and their coworkers. We haven’t seen concrete data on how communication or teamwork has been impaired by this system, but there is a very likely decline in how employees relate to their teams. 

As employees commit to ignoring RTO policies, more employers are simultaneously working to recall workers back to the office. Many employers are making some concessions by enforcing a limited return to the office through a hybrid model, but employees also need to be willing to meet them halfway.

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