Mandate or hybrid? The key is intentional design
New research shows that people overestimate how often they actually interact with each other while in the office
IN THE past year, several prominent organisations returned to requiring full-time work from the office. In January, Amazon Singapore did so as part of a global policy shift. More recently, Grab and the National University of Singapore followed suit.
Yet, the experience of returning to a full five-day office week has so far not been stellar. When JPMorgan Chase enforced mandates in 2023, employee engagement dropped, according to internal metrics reported by Bloomberg. Attrition rose and productivity in non-client-facing teams dipped.
This creates a paradox: Organisations are retreating from the post-pandemic hybrid consensus despite the clear downsides from doing so. Why?
Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free.
Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services
