Back to the Office: A Data-Driven Decision or Something Else?
In this week’s member meetup Tech Chat Tuesday, we found ourselves drifting into the New Zealand government's recent mandate for all staff to return to the office. The discussion generated a lot of feedback—both positive and negative—around the impact of this decision, raising critical questions: Is this move backed by data, or is it driven by other motivations? With the workforce growing more accustomed to hybrid and remote work models, many participants voiced concerns about whether this mandate truly serves the needs of today’s workers.
Presence Doesn’t Equal Productivity
The idea that being physically present in the office correlates with higher productivity was a key point of debate. Many studies have shown that productivity is not necessarily tied to office attendance. Research from Stanford University highlights that hybrid work models—where employees split their time between home and the office—boost both productivity and retention without negatively impacting career progression. This suggests that it’s not about where people work, but how outcomes are measured.
Despite this, some managers and leaders seem to be clinging to outdated ideas of "presentism," where being able to reach out and touch employees at their desks is equated with better performance. However, with 92% of U.S. companies now offering some form of hybrid work (according to this World at work article), it's clear that a blended approach is becoming the norm.
Flexible Work is Key
The discussion underscored the need for flexibility. Hybrid working models, allowing employees to work remotely for part of the week, have become a desirable feature of many workplaces, with studies indicating that most employees prefer this arrangement. A survey by McKinsey found that 83% of workers offered the chance to work flexibly choose to do so, illustrating the widespread demand for remote or hybrid work options.
This flexibility is crucial, particularly for neurodivergent employees - which many agree the digital technology industry employs successfully - some thrive in the structured environment of the office, while others need the peace and quiet of remote work to stay productive. The government’s blanket approach doesn't account for these diverse needs, and this was a point raised by several participants. The same applies to employees with disabilities, who often face additional challenges when required to work in a physical office.
The Social and Economic Trade-offs
Some of our members noted that the government’s argument to bringing workers back to the office would help stimulate local businesses like cafes - might not actually happen with increasing transport and other cost of living elements meaning people have less disposable income to buy their lunch or morning coffees. But is this perceived economic impact enough to justify the change?
All of this said, government agencies have also been downsizing their footprint and desks, so there just isn’t room for everyone posing an interesting challenge at a time budgets are being cut - how to accommodate a fulltime office workforce without the expenditure?
Everyone agreed it’s great to be in the office some of the time for forming social connections with colleagues mentoring progress and collaboration on aspects of work, that said it was also noted the social needs of extroverts shouldn't force everyone into the same mould.
A hybrid approach, where people can come together for meaningful interactions while still having the flexibility to work remotely, seems to offer the best of both worlds, means extra desks won’t need to be commissioned and might help the cafes along the way.
What’s the Real Goal?
Ultimately, the conversation turned to what the true focus of these return-to-office mandates is all about: Is it productivity? or is it engagement and culture?
If it's the former, then the evidence suggests that remote and hybrid models work just fine for the most part. If it's the latter, then perhaps more effort is needed to measure and enhance engagement without forcing rigid attendance policies.
The return to the office shouldn’t be about forcing workers into one model or another—it’s about finding the right balance. With so much evidence pointing to the benefits of hybrid work, it’s clear that flexibility, trust, and clear communication will be key as organisations navigate this evolving landscape.
Or is it just this incarnation of government throwing some weight around and trying to mitigate the impact of layoffs on an already strained city in the post covid world?
