"That's not happening, the productivity-gains part. And the longer we play this out, the sillier the performances of "productivity theater" have become. The truth is, the science on productivity is still out. So you have to go with your gut. Or your experience. And what 30 years of gut and experience tells me is that the real question isn't whether people are more productive at home-it's whether companies can afford to lose their best talent over this."
"Right now, tech workers are desperate. Companies know it. That's why Amazon can demand five days in the office and get compliance instead of resignations. But the labor market isn't static; it never was. In fact, it tends to whipsaw back and forth every few years. Remember 2022? Companies were begging people to take jobs. Signing bonuses, remote work, unlimited PTO-whatever it took. Candidates were ghosting interviews. That shoe was totally on the other foot, and it was a Doc Marten."
"But if we look at history, even recent history, a lot of companies that are mandating RTO now are writing the future resignation letters for their best employees, to be delivered the nanosecond the tech job market stops being the worst in history. Let me tell you how common sense foreshadows a reckoning for RTO. How did we get here? I don't want to defend remote work. I really don't. But I'm a huge fan of common sense."
In 2025 many major tech companies require employees to return to the office at least three days per week, and some demand five days. Companies are seeing compliance rather than mass resignations because tech workers face desperation under current market conditions. Evidence of productivity gains from compulsory office returns remains inconclusive and scientific findings are unresolved. Labor markets shift cyclically; hiring advantages in 2022 gave workers leverage through remote work and bonuses. Firms mandating RTO risk prompting resignations when market conditions improve, potentially driving away top talent. Common sense and decades of experience suggest talent retention should guide RTO decisions.
Read at Fast Company
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