Return-to-Office Without the Pushback: Tips for a Human-Centered Transition

After years of remote and hybrid routines, many organizations are asking employees to come back to the office - some gently, others more forcefully. Yet one thing is clear: anxiety around return-to-office (RTO) mandates is widespread, complex, and often underestimated.

According to a 2024 Gallup report, 6 in 10 hybrid workers say they would look for a new job if their employer eliminated remote flexibility. Another study found that 62% of employees experience negative emotions - such as stress, frustration, or demotivation - when RTO policies are rolled out without clarity or empathy. 

And yet, the pressure to “get people back” is increasing. In early 2025, companies like Amazon, JPMorgan, and Dell tightened their office attendance policies, citing collaboration and productivity concerns. Others followed suit - sometimes mimicking competitors, sometimes reacting to executive preferences, rarely involving their workforce in the decision. The result? A growing discontent between leadership intent and employee sentiment. 

This guide is designed to help you close that gap.

If you’re an HR leader, workplace experience manager, facilities director, or part of an RTO task force, here you’ll find answers to questions like:

• How do we bring people back in a way that makes sense - for both the business and the individual?
  
  
• How do we reduce RTO anxiety?
  
  
• How do we turn this transition into something positive?

With insights from our Workplace Whiz podcast episode featuring Bex Moorhouse - workplace strategist and founder of Invigorate Spaces - we’ll unpack the real drivers behind RTO resistance and share actionable steps to create a return strategy that’s inclusive, intentional, and built to last.

1. Understand the Anxiety Before You Act

If your return-to-office (RTO) plans are being met with hesitation, pushback, or even quiet quitting, you’re not alone. Across industries, employees are voicing discomfort with how return policies are being introduced. JPMorgan Chase even had to disable internal comments after amid widespread upset over commuting costs, childcare issues, and work-life balance.

But what’s actually fuelling RTO resistance?

Reason #1: Employees Not Involved in the Decision

“I’ve seen return-to-office mandates done with varying levels of success. The biggest issue? People feeling like the decision was made without them.” - Bex Moorhouse

One of the most common (and damaging) mistakes organizations make is rolling out RTO plans behind closed doors. When decisions are made in executive meetings and announced via mass emails, employees feel excluded and undervalued.

Return-to-office plans work best when employees are empowered and decisions are made collaboratively.

✅ What to Do Instead: Involve Your People Early (And Meaningfully)

Giving employees a voice in the process is a proven way to reduce anxiety, improve buy-in, and create a more effective RTO plan.

Here’s how to start:

• Run quick pulse surveys to gather input on concerns, preferences, and expectations.
  
  
• Host opt-in focus groups by team, department, or location to explore survey themes in more detail.
  
  
• Close the loop by sharing the results and explaining how feedback is informing your next steps: “Here’s what we heard. Here’s what we’re doing with it.”

Bonus: Ask teams for their input over logistics (e.g. choose their in-office days or define team rituals). Even small degrees of autonomy reduce anxiety.

Reason #2: The Rollout Feels Rushed

Another major driver of RTO anxiety? The pace of change.

“It’s like Friday you’re remote… and by Monday, you’re expected to be in three days a week."

Many companies have moved from flexible to fixed in-office schedules almost overnight, without sufficient notice, planning, or support. What may seem like a simple operational shift can be deeply disruptive to employees’ personal routines, especially for working parents, caregivers, long-distance commuters, or those managing mental health needs. 

For example, when flexibility is lost, 50% of working caregivers report having to make work scheduling changes, such as arriving early, leaving late, or taking time off. More drastic measures include taking a leave of absence (32%), reducing hours or shifting to part-time (27%), turning down promotions (16%), moving teams (16%), or even changing employers (13%).

✅ What to Do Instead: Roll Out Gradually, With Time to Adjust

RTO isn’t just a policy but also a behavioral shift. It needs time, clarity, and space to land well.

Here’s how to ease the transition:

• Start with a pilot: Choose one department, region, or a group of volunteers to test the new rhythm.
  
  
• Offer a soft launch period: Allow teams to opt in before the mandate takes full effect.
  
  
• Give advance notice: Communicate new expectations at least 4–6 weeks in advance so people can prepare logistically and mentally.

Remember: Moving slowly signals that you're being thoughtful. When people feel rushed, they don’t just question the process - they question the motive.

Reason #3: One-Size-Fits-All Mandates

“A coder’s day looks nothing like a facilities manager’s. Why treat them the same?” - Bex Moorhouse

Too often, return-to-office policies are designed for simplicity, not reality. Blanket rules - like “everyone in three days a week” - might seem fair on paper, but in practice, they overlook the diversity of roles, tasks, and work styles across an organization.

The result? Employees who can do their work just as well (or better) remotely feel unfairly penalized. Teams doing hands-on or client-facing work feel like their needs aren’t distinct. And ultimately, trust begins to erode.

✅ What to Do Instead: Design With Flexibility, Function, and Fairness in Mind

A one-size-fits-all approach rarely fits anyone well. Instead, create RTO guidelines that reflect what work actually needs from the workplace.

Here’s how to do it:

• Ask each team to map out the tasks that truly benefit from in-person collaboration - things like onboarding, team retros, performance reviews, or problem-solving workshops.
  
  
• Identify which activities can remain remote - such as focused work, documentation, or software development.
  
  
• Empower managers and teams to co-create schedules based on their day-to-day realities, not just a company-wide quota.

Outcome: Employees feel seen, and policies feel sensible. That sense of fairness is what makes RTO sustainable, not just enforceable.

2. Communicate with Clarity, Not Command

One of the most overlooked parts of any return-to-office plan? How it’s communicated.

You can have the best intentions, thoughtful policies, and a solid rollout plan but if your message feels unclear, rushed, or condescending, it won’t land. Poor communication is one of the top reasons return-to-office plans trigger anxiety and resistance. In fact, 74% of HR leaders cite RTO mandates as a source of conflict within organizations

Words Matter More Than You Might Think

In workplace communication, subtle language choices have outsized impact, especially during moments of change like a return to the office.

Phrases like “back to work” or “return to normal” might sound harmless or routine, but for many employees, they carry unintended weight. Over the past few years, people haven’t stopped working - they’ve adapted, stretched, and often worked more than ever from home. So when messaging implies otherwise, it can feel dismissive, even disrespectful.

“‘Back to work’ sounds like everyone’s been on vacation. We haven’t. We’ve just been working somewhere else.”

That kind of language creates a disconnect. Instead of inspiring collaboration or excitement, it can come across as a subtle reprimand, suggesting that remote work was less valid, less productive, or less valuable.

✅ What to Do Instead: Choose Language That Reflects Respect and Shared Purpose

Before publishing any RTO-related message, ask yourself:

• Does this wording acknowledge the work people have already been doing?
  
  
• Does it reflect trust in our teams or cast doubt on their performance?
  
  
• Is the tone inviting, or authoritative?

Try replacing phrases like:

• “Back to work” → “Return to the office” or “Return to our shared space”
  
  
• “Return to normal” → “Next phase of hybrid” or “Evolving how we work together”
  
  
• “You are expected to return” → “We’re reconnecting in person to collaborate and build stronger team rhythms”

Small changes = big impact. Language that reinforces purpose, trust, and recognition makes people feel included, not commanded.

When the "Why" Is Missing, So Is the Buy-In

Employees aren’t just asking when they need to return or how many days - they’re asking what purpose it serves. Without a compelling reason, RTO can feel arbitrary, top-down, or even punitive. And when the rationale is vague (“leadership feels it’s time” or “to boost collaboration”), skepticism grows.

If people don’t understand how the change benefits them, their team, or the company, they’re far less likely to support it.

✅ What to Do Instead: Tie RTO to Something Bigger Than Policy

Communicate not just the logistics, but the purpose. Ask:

• How does time in the office support our values like collaboration, creativity, or mentoring?
  
  
• What challenges are we trying to solve by bringing people together in person?
  
  
• What’s in it for employees - not just the business?

Example message: “We’re asking teams to reconnect in the office on Wednesdays to strengthen collaboration, support new joiners, and foster real-time problem-solving - while still keeping flexibility for focused remote work.”

The key? Make it meaningful. When people understand the why, they’re far more open to the when.

3. Train Managers - They Make (or Break) the Return Experience

Managers are the vital link between strategy and employee experience. They interpret return-to-office expectations to their teams and model how work should happen, yet most haven’t been trained for this moment. 

Problem #1: Managers Haven’t Been Trained for RTO Leadership

A 2024 TechSmith report found that nearly 75% of employers haven’t provided managers with specific training for leading remote or hybrid teams. Without structured guidance, managers often default to outdated visible‑presence norms - like long hours at their desks or always saying yes to in-person meeting requests. This lack of direction doesn’t stay at the top - it trickles down into inconsistent practices, lower morale, and higher employee churn.

✅ What to Do: Build a “Return-to-Office Manager Starter Kit”

Managers need clarity, confidence, and practical skills to lead flexible teams intentionally and support RTO strategies. To help managers guide their teams through this shift, equip them with real-world tools (like a “Return-to-Office Manager Starter Kit”) designed specifically for return scenarios.

Here’s what to include:

• Inclusive Hybrid Meeting Practices

RTO often brings hybrid meetings back into focus - and frustration. Give managers tools to make these interactions feel fair and efficient. 

Example: Use a remote-first speaking order, rotate facilitators, and assign someone to monitor chat and raise quieter voices.

• Monthly RTO-Focused Check-In Scripts

Managers need help opening conversations about how RTO is landing. Provide quick prompts they can use in 1:1s or team meetings.

Example:

“How is the current office schedule working for you? Anything you’d adjust?”
“What feels easier (or harder) now that we’re back in the office more?”

• Scenarios for Handling RTO Resistance with Empathy

Managers are often the first to hear “This isn’t working for me” - but few are trained to handle it constructively. Offer example responses to reduce defensiveness and build trust.

Example scenario: “My commute makes three in-office days really hard.”

Response: “Let’s talk about what parts of your work truly require in-person time and explore a setup that works better.”

Problem #2: Managers Are Sending Mixed Signals

“When a manager doesn’t take lunch, the team assumes they shouldn’t either.” - Bex Moorhouse

When it comes to return-to-office, policies set the baseline - but leadership sets the tone.

Employees take most of their behavioral cues from their direct managers, not from HR decks or company-wide memos. So even if the official message is “we support flexibility,” teams will believe what they see: if their manager is in the office five days a week, skips breaks, and subtly rewards facetime, that becomes the unwritten rule.

This creates a disconnect between stated policy and lived experience - one that breeds confusion, anxiety, and quiet resentment.

✅ What to Do Instead: Help Managers Model the Culture You Want to See

RTO success isn’t just about showing up - it’s about showing how to show up. Encourage managers to actively demonstrate healthy, balanced behaviors that reflect your values around flexibility and well-being.

Here’s how:

• Make flexibility visible: If remote days are encouraged, have managers take them too - and say so publicly in team chats or calendars (Tools like the YAROOMS hybrid work schedule calendar make this easy, allowing teams to see each other’s planned work locations at a glance. When managers visibly mark their remote or in-office days, it normalizes flexibility and reinforces it).
  
  
• Normalize breaks and boundaries: Ask managers to block lunch breaks, focus time, and clear log-off hours. People need to see what balance looks like.
  
  
• Avoid rewarding facetime: Praise outcomes, not office hours. Replace shoutouts like “Thanks for staying late” with “Great work on that solution - it really made a difference.”

Bottom line: a flexible RTO policy only works when managers live it out loud. What’s modeled is what’s believed.

4. Fix the Friction in Office Design

“We’re competing with people’s home setups now - offices need to be better.” - Bex Moorhouse

Hybrid work changed the role of the office. It’s no longer the default - it’s a destination. And if that destination isn’t functional or flexible, people simply won’t use it.

Unfortunately, most offices still aren’t built for how people actually work today. For example, nearly half of desks (48%) are used less than one hour per day, and 31% of desks are never used at all, indicating significant inefficiency in desk allocation.

These numbers reveal more than inefficiency - they reflect a deeper mismatch between how office spaces are built and how people actually want to work. Outdated layouts, limited space variety, unreliable meeting tech, and poor accessibility create friction instead of focus.

Friction Point #1: Lack of Spaces for Both Focus and Collaboration

Open-plan offices may look modern, but they’re rarely functional for hybrid work. Employees no longer need rows of identical desks. They need choice: quiet zones for deep work, flexible areas for collaboration, and everything in between.

A growing body of research confirms it:

• Only 28% of employees say their office supports focus work well.
  
  
• At the same time, 83% of employers agree that their office needs upgrades to enhance collaboration.
  
  
• 72% of employees would return to the office more willingly if it better supported teamwork and interaction.

That’s because today’s office is about experience design. And that experience needs to reflect the five primary work modes: focus, collaboration, learning, socialization, and relaxation. When one dominates (often collaboration), the others suffer.

Many companies over-index on group spaces, forgetting that focused work is still where most value gets created. People need uninterrupted time for problem-solving, planning, and execution. If they can't get that in the office, they'll stay remote.

✅ What to Do Instead: Tailor Spaces to How People Actually Work

• Map the current space types vs. actual use. Are your "collaboration hubs" sitting empty while employees battle for quiet corners? Observe usage, review booking patterns, and run short team surveys to get a clear picture.
  
  
• Repurpose underused areas. Transform underutilized meeting rooms into quiet work pods or soundproof phone booths. Add acoustic zoning or visual cues (like greenery, color coding, or signage) to signal space type - e.g., quiet zone vs. active zone.
  
  
• Ask employees directly. Run a simple pulse poll:  “Where do you go to focus?” or “Which spaces help - or hinder - your productivity?”. The answers will highlight where your design isn't supporting your people.
  
  
• Support it with technology. With YAROOMS, employees can easily discover and reserve the right type of space based on their needs - quiet desk, collaboration room, phone booth, or casual zone. The floor plan view and real-time booking help reduce uncertainty and boost adoption of new zones. Plus, YAROOMS workplace analytics surface which areas are actually used (and which sit empty) helping you continuously refine your layout based on real behavior, not assumptions.

Friction Point #2: Accessibility Is Still an Afterthought

Return-to-office plans often assume everyone will engage with the workplace the same way. But that’s rarely the case. For many employees - whether due to mobility needs, neurodivergence, caregiving responsibilities, or simply unfamiliarity with the space - accessibility makes or breaks the return experience.

If the office feels confusing, hard to navigate, or physically limiting, people will opt out. Not because they don’t want to collaborate, but because the space wasn’t built with them in mind.

And in a hybrid context, even digital inaccessibility - like not knowing where to sit, how to find a room, or what amenities are available - can quietly erode confidence and trust.

✅ What to Do Instead: Fix Everyday Accessibility Gaps

• Start with an “accessibility walkthrough”. Ask a cross-section of employees to walk through the office with fresh eyes. Where do they hit snags - physically, cognitively, or socially? What feels confusing, frustrating, or exclusive.
  
  
• Improve navigation and transparency. Use clear, consistent signage, digital displays, and visual floor plans to help employees orient themselves, especially if they haven’t been in regularly. Accessibility isn’t just about movement - it’s about reducing mental load.
  
  
• Use tech to simplify the experience. With YAROOMS, employees can preview the office layout, check real-time availability, and filter for the features they need - like proximity to elevators, accessible desks, or quiet zones. Whether someone is navigating mobility needs, looking for the right type of space for their work mode, or simply returning after months away, YAROOMS removes guesswork and builds confidence.

5. Bring Humanity Back Into the Workplace

“Well-being isn’t a ping-pong table - it’s a conversation. Regular, human, and meaningful.” - Bex Moorhouse

Return-to-office success isn’t driven by attendance targets or perks but by how people experience the transition.

Do they feel seen and supported? Do they believe in the purpose of being back? Do they feel like the workplace is designed for them - or just handed to them?

Too often, the human side of RTO is treated as an afterthought. Emotional strain, loss of autonomy, lack of connection - these don’t always show up in surveys, but they quietly shape how people engage (or don’t) with the office.

RTO is a change management challenge. And successful change requires clear purpose, space for emotional processing, and visible leadership modeling the shift. Otherwise, employees might comply with new policies, but if the experience feels disconnected, transactional, or tone-deaf, they’ll disengage - even while showing up.

Effective change management is crucial for a smooth return to office

Problem #1: Well-being Feels Optional - Not Intentional

Most return-to-office plans emphasize attendance, collaboration, and productivity. But very few directly address how people are actually feeling. And that’s a costly oversight.

Employees aren’t just switching locations - they’re navigating new rhythms, evolving priorities, and a changed relationship with work. For some, that means balancing school drop-offs with commute times. For others, it’s reacclimating to office dynamics after years of asynchronous workflows.

When well-being is treated as a bonus, not a baseline, employees notice. They may comply with RTO expectations but disengage emotionally. That shows up as lower energy, higher turnover intent, or teams going quiet instead of raising concerns.

✅ What to Do Instead: Make Well-Being Part of Your RTO Foundation

• Introduce a “Well-being Sprint” alongside your return strategy:
  Run it for 4–6 weeks with light-touch activities that make support visible.
  
  
• Offer 1:1 check-in templates to help managers open real conversations - not performance reviews, but questions like:
  
  “What’s helping you feel balanced these days?”
  “What’s getting in your way right now?”
  
  
• Add a micro-learning series (think 5-minute reads or videos) on building boundaries, managing transitions, or reconnecting with colleagues.
  
  
• Ask execs to share personal habits they’re building to adjust - like blocking commute recovery time or rethinking their weekly schedule. Authenticity at the top creates space for vulnerability everywhere else.

The goal isn’t to fix everything. It’s to show employees you’re paying attention. When people feel cared for, they care more in return.

Problem #2: The Office Lacks Connection

“I came in—and spent the whole day on Zoom in my headphones.” These words best describe one of the most common and demotivating return-to-office experiences.

Just being in the same space doesn’t automatically create connection. When in-office time feels no different from remote work (except with a commute, more noise, and fewer comforts), the logic of returning breaks down fast. That’s when people start questioning the point of it all.

In reality, connection doesn’t happen by accident. It needs to be designed, nudged, and encouraged.

✅ What to Do Instead: Spark Purposeful Connection

Make it easy - and expected - for teams to reconnect in ways that feel organic, not forced.

• Create low-effort, high-impact rituals
  Build habits that bring people together without formal scheduling:
  
  
  • Weekly team lunch (with a shared budget if possible)
    
    
  • In-person “open hour” for brainstorming
    
    
  • Monthly desk swap or “coffee roulette” chats across teams
    
    
• Use workplace visibility tools like YAROOMS
  Let employees see who’s planning to be in, where they’re sitting, and book desks near teammates. When people can coordinate informally, collaboration becomes natural.
  
  
• Celebrate small “return wins”
  Encourage teams to share real moments that prove the value of presence:
  “We solved that blocker in 15 minutes just because we were sitting next to each other.”

The goal isn’t to manufacture connection. It’s to remove friction and create the conditions where it happens on its own, reminding people why being together can be energizing, not exhausting.

Final Thoughts: Think Human First, Office Second

The most successful return-to-office strategies don’t start with blueprints. They start with listening.

Not every company needs bold office redesigns or sweeping mandates. What every company does need is a genuine understanding of their people - how they work, what they value, and what holds them back.

You don’t need to do what Google or anyone else is doing. You need to do what’s right for your people.

Rethink the Real Goal

If your strategy focuses on getting people back into the office without showing them why it matters, you may get compliance but not commitment.

If your message centers on productivity metrics, but ignores burnout or inclusion, you’ll trigger anxiety, not engagement.

And if your plan mirrors what others are doing - without reflecting your own culture, structure, and constraints - you’ll miss the opportunity to build something that actually fits.

What Does It Mean to “Think Human First”?

It means:

• Designing policies that balance accountability with autonomy
  
  
• Training managers to lead with empathy
  
  
• Communicating clearly, consistently, and with respect
  
  
• Creating spaces that prioritize well-being, access, and flexibility
  
  
• Treating office presence not as a KPI, but as a collaborative opportunity

And What Do You Get in Return?

When you take a people-first approach, you build a culture rooted in ownership rather than obligation. Employees begin to trust the process - not because it was imposed on them, but because they had a voice in shaping it.

The office, in turn, becomes more than just a place people show up to. It becomes a space that’s genuinely valued, because it reflects real needs, not just policy goals.

And when people feel safe, included, and supported, they don’t push back against change - they participate in making it work. That’s how sustainable transformation happens: not through enforcement, but through shared investment.

So before your next policy update, space redesign, or executive RTO announcement, ask yourself:

Are we building this for the office? Or for the people who use it?

When you put humans first, the workplace becomes a community - one worth returning to.