Copycat employer tactics lead to a rise in RTO mandates  

Business is a copycat space as many Australian organisations are being influenced by the actions of their counterparts, spurring the rise of mandating five days in the office.

Return-to-office (RTO) mandates continue to be adopted by some of Australia’s largest companies – much to the dislike of Aussie workers. According to research by Robert Half, RTO mandates introduced by other businesses directly influence 84 per cent of employers when considering their company’s RTO policies.

This domino effect has led to around a third (34 per cent) of all employers being significantly influenced by other organisations that have mandated, while about half (49 per cent) of all employers report it has a moderate influence.

“We’re observing a fascinating domino effect in the return-to-office landscape this year, pressuring businesses to conform,” Nicole Gorton, director at Robert Half, said.

“Employers are back in the driver’s seat and dictate office attendance, knowing others are doing the same. As workers adjust back to the pre-pandemic way of working and observe similar mandates elsewhere, they are less reluctant to oppose these mandates in their current workplace.”

The research shows that Queensland employers are leading the charge on being the most likely to be influenced by other businesses (87 per cent), with NSW and Western Australia slightly trailing (86 per cent). One in four employers stood firm on their individuality – confirming that the policies implemented at other businesses do not affect their decisions.

The reception of these RTO mandates is somewhat contested. The research from Robert Half shows that in comparison to 12 months ago, 63 per cent of employers report employee attitudes significantly or somewhat improved in relation to RTO mandates.

“The change of year brings another shift towards a more office-centric work environment across Australia,” Gorton said.

“While hybrid work models remain prevalent, the noticeable increase in the number of employers mandating a return to the office as well as increase in the number of days that staff are required to attend is likely influenced by an improvement in staff attitudes and observed mandated days in other businesses.”

On the other hand, according to IWG, research has already indicated that 73 per cent of employees at large companies have considered resigning due to mandated RTO, while recruiters are also starting to see the consequences of more rigid policies.

Added research by IWG found that two-thirds (67 per cent) of recruiters observed an increase in candidates looking to leave companies that implemented five-day central office attendance.

As this trend continues to play out, organisations may see an uptake of employees “voting with their feet” and leaving the company based on their updated approach towards flexibility.

“As employers adapt their work arrangements to meet the evolving needs of their business and their workforce, they are doing so while emphasising in-person collaboration for employee morale, productivity and client service. However, finding the balance between in-office needs and employee wellbeing is instrumental to business success,” Gorton said.