Doing "Return To Office" Wrong — forgetting the "how"

A predictable pattern is emerging.

Companies tweak their office policies, issuing broad guidance about the objectives of their new return-to-office (RTO) mandates. Especially at creative firms, the goal is clear: more time together will spark innovation, deepen understanding of complex topics, and strengthen the interpersonal connections that sustain culture.

So, they move from a voluntary Tuesday-Wednesday schedule to a mandatory Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday.

A CEO or COO announces the shift. There’s a meeting, an email, and some talking points for managers. Then, leadership waits to see results.

A month or two later, they regroup. How’s it going?

Not as expected.

There are a few more in-person meetings. Some calendars are fuller. But the sparks of innovation haven’t materialized. People are commuting only to take video calls. Frustration is mounting, from staff who think commute time is wasted, to senior leaders who are getting complaints, and the facilities teams who are trying to figure out what, exactly, is needed to fix the office.

The problem isn’t the policy—it’s the lack of behavior change.

The Missing Piece: Behavior Change

Most RTO plans address what employees should do (come in three days a week) and sometimes why (for collaboration, culture, and creativity). But too often, they ignore how this change will actually take hold in daily work.

In practice, managers are told to encourage in-person brainstorming, but employees still spend office days on external calls. Leaders want serendipitous exchanges, but no one is changing their meeting habits. Teams are physically present—but still working as if remote.

So, what happens? People default to what’s easiest. They take calls from their desks instead of walking to find a colleague. They book a private space instead of hashing out ideas in person. The office becomes just another work location, not a collaboration hub.

And when the office isn’t enhancing work, it becomes an obstacle.

How to Fix It: Data, Nudges & Measurement

Leaders need more than policies—they need tools that shape behavior.

• Measure what matters. Track how time is actually spent in-office—not just attendance.
• Nudge employees in real-time. If someone is commuting in, help them make better choices about who to meet with and when.
• Enable managers with data. Give leaders visibility into where collaboration is breaking down and how to improve it.
• Provide Facilities and Employee Experience with benchmarks and projections. Empower office leadership with team-by-team projections of space requirements for every day of the week - based on what individuals actually need to be doing in the office.

That’s why we built BalancedWork. We don’t just track wasted time in the office—we provide ongoing, automated recommendations for better ways to use it. When companies get in-office collaboration right, innovation follows naturally.

Are you seeing these challenges? Let’s compare notes.

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