CEOs are easing their efforts to compel employees to return to the office full-time as indicated by a recent CEO survey by The Conference Board. The findings reveal that only 4% of CEOs in the US and 4% of CEOs globally prioritize bringing workers back to the office on a full-time, five-day-a-week basis.
The survey, which involved over 1,200 executives, including 630 CEOs across the United States, Latin America, Japan, and Europe, highlighted that attracting and retaining talent now stands out as the top internal priority for business leaders.
However, some US companies have opted for a hardline stance with a full-time return this 2024. UPS, for instance, recently declared that they are discontinuing its hybrid work policy, opting to bring corporate employees back to the office full-time, five days a week, starting March 4, as outlined in an internal memo shared with CNN.
Diana Scott, the US human capital center leader at the Conference Board stated that “hybrid work is here to stay”. Many CEOs now see hybrid work as a non-issue, recognizing the ongoing challenges they face in dealing with more pressing matters. This solidified move towards hybrid work marks a clear shift from earlier signals of increased strictness around in-office attendance.
As companies adjust to evolving work models, CEOs are advised to tailor their approach to hybrid work based on industry-specific considerations, acknowledging that the debate over hybrid work is more prominent in knowledge worker-centric offices than in sectors like customer service, healthcare, and manufacturing where remote or hybrid work may not be viable options.