Many companies are now partially or fully back at the office, and some of the holdouts are also changing their tunes to get workers back at their desks. Resistance from some employees and the “great resignation” that took place last year have led to companies dragging their feet, despite the abundant evidence that productivity has declined. How can you incentivize employees to return to the office?
Reimburse Travel and Commuting Expenses
Whether your office is located in the city or the suburbs, there’s a good chance that your employees are commuting more than just a couple of minutes to get there. In fact, the average American spends 55 minutes commuting to and from work every day. In the wake of inflation, many employees are feeling the sting at the gas pump as commuting expenses return to their budgets. By offering to cover all or some of your employees’ travel expenses with a commuter stipend or reimbursement plan, you can incentivize employees to return to the office.
Provide a Childcare Stipend
Working from home has provided some employees the ability to eliminate childcare and babysitting services from their budgets for the most part. Research shows that the average cost of daycare for an infant exceeds the cost of housing. Additionally, in all four US regions, the cost of childcare is higher than the annual cost of in-state tuition at a public four-year school. Asking your employees to reincorporate this amount into your budget can be challenging.
As part of your mission to incentivize employees to return to the office, consider offering a stipend to cover or offset these costs. If you have a larger company, adding an on-site childcare service could also be an appealing option for employees with young children.
Offer Free Meals
When you are able to work from home, you can quickly pop into the kitchen to heat up leftovers or cook lunch. Coming into the office can mean choosing from more time-consuming and expensive options, as well as much less flexibility. Even if you don’t have the budget to offer free lunch every day, you can offer weekly or monthly free lunches to incentivize employees to return to the office. Sharing a meal also gives your employees a chance to get to know each other, which can help strengthen relationships and make them look forward to coming back to the office. You can also explore having snacks and drinks available in shared spaces.
Decrease Meetings
Some offices use return-to-office initiatives as an excuse to pack those in-office days with meetings. Recent data shows that over two-thirds of employees say that excessive meetings prevent them from getting enough work done. Consider making some in-office days, particularly if you are proposing a hybrid format, meeting-free days. These make it easier for employees to stay on top of their workload and feel like you are inviting them back to the office because you want them to be productive there, not because you want them to sit through endless meetings.
Improve Your Facilities
When was the last time you invested in your on-site facilities? If your workspace does not have the technology or support necessary to create a productive work environment, it only makes sense that employees are interested in staying home. To incentivize employees to return to the office, turn inward and examine your facilities with a critical eye. Facilities management solutions can provide you and your employees with exceptional support that makes coming to the office a joy instead of a chore.
Work with Striden for Facilities Management Solutions
The world has changed, and many businesses have changed in response. As you are implementing your return-to-work policies, you need the right partners on your side to ensure that your office is a welcoming space where employees are excited to get back to work. Let Striden help guide you through the process of designing and maintaining workspaces that achieve your goals. Contact us today to discover how we can tailor a solution that fits your business and sets you on the path to success.
