Companies want to see employees in the office more often: 'People need contact'

Major companies including Booking.com, Skydance, and ABN AMRO are increasingly mandating that employees return to the office more frequently. Experts like organizational psychologist Tosca Gort suggest this shift is driven by concerns over declining productivity and the loss of social cohesion among staff. While working from home offers benefits like eliminating commutes, it often isolates employees and prevents them from picking up on critical organizational developments, which can hinder career growth. Researchers note that collaboration is significantly more effective when teams are physically present to address challenges in real-time.

Despite the push for office attendance, experts acknowledge that remote work still serves a purpose in managing traffic congestion and providing flexibility. Emeritus professor Fred Zijlstra suggests that a hybrid model, where employees work from home during peak traffic hours before commuting, remains a viable strategy. However, the era of total remote autonomy appears to be ending, as firms aim to balance workplace flexibility with the need for collective engagement and team success.