What to consider before quitting a job mandating return to office

With summer over, more companies are mandating that employees be in the office for a specified number of days per week, and this time — with pandemic surges less of a focus — the employers seem serious about sticking to the policy. But workers who want more flexibility may have room to negotiate. Or, they can always quit.

While companies would like workers in the office more often, anywhere from one to five days, there are competitive realities to navigate. If one company is unwilling to be flexible, there’s another that’s likely to be, say human resources professionals.

“One of the biggest changes over the past few years is that fully remote work has grown, and compared to pre-pandemic, remote work policies are becoming much more common,” said Toni Frana, career services manager at job search website FlexJobs. “Most recent surveys and data collected show that both employees and managers agree remote work is beneficial and productive, and many people want to continue using it in some capacity.”