Are Return-to-Office Mandates the Right Answer?

Return-to-office mandates are back in the spotlight, but are they really about productivity, or something else entirely?

In this Kaizen Time conversation, Eric Joern and Mark Valleskey unpack what’s driving the trend, from underused commercial real estate to shifting expectations around collaboration and culture. More importantly, they explain how small business owners can make data-driven decisions about hybrid and in-person work that actually fit their operations, without following big-company fads.

Key Takeaways

• Major corporations are enforcing return-to-office mandates, but not always for the reasons they claim.
• Real estate costs and underutilized office space are often bigger factors than employee productivity.
• Studies show no clear link between remote work and lower performance, despite headlines suggesting otherwise.
• The real issue for most businesses is whether training, accountability, and systems are clearly defined.
• Small business owners should evaluate office policies based on their actual workflow and culture, not trends.

Related Resources

• How to Motivate Employees Without Micromanaging or Going Broke
• How a Cooling Economy Impacts Small Business Hiring
• How to Foster Productive Remote Employees (Video)

Want help understanding the financial side of your business decisions?
Kaizen CPAs helps small and mid-sized companies use their numbers to make informed, data-driven choices, from staffing and systems to long-term strategy.

Explore our services →